Draft Network for Walking and Biking

Top 5 Infrastucture Priorities

Virtual Open House Summary

Barriers to Walking and Biking

1Fill gaps in the sidewalk network

TOP 5 POLICY/PROGRAM

1Encourage safe and responsible

Build more off-street trails (multi-use paths for walking, running, and biking) consideration of hundreds of public comments, a draft network plan was presented to the public for a virtual open house and live Zoom meeting. Results reported here reflect public engagement during which included both a user survey and interactive mapping tool.

Priorities For Walking And Biking

Infrastucture Priorities

Barriers to walking and biking are important considerations for St. Louis County, MoDOT, and local agencies as infrastructure improvements are planned. The concerns expressed by residents during the virtual open house echo results from the project’s online community survey. The lack of interconnected walking and bicycling facilities and perceptions of safety and comfort while traveling along and across busier roadways are among the most prevalent barriers that restrict people’s ability to travel by foot and bike.

3 Make it safer/easier for cyclists and pedestrians to cross busy streets

2 Repair broken/damaged sidewalks

2Host/sponsor fun events

3Encourage safe and responsible

4Promote use of transit

(multi-use paths for walking,

4 Improve comfort of sidewalks by adding planted buffers and street trees

5

Barriers To Walking And Biking

TOP 5 POLICY/PROGRAM PRIORITIES

5 Promote shared micromobility through policy and/or

Barriers to walking and biking are important considerations for St. Louis County, MoDOT, and local improvements. The concerns expressed by residents during the virtual open house echo results completed late last year.

1Encourage safe and responsible driver behaviors

2Host/sponsor fun events that encourage walking and bicycling

Top 5 Barriers To Walking

TOP 5 BARRIERS and pedestrians to cross busy adding planted buffers and sidewalks

Walking And Biking

TO

Walking

57% 49% 46% 42% 30%

Sidewalks don’t connect to my destinations

3Encourage safe and responsible walking and bicycling activity

57%

No low-stress bike connect tions to my destinations

4Promote use of transit through policy and/or incentives

Common destinations are too far away

5 Promote shared micromobility (bike share and e-scooters) through policy and/or incentives

Concerns about safety from traffic

Concerns about crossing intersections safety

Sidewalks are in poor condition

49% 46%

42% 30% insight into the issues and values residents see as most important to walking and biking in St Louis and local agencies can use this community input to help guide investments to support active important considerations for St. Louis County, MoDOT, and local agencies as they plan for expressed by residents during the virtual open house echo results from the project’s community survey

Top 5 Barriers To Bicycling

No low-stress bike connecttions to my destinations

Concerns about safety from traffic

Concerns about crossing intersections safely

Bike facilities/roadways are in poor condition

Common destinations are too far away

29% 19%

Concerns about safety from traffic

Concerns about crossing intersections safely Bike facilities/roadways in poor condition

Common destinations are too far away

Midland Blvd Demonstration Project Feedback

Poor weather on three of the five days during the demonstration period likely reduced the number of area residents who came out to experience the temporary bike lanes and crosswalk enhancements; however, feedback shared with the project team was very positive. Sixteen nearby residents responded to an online survey accessible via the project website and through a QR code posted on yard signs located throughout the project corridor. All 16 respondents were in favor of making these improvements permanent, and the vast majority indicated that these improvements would encourage them to walk and bike more often.

In addition to public support, speed data collected by St. Louis County during the demonstration period also indicated a slight decrease in both average motor vehicle speed and percentage of motor vehicles traveling more than five miles over the speed limit. While the lane reconfiguration and motor vehicle lane narrowing may have contributed to this decrease, poor weather and driving conditions could have been a contributing factor as well.

Phase 3 Engagement Evaluation

Help Make St. Louis County Streets Safer for Walking and Biking

YOU’RE INVITED!

@stlcountywalkbike

@stlcountywalkbike

While the team worked to improve participation in Phase 3 and implement recommendations in the Phase 2 Equity Audit, under-representation of some groups remained. Implementing many of the audit’s suggestions were not possible due to COVID-19, which prevented any high-touch engagement strategies, like intercept surveys at high-volume transit centers and stops. One strategy that did

#stlcntywalkbike move forward was a targeted postcard mailing to 500 addresses identified by using factors considered in the Action Plan’s equity analysis. It is unclear what impact the mailing had on overall participation. Based on analysis of online survey results, we know that the following groups were under-represented: County residents age 18-29 and over 70, African-Americans, and functional (as opposed to recreational) users of walking and biking facilities.

For more information, visit our website www.stlcountywalkbike.com

Lessons Learned

The 18-month engagement process for the Action Plan was a significant public engagement effort by the St. Louis County Department of Transportation and Public Works that touched hundreds of County residents. Unlike project-specific public outreach when the County is often in a defensive position with some residents opposed to a particular project, the Action Plan gave the County the opportunity to be proactively in front of its public. The successes and challenges experienced during this effort provide valuable insights for how the County might continue to build its relationships with key stakeholders and the public.

1. PROACTIVELY ENGAGE THE PUBLIC TO BUILD SUPPORT

With scores of meeting attendees, hundreds of survey participants, and thousands of online visitors, awareness of the County’s efforts to improve walking and biking are higher than ever, and the Department of Transportation and Public Works is in contact with more County residents than ever before. Staying in touch with these contacts proactively - outside of project specific engagement when emotions run high - will keep them interested and available to support Action Plan implementation. Occasional eblasts, newsletters, and social media could share progress on implementation of the Action Plan and rally support for project implementation.

2. STAY CONNECTED TO COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS

In addition to establishing relationships with the public, the County has reached many community stakeholders that are important consumers and potential partners. School districts, community organizations like Beyond Housing and Generate Health, and universities are all valuable links to diverse audiences that are not always part of transportation or active living discussions.

3. CONTINUE TO USE VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENT

During the latter half of the planning process, which coincided with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly all engagement activities were shifted to a virtual format out of respect for the health and safety of County residents. Results show that virtual engagement resulted in significantly higher levels of engagement. The Action Plan’s first round of four public meetings, held in fall 2019 in-person, drew a total of 92 people. The Zoom webinar for the Action Plan’s virtual open house held in summer 2020, drew 122 people. The webinar’s companion virtual open house, which ran for two weeks, drew over 1,800 visitors. Virtual engagement shows promise for increasing participation that could prove beneficial beyond the COVID era.