I64/40 Construction Project
The I64/40 construction project has begun! Construction to rebuild I-64/US40 between Spoede Road and Kingshighway Blvd. is underway and is affecting motorists and cyclists alike. On this page, we provide General Information about the construction project, Share the Road Information for Motorists and Cyclists, proposed Alternate Routes suggestions and Look Out! – potentially hazardous road conditions to look out for as a cyclist or pedestrian during the I64/40 construction project.

General Information:
MoDOT’s planned construction calls for complete lane closures during the construction of I-64/US40, with I-170 to Spoede closed in both directions during 2008 and I-170 to Kingshighway closed in both directions during 2009. MODOT predicts approximately 6,000 cars being diverted during the peak am and pm commutes (7-8 am and 5-6 pm). These cars will be diverted onto secondary roads including:
East/West – Page, Olive, Delmar, Ladue, Forest Park Parkway, Clayton and Manchester
North/South – Ballas, Lindbergh, McKnight, Brentwood, Hanley, Big Bend and Skinker/McCausland
For more information and the construction schedule, visit MoDOT's website

St. Louis County's Department of Highways and Traffic is working to help MoDOT complete the I-64/US40 construction project by increasing vehicular capacity on affected secondary roads. Potential changes to these secondary roads include: signal optimization, minimization of on-street parking facilities, minimization of left-turns, removal of center turn lanes and reuse of shoulders. These changes will impact cyclists, however, no plans have been made to ban cyclists from any secondary roads during the I-64/US40 construction project. St. Louis County has set up an I-64 Regional Traffic Management Plan Task Force, and questions may be directed to Dave Wrone at 314/615-8173 or dwrone@stlouisco.com.
For more information about the task force, visit St. Louis County’s website

Share the Road:

Many of the alternate routes identified by MoDOT – and especially Clayton, Ladue, Ballas and Skinker/McCausland – are major cycling corridors. When considering your alternate commute – as a motorist or cyclist – we ask that you Share the Road with your two- or four-wheeled counterparts and remember the following:

For Motorists:
1. Drive Cautiously

• Reduce speed when encountering cyclists
• Don't tailgate, especially in bad weather
• Recognize hazards cyclists may face and give them space

2. Yield to Cyclists

• Bicycles are considered legal vehicles
• Cyclists should be given the appropriate right of way
• Allow extra time for cyclists to traverse intersections

3. Be Considerate

• Scan for cyclists in traffic and at intersections
• Do not blast your horn in close proximity to cyclists
• Look for cyclists when opening doors

4. Pass with Care

• When passing, leave four feet between you and a cyclist
• Wait for safe road and traffic conditions before you pass
• Check over your shoulder before moving back

For Cyclists:
1. On the Road

• The same laws that apply to motorists apply to cyclists
• Obey all traffic control devices
• Use hand signals to indicate stops and turns other users

2. Always Wear a Properly Fitting Helmet

• Wear a helmet, no matter how short the trip

3. Ride on the Right

• Always ride in the same direction as traffic
• Use the furthest right lane that heads to your destination
• Slower moving cyclists and motorists stay to the right

4. Ride Predictably

• Ride in a straight line
• Don't swerve in the road or between parked cars
• Check for traffic before entering street or intersection
• Anticipate hazards and adjust your position accordingly

5. Be Visible

• Wear brightly colored clothing that provides contrast
• Use a white front light in low light conditions
• Use a red rear light in low light conditions
• Use a reflector or reflective tape or clothing anytime
• Announce yourself by making eye contact with motorists

Source: http://www.bikeleague.org/action/sharetheroad.php (League of American Bicyclists)

Alternate Routes:
We have been working in collaboration with St. Louis County Department of Highways and Traffic, St. Louis County Department of Parks and Recreation and the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation to identify several bike friendly routes between Spoede and Forest Park that avoid most of the secondary roads predicted to handle diverted motor vehicle traffic. We have identified the alternate routes and our next steps include the following:

• St. Louis County Highways and Traffic is planning on having east-west routes signed by January 2, 2008
• After getting approval from the municipalities affected by the proposed north-south routes, these will also be signed
• Once these routes are finalized, a map will be made public and posted here

We see the I64/40 Construction Project as a great opportunity for more St. Louisans to try bicycle commuting and for our region to more fully embrace all bicyclists.

