About Our Partnership

Ian Thomas, PhD

Treasurer
Columbia, MO
573-239-7916
ian(at)pednet.org

Ian Thomas is the Executive Director and a founding Board member of the PedNet Coalition in Columbia, Missouri.

PedNet is a grass-roots, non-profit advocacy group whose mission is to create a city-wide network of sidewalks, pedways, bike lanes, and trails so that everyone can choose to walk, bike, wheel, etc. for commuting, completing errands, and recreation. More than 5,000 local residents have signed up in support of this vision, PedNet’s network plan has been adopted into the 2025 Transportation Plan for the Columbia Metro area, and new bike/ped friendly city street design standards have been passed.

In November, 2003, Ian led a partnership effort to win a $200,000 Active Living by Design grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The project objectives are to encourage Columbians to be more physically active and to improve city infrastructure. Programs include Walking School Buses, Physical Activity Self-Challenges, Policy Influence, and Active Living Promotion.

In July, 2005, partly as a result of PedNet’s advocacy work over 5 years, Columbia was selected as one of four communities to receive a $25,000,000 federal Pilot Program grant to build a bicycle and pedestrian network.