Trailnet has released its fifth annual Crash Report, a vital tool for advocacy and education aimed at building safer streets across the St. Louis region. Analyzing crash data from 2024 alongside longer-term trends dating back to 2010, this year’s report reveals an urgent need for systemic change to curb the rising tide of traffic violence — especially for pedestrians and people biking.
In 2024, both St. Louis City and St. Louis County experienced their deadliest year on record for pedestrians, even as some types of crashes declined. While reported crashes involving cyclists and pedestrians dropped by 9.5% from 2023 to 2024, pedestrian deaths surged — up 187% in the City and 24% in the County.
“Each data point in this report represents a life lost or permanently altered,” said Cindy Mense, CEO of Trailnet. “Preventing future tragedies requires a collective commitment — from drivers who must slow down and stay focused, to policymakers and engineers who must design and fund streets that prioritize the safety of everyone, especially those outside of cars.”
Key findings from the 2024 Crash Report include:
In 2024, 23 pedestrians were killed in St. Louis City, and 36 in St. Louis County.
Since 2010, the number of pedestrian and cyclist deaths has increased by 73%, even as total reported crashes have fallen by 35%.
In 2024, nearly 48% of all road fatalities involved people walking, up from 25% in 2010.
Cyclist crashes rose by 38% in the County in 2024 — with 81% of crashes occurring where no bike lanes or trails exist.
Each crash involving a pedestrian or cyclist is becoming deadlier: in 2010, fewer than 2% of those struck died; today, nearly one in 10 dies.
Trailnet’s report identifies wide arterial roads with high speed limits, poor lighting, inadequate pedestrian crossings, and a lack of bike facilities as persistent, dangerous patterns in crash data across the region.
The Crash Report is designed to provide leaders, planners, and advocates with actionable data that can drive life-saving changes. Trailnet calls on policymakers to urgently prioritize infrastructure investments that slow down traffic, create safer crossings, and expand access to protected biking and walking facilities.
“Our region deserves better,” said Mense. “With intentional investment, we can create streets that keep everyone safer and contribute to a vibrant and healthier community.”
In each of our monthly newsletters, Trailnet features a member of our community who is working toward Trailnet’s vision of Streets for All. Bill Coppel is our February 2025 Trailnet Champion!
A member of our Board of Directors from 2018 to 2024, Bill Coppel has been an incredible advocate for Trailnet, and St. Louis in general. During his time on Trailnet’s board, he served as the head of the nominations committee — a fitting position for a people-person and connector like Bill. He also served as board mentor to Cindy Mense, Trailnet’s CEO. He’s served as the Chief Client Growth Officer at TradePMP for the past two years, and earned his MBA from Washington University. An east coast native, he’s lived in St. Louis for 17 years, raising two children with his wife, Kathy. He’s always kept a busy professional schedule, but has made time for causes and organizations he believes in, such as KidSmart and the Missouri History Museum, and of course, Trailnet.
An avid cyclist, Bill has biked all over St. Louis and beyond with his family. In listening to him to talk about his adventures, his love of the area is evident. “We have cycled every inch of St. Louis from the north, farthest north side, all the way to the deepest south side of the city, to the western border, and, of course, to the river,” said Bill. “So we know every one of those neighborhoods, each one of them. And that’s another remarkable thing about St. Louis, is every neighborhood is very distinctive, and has its own personality.”
It was through the cycling community that Bill first heard of Trailnet. He joined the board not just because he wants safe streets for everyone, but also because of how safe streets can elevate a city. “Cities should be safe for non-vehicular transportation, whether you’re walking, cycling, or running — all of those things I think are incredibly important — but just as important is the fact that a city has to be inviting,” Bill said. “It has to be a safe city. It’s got to have opportunity, and what we’re doing with streets is helping to revitalize this city, and making it an attractive destination for companies, businesses, and people wanting to move here.”
Trailnet has benefited greatly from Bill’s wisdom as he helped shape and guide many of our campaigns. “I think a lot of the work we’ve done on calming streets, in the neighborhoods within the city for traffic calming, putting in bike lanes, putting in pedestrian crosswalks, and particularly in school areas — it’s great. We’ve been involved with doing all of that and more. I’m really proud of the work Trailnet has done.”
We’re deeply grateful for Bill’s time on our board, and are inspired by his advocacy for safer streets, and St. Louis overall.