Look Out!:
MODOT predicts approximately 6,000 cars being diverted during the peak am and pm commutes, with these cars being diverted onto secondary roads that are popular cycling corridors. St. Louis County's Department of Highways and Traffic is working to help MoDOT complete the I-64/US40 construction project by increasing vehicular capacity on affected secondary roads. Potential changes to these secondary roads include:

• Signal optimization
  By timing signals, traffic engineers can reduce waiting at red lights for motor vehicles, helping reduce air pollution, and driver frustration.However, there are a number of issues related to signal timing that can adversely affect bicyclists and pedestrians. The most dangerous is shortened walk times. Elderly or disabled people, or families with young children, may have trouble crossing in a standard length of time. In addition, there may be no islands or "refuges" for them mid-intersection, further increasing danger.
  
  From a cyclists' perspective there are two issues of concern: higher speeds, especially if drivers feel they have to race from signal to signal, and "clumping" of cars as they travel in large groups from light to light. A clump of drivers has more difficulty maneuvering around a cyclist in the right lane.

• Minimization of on-street parking facilities
  Striped parking areas may be removed to potentially allow for re-striping to give a center turn lane or two lanes in both directions.
  
  While cyclists have reason to fear on-street parking because of the risk of opening doors, in general on-street parking does several favorable things: It slows traffic, as cars are parking, and as people are getting into and out of cars. It also means fewer traffic lanes for pedestrians to cross. Most important to businesses in the area, onstreet parking signals that businesses are busy, and the area is vibrant. Higher speed, high volume traffic signals that people should just keep going and businesses can suffer. University City's Loop and Webster Groves' Old Orchard neighborhood are both areas where businesses insisted on keeping on-street parking.

• Minimization of left-turns
  Minimizing left turns is preferable to squeezing a third lane into a narrow roadway, or introducing sudden lane diversions.However, careful attention must be paid to where u-turns can be made, or how people access side streets and driveways, without increasing the number of dangerous maneuvers drivers make.Planners must be careful not to simply move hazards from one place to another.

• Removal of center turn lanes
  Removal of center turn lanes can potentially allow for restriping to give 2 lanes in both directions. From a cyclists' perspective, this is generally neutral. While most cyclists would prefer three wide lanes, with room to safely share the outer lane, in practice when there are four narrow lanes the cyclist will take the outer lane and drivers will move over.

• Reuse of shoulders
  Re-striping to narrow or eliminate shoulders can potentially allow for re-striping to give a center turn lane or two lanes in both directions.
  
  For cyclists, a wide outer lane or shoulder is preferable.Motorists do not have to make adjustments for the cyclist and people moving at varying speeds can share the space available.If the shoulder is eliminated, the motorist will generally have to slow down for the cyclist, and the cyclists must expect motorists will be paying attention to the task of driving.For pedestrians, removal of a shoulder, with no sidewalks, makes walking dangerous or impossible.

These potential changes will impact cyclists and we will post potentially hazardous road conditions to look out for as a cyclist here. You can help alert others by contacting us about additional dangerous road conditions. Call Trailnet at 314/436-1324 x 107 or e-mail at advocate@trailnet.org.

Please provide type of hazard, location including nearest intersection(s), direction of travel if applicable and photo if available.

Hazardous Road Conditions Postings:

Date Posted		October, 2007
Date Enacted		April, 2007
Road Condition		Center turn lane added to Clayton Road between Mason Rd. and Spoede resulting in reuse of shoulders for motor vehicles.
Recommendations for Cyclists and Pedestrians		Ride as near to the right side of the road as safe, except when making a left turn, when avoiding hazardous conditions or when the lane is too narrow to share with another vehicle. Cyclists may ride abreast when not impeding other vehicles. (From Missouri Bicycling Statutes section 307.190) Trailnet recommends taking the lane, when above unsafe conditions are present and returning to the right side of the road when safe.
Date Posted		November, 2007
Date Enacted		November, 2007
Road Condition		Both shoulders of Ladue Road just west of intersection with Dielman Road reused for motor vehicles to accommodate center turn lane at Dielman intersection. New asphalt on both shoulders provides badly needed shoulder width.
Recommendations for Cyclists and Pedestrians		The pavement is rough in transitions, so care is urged.

For more information and how to’s on bike commuting, visit the Bicycle Transportation How To’s section of our website