Board Bill 120: What is it, and why should you care?

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycle Safety, Bicycling, City of St. Louis, Walking Safety

Dec 14, 2022

The infrastructure bill that could reshape our most dangerous streets

A bill was recently sent to committee by the City of St. Louis Board of Aldermen that could finally address some of the issues plaguing our streets. Here’s what you need to know about Board Bill 120:

In 2021, The City of St. Louis received nearly $500 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding, to be spent by 2026.
In response to a particularly dangerous summer for people who walk, bike and use mobility devices, Mayor Jones pledged to invest at least $40 million of ARPA funding in safer streets.
Thus, BB#120 was born. The initial version of the bill, sponsored by Ward 3 Alderman Brandon Bosley, allocates $74 million of ARPA funding to invest in infrastructure.
$40 million will go to the Board of Public Service for traffic calming, roadway and ADA improvements on corridors with the highest need.
$9.58 million will go to the Streets Department for sidewalk improvements and a mobility and transportation master plan.

Trailnet hopes, as this bill makes its way through the legislative process, the city considers adding a few details:

A provision for drivers education, which is not currently required in the state of Missouri,
A provision for a media campaign to encourage responsible driving,
A provision for equitably implemented enforcement, such as automated enforcement, which would reduce traffic violence and dangerous driving behaviors without adding to current racially biased enforcement strategies,
A line item that explicitly names the city’s commitment to Vision Zero, and the creation of a position to oversee and follow-through on said commitment to a Vision Zero plan.

This amount of money, if used correctly, could be seriously transformative—the first draft of the bill proposes over 4x the average yearly annual budget that goes toward street maintenance in the city.

This is a massive step in the right direction. Trailnet is proud of the part we have played in advocating for these changes. Now we look forward to helping the City make these improvements as quickly and effectively as possible, so that sometime in the near future, our Streets can truly be for All.