Upcoming St. Louis Mayoral Forum to Focus on Transportation Infrastructure
A collaborative of St. Louis organizations focused on pedestrian, cyclist, and public transportation issues — Trailnet, Paraquad, the St. Louis Coalition to Protect Cyclists & Pedestrians (CP2), the St. Louis Urbanists, and Transform 314 — will host a Transportation Infrastructure Mayoral Forum on Monday, Feb. 10, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Paraquad’s office, 5240 Oakland Ave. The forum will provide mayoral candidates an opportunity to share their vision and address questions about the city’s mobility infrastructure.
“Streets are the foundation of our communities and deeply connected to our quality of life,” said Cindy Mense, CEO of Trailnet. “How we travel shapes how we live, and the approach St. Louis’ next mayor takes to address the daily mobility needs of our residents will have a profound impact on everyone. We’re deeply grateful to Paraquad, CP2, the St. Louis Urbanists, and Transform 314 for collaborating with us on this forum, and giving the community the chance to hear from the candidates.”
The collaborative will explore a full range of issues including planning, design, funding, building, and maintenance with the candidates to assess their vision of providing quality, accessible, and connected transportation infrastructure. Members of the St. Louis community are encouraged to attend. Tickets are not required.
Each mayoral candidate will have five minutes for opening remarks, followed by two questions from the hosting organizations, and then questions from the community. A moderator and timekeeper will ensure all participants have adequate time to address questions.
All four mayoral candidates — Michael Butler, Andrew Jones, Tishaura Jones, and Cara Spencer — have confirmed their attendance.
In each of our monthly newsletters, Trailnet features a member of our community who is working toward Trailnet’s vision of Streets for All. In November 2024, we featured Ryan Hanlon.
Ryan Hanlon is our Trailnet Champion of November! If you haven’t met Ryan before, he is the owner and creative director at Route 3 Films. Route 3 Films has been in business since 2013 and creates content for schools, nonprofits, and small businesses. In his free time, he enjoys tinkering with vintage race cars with his son and father. They are currently restoring a 1980 Jeep CJ5 most of which he plans to use for ice cream runs with his daughter. He loves to mountain bike and climb, camp, and hike with his family and friends.
Ryan is an avid lover of the outdoors and began his volunteering journey with the Ozark Trail Association as a trail crew leader, donor and consultant in 2008. He now serves many groups including the Infrastructure Committee of the Holly Hills Small Business District as chairman and The Friends of Carondelet Park as a board member. He recently created a coalition to spearhead the first and only mountain bike trail in the city of St. Louis which was completed on November 9th in Carondelet Park. The trail will be a hub for practices and racing events for the South City Otters. Ryan believes the trail to be perfect for entry level or intermediate riders and that it is also a great place to walk in the woods for a “city” hike. The trail measures about 1 mile.
Ryan began working with Trailnet when the Holly Hills Infrastructure sub-committee began its work to calm the traffic in their Small Business District. He has been working closely with Trailnet planners Bryce Monser and Erich Hellmer on the project to examine each street, determine its challenges, and seek solutions. “St. Louis is blessed to have Trailnet right here to help us make smart, modern, and safe choices as we work to make our city the best place it can be,” said Ryan. This project is entering its final stages and the team plans to begin implementing their solutions in 2025.
Trailnet’s work is important to Ryan as he has seen, while traveling, what other cities have done to create safe spaces for pedestrians and cyclists, while still helping motorists. His goal in working with Trailnet is “to keep traffic flowing safely and slightly slower in Holly Hills but make sure the pedestrian and the cyclist are safe and welcomed”. Ryan loves St. Louis and its architecture and wants to maintain that. He believes we can come up with creative ideas to maintain that but making our streets safer for everyone. “I believe that Trailnet has not only safety top of mind but creating solutions that flow with the sense of place in the neighborhoods and streets they serve”, said Ryan. We have loved working with Ryan, and are excited to see what the future holds!
Trailnet is pleased to see the voters of the City of St. Louis overwhelmingly passed Proposition T yesterday, approving the enactment of a City Department of Transportation on July 1, 2029.
We take a moment to celebrate and thank the many Alderpersons, community organizations and neighborhood associations who assisted in getting this initiative passed. But the work is not finished.
All City Dept of Transportation supporters must stay vigilant to make sure:
There is proper funding for maintenance of our streets and sidewalks, and all duties the City DOT will provide,
There is proper staffing in place on day one, including newly filled positions, with clearly outlined duties and responsibilities,
All contracts, studies and other materials originally initiated by other departments, but which pertain to the new department’s duties and responsibilities, are turned over to the City DOT for implementation on day one.
While there is ample time for a smooth transition, we hope all who supported the effort continue to monitor the implementation of Prop T and voice their concerns if necessary. It is only through our collective efforts that we will see the successful implementation of our efforts.
Trailnet is deeply saddened by the death of Govan “Kenny” Bonaparte. On Saturday evening, Mr. Bonaparte was crossing the street in his wheelchair when a person driving a vehicle struck and killed him.
This should not happen in our community, but unfortunately, it happens far too often. This crash happened in North St. Louis City, where the streets and sidewalks are frequently in bad shape due to disinvestment in critical infrastructure. However, traffic violence has infected our entire region.
As Trailnet highlights in our annual crash reports, in just the first half of this year, at least 133 people were injured and 13 killed while walking in St. Louis City. In St. Louis County, there have been 101 pedestrians injured and 14 killed.
There are a number of nationally proven steps residents and governmental officials can take for a safer region. They include, but are not limited to:
Demand strong Complete Streets policies and practices,
Adopt and install safer street designs with all possible users in mind, including people in wheelchairs or with a disability, people walking, biking, or catching the bus.
Create a culture of safe driving, where getting behind the wheel is a responsibility to be taken seriously,
Trailnet requests reporters and news departments change the way they depict crashes by implementing people-first language. The car didn’t hit someone, a person driving a car hit someone. We must hold drivers accountable, not the cars they drive.
We can do better. But to do so we must change the way we think about drivers, cars and our streets.
At Paving the Way 2024, Trailnet will introduce the winners of the 2024 MAP Awards, an award series that acknowledges the contributions of exceptional Trailnet Members, Advocates, and Partners.
This award honors an outstanding Trailnet Member who has demonstrated a commitment to fighting for Streets for All. This individual or family has invested significant resources—money, time or energy—into advancing Trailnet’s mission. They inspire others to join the fight.
2024 Winners: Barbara and Bob Lindecke
Barbara and Bob have been consistent Trailnet members since 1994, making this year their 30th anniversary as Trailnet members!
Barbara and Bob love to take walks on Grant’s Trail. Bob became the Eagle Scout Project Coordinator for Grant’s Trail when he retired. He also worked with several AmeriCorp groups that helped improve the trail in the late 90s.
Not only do they give generously as Peloton Society members, but they also love to come to Trailnet events to learn more about bike/ped advocacy. They joined us for the Walking Tour of Louisiana Calm Street, where they insisted on helping set up the table when they arrived a little early. Barbara and Bob are steady, generous supporters of our work.
Outstanding Streets for All Advocate
This award honors an individual, family or organization that has fought for policies that make our region better for people walking, biking or using public transportation. The honoree has advanced specific advocacy campaigns that have resulted in safer streets for all users. They are exemplary advocates.
2024 Winner: Anne Schweitzer
For years, Hon. Anne Schweitzer has used her voice and influence to protect vulnerable road users in St. Louis.
During her time as Chairwoman of the Public Infrastructure and Utilities committee, Alderwoman Schweitzer has passed significant legislation to protect people who walk, bike and catch the bus in the City of St. Louis. She shepherded key legislation including BB120, BB105, Vision Zero and Complete Streets.
In addition to using her legislative power, Hon. Schweitzer has also used her voice and personal life as an example for others. In 2023, she wrote an op-ed in the Riverfront Times entitled “What I’ve Learned Being ‘Car-Light’ in St. Louis for 6 Months” and shared both the joys and difficulties of getting around the city with limited access to a personal vehicle. This year, she organized a bike bus to city hall for the passage of the Complete Streets Bill. She joined other bike buses and events organized by the St. Louis Coalition to Protect Cyclists and Pedestrians to bring public attention to street safety issues and worked with the community and the city to create a monthly “car free” week in Carondelet Park.
Outstanding Streets for All Partner
This award honors an individual, family or organization that has worked hand-in-hand with Trailnet and other community members to fight for Streets for All. The honoree has contributed essential knowledge, skills, time and resources to a project that spurred progress in the region. They are passionate, multi-dimensional allies who share our vision.
2024 Winner: Kelly McGowan & Transform 314
Kelly McGowan, MPH, is a proud St. Louisan and Health Equity Advocate.
Kelly is the founder and Executive Director of Transform 314, an organization whose mission is “to educate, engage, and empower Black St. Louisans to drive policy changes at the local level needed to create thriving communities.” Kelly is also the Policy & Membership Experience Manager for the Missouri Center for Public Health Excellence.
