Jefferson City receives Greenest Cities Award

Cyclists use the the Pat Jones Pedestrian/Bicycle Lane to cross the Missouri River. The cyclist left the Capitol to complete the bike ride to the North Jefferson Katy Trailhead.
Cyclists use the the Pat Jones Pedestrian/Bicycle Lane to cross the Missouri River. The cyclist left the Capitol to complete the bike ride to the North Jefferson Katy Trailhead.

As Jefferson City continues working toward more bicycle resources, the city received an award this month for its role in minimizing its carbon footprint.

Insurify, an online car insurance shopping platform, gave Jefferson City its Greenest Cities Award for having a low environmental impact score.

It gave the award to five cities with the lowest scores from each state. Insurify determined the winners by analyzing nationwide household vehicular carbon footprints based on data submitted to Insurify, according to a news release. It noted fuel efficiency, engine type, annual mileage, commuting patterns and number of cars per household.

Jefferson City tries to reduce its carbon footprint not only through driving habits, but also by encouraging environmentally friendly habits like bicycling and walking, the news release states.

The city has placed new sidewalks and bicycle lanes along East Capitol Avenue, and Jefferson City is working toward a bike-share program with Skinny Labs Inc. DBA Spin that could debut as early as mid-June. The city's Parks, Recreation and Forestry Department also is in the process of extending, connecting and creating greenway trails and making improvements to local parks.

The award "shows that Jefferson City is proactive when it comes to sustainability," Jefferson City Mayor Carrie Tergin said.

"It shows we value being a sustainable community and as a state capitol," Tergin said. "It benefits residents and visitors alike to be able to utilize programs like bike programs that are on the horizon that the city is working toward and also being a leader in bike lanes. That shows the community is engaged and this is a priority for the community."

Being named a "green city" by Insurify could attract more visitors, said Brittney Mormann, communications manager for the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau.

"When individuals are environmentally friendly, they tend to stay in that same mindset when they travel and therefore want to travel to 'green' destinations," Mormann said. "Being a 'green city' shows tourists that the locals and city government are working towards reducing their carbon footprints. Through efforts such as the addition of new bike lanes, the Jefferson City greenway trail and the possibility of a new bike-share program, the city is not only progressing on the environmental front, but also demonstrating how travel-friendly we are."

Other Missouri cities that received the award were Columbia, Ballwin, St. Charles and St. Ann.