Union Blvd Redesign Falls Short

Tags: Advocacy, BB120, Bicycle Safety, City of St. Louis, St. Louis Safer Streets, Walking Safety

Sep 06, 2024

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.

Trailnet encourages you to provide your feedback on this plan by submitting comments here: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MHWQRRZ

For more information concerning the traffic engineering plans, and Trailnet’s recommendations, please contact planning@trailnet.org.

St. Louis Safer Streets Bill Signed

Tags: Advocacy, Bicycle Safety, Board Bill 120, Board of Aldermen, City of St. Louis, Mayor Tishaura Jones, Policy, Safe Streets For All, St. Louis Safer Streets, Walking Safety

Mar 08, 2023

Trailnet was invited to be a part of the signing of the St. Louis Safer Streets Bill on March 1. Here’s what that means, why we’re excited, and what more needs to be done.

On Wednesday morning, March 1, 2023, City of St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones signed the St. Louis Safer Streets Bill (also referred to as Board Bill 120) into law.

This is a huge win. It marks the City’s largest-ever investment into street safety and infrastructure, and Trailnet was invited to be a part of the ceremony.

We couldn’t have done this without support from our members and community.

Together, we have fought for pedestrians, bicyclists and transit users over the last three decades. We laid the groundwork for change by shifting the conversation, focusing on systems, and gradually building public support. We sounded the alarm about traffic violence with the Crash Report. We built relationships with decision makers and met with elected officials.

The work isn’t over, though. Now, the funding must be carefully applied, on a comprehensive scale, to the problems it hopes to solve.

As Trailnet CEO Cindy Mense said in her remarks to the press, “While improving infrastructure is crucial, it will not, on its own, deter reckless drivers or put an end to the plague of traffic violence…. Trailnet and our partners stand ready to work with the administration in pursuing a vision of zero traffic injuries and fatalities on our streets.”

Together, we will continue to fight for Streets for All.