Kelly and Transform314 launched a project which surveyed Black residents in St. Louis about the challenges they are facing in their communities. Traffic violence and street-related issues were top concerns. Kelly and Transform314 hosts monthly Community Meet Ups to “facilitate dialogue between elected officials and residents, so that we all understand our roles and responsibilities concerning the betterment of our communities.” Traffic violence is a common topic, and Kelly is inspiring people to take action.
In each of our monthly newsletters, Trailnet features a member of our community who is working toward Trailnet’s vision of Streets for All. In September 2024, we featured the folks behind @carfreestl.
To celebrate their pioneering work as local urbanists, artists and organizers, we asked a few questions of Christian and Natalia—the brilliant minds behind Car Free STL!
Who are you?
Christian: My name’s Christian Frommelt and I use they/them or he/him pronouns. I’m a freelance dancer, musician, and writer currently living in Dutchtown. Historic preservation work is what drove me to activism in streets and mobility because as a young adult I was appalled to learn how many neighborhoods and cultural sites we demolished for highways and parking lots.
Natalia: My name is Natalia and I use she/her pronouns. I am a Graphic Designer, Illustrator and jazz dancer from Southern California. I moved to St Louis a little over a year ago and quickly fell into activism around public transit and pedestrian-conscious infrastructure. As someone who has lived with a disability my entire life, never owning a car or having a license, this work holds personal significance for me.
What is Car Free STL?
Christian: @carfreestl started as an Instagram venting outlet for me during the pandemic, but it didn’t take off until I met Natalia in 2022 and she started creating the visual designs that Car Free STL is known for. It’s still mostly a side project, but earlier this year we discovered the positionality of Car Free STL in this ecosystem: we’re in the business of shifting and complicating narratives around car-centricity, interrogating its harms and excesses, and illuminating future streets where safety and pleasure are built in. The normalcy bias around cars is the result of Motordom redefining the very nature of our streets and public space, something they still spend $12 billion per year on ads to control. Carfreestl is our attempt to say, this system isn’t working at all for at least a third of Americans, and under that veneer of freedom, luxury, and convenience, is a series of ugly truths we need to confront.
What is the Week Without Driving?
Week Without Driving is a great opportunity to disrupt the status quo, and to invite people into the process of demanding safe and equitable streets on a grassroots level. Perhaps you are someone who needs to drive because you live far away from your workplace. This is an opportunity to try to take public transit, knowing in advance it will be a challenge, perhaps having to wake up an hour earlier or walking for 15 minutes down a hostile road––now you are in the shoes of people who do that daily. But perhaps there is delight too: how did you spend that time on the bus, and who did you meet along the way? For WWD to really count we need people to go beyond that week alone to create lasting ripple effects––new relationships with sidewalks, roads, transit agencies––for systemic change.
We are particularly excited for the October 4th Bike Bus to City Hall for WWD, which is a STL Coalition to Protect Cyclists and Pedestrians collab. We’ve had various alderpeople and city officials ride before, and we’re hoping to increase that number on this ride!
What else should the people know about?
Our shameless plug is that we have some exciting plans for a print project that we hope will educate and activate the public around these issues as we head into a hefty engagement phase for the city’s Transportation and Mobility Plan. The best way to support our labor and overhead costs (and get some sweet merch in the process) is to join us on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/CarFreeSTL
Trailnet, the regional nonprofit dedicated to Safe Streets for All, has reviewed the newly-released design changes proposed by the City Board Of Public Service for Union Blvd from Delmar to West Florissant.
If well-executed, this ARPA-funded project could transform Union, helping connect people on bikes between Bellefontaine Cemetery and Forest Park. However, the majority of the currently proposed design changes are minor and would maintain the status quo on Union.
First, community outreach and engagement has fallen short for all of the ARPA-funded projects, and Union is no exception.
As to the design changes on Union: There is a new road diet proposed with buffered bike lanes between MLK and Natural Bridge. North of Natural Bridge, however, Union would remain essentially unchanged. There are numerous right turn lanes proposed throughout the road diet section, and in some cases, these dedicated right turn lanes are for streets that are only one block long. Dedicated right-turn lanes create dangerous conflicts between cyclists and drivers, and at their core, are the opposite of traffic calming. Right turn lanes serve solely to get slow-moving, turning vehicles out of the way as they turn. This allows vehicles behind the turning car to continue straight ahead without slowing down. When this is paired with Union’s very straight and flat nature, reckless, high speed driving is sure to continue.
As with previous traffic engineering studies of Kingshighway and Jefferson, the lack of protected bike lanes and continuation of unprotected, painted bike lanes is very disappointing. If the City is serious about championing Safe Streets for All, staff will change this design proposal, and others, to make all streets and sidewalks accessible for all residents.
