GREENWAY

Thanks to Great Rivers Greenway, there are nearly 130 greenways that allow community members throughout the St. Louis area and St. Charles County to have more outdoor spaces connecting people and places. The organization is celebrating the creation of two new projects, an expansion of the St. Vincent Greenway and a $15 million of funding for the Brickline Greenway project from the State of Missouri Capital Improvement Budget for 2024.

The new paved and accessible St. Vincent Greenway path connects Pagedale to the Rock Road Transit Center and existing greenway in St. Vincent County Park. The Brickline project, which is estimated to cost $245 million, is envisioned as up to 13 miles of biking and walking paths that will connect up to 14 neighborhoods. The project is slated to begin in five to ten years, as Great Rivers continues to raise funding.

Great Rivers Greenway is a public agency created in 2000 by a vote of residents in St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles County mandating that a sales tax be put in place to support parks and greenways through the regions. The belief is that greenways offer a multitude of health and socioeconomic benefits.

Greenways offer opportunities for physical activity, decreased vehicle emissions, improved road safety outcomes resulting from fewer vehicle miles traveled and access to businesses resulting in increased retail and associated spending adjacent to the trail.

“Each greenway is unique, reflecting the character of the communities it connects,” said Dallas Adams, communication manager at Great Rivers Greenway. “They typically include four elements: the trail itself, conservation projects, enjoyable amenities and connections to vital destinations. The network of greenways strengthens our civic well-being, now and for the future.”

The St. Vincent greenway expansion, made possible by a joint effort between Great Rivers Greenway, Missouri Department of Transportation, Bi-State Development/Metro St. Louis and St. Louis County Department of Parks and Recreation, will feature a new trail, new green paint, pavement markings and increased safety signage for pedestrians, bikers and drivers. Another safety measure includes new pedestrian crossings at St. Charles Rock Road and 70th Street and the entrance to St. Vincent County Park. The expansion will later connect with the future St. Vincent Greenway through Pagedale to Wellston, which will begin construction in 2024.

The Brickline project, once completed, is expected to improve access to employment and education, which are currently limited by a lack of effective transportation infrastructures. It is anticipated that the project will raise residential property value by up to $126 million and increase local business activity by $82 million.

Great Rivers Greenway will be holding a ribbon-cutting celebration that is open to the public, to commemorate the St. Vincent Expansion. The event is on July 27 at the Rock Road Transit Center and begins at 6:15 p.m. The event will feature free ice cream treats from Lily’s Café food truck. A guided round-trip walk to St. Vincent County Park and bike ride to the University of Missouri–St. Louis on the greenway will leave the Metro Station at 6:30 p.m. For more information visit www.greatriversgreenway.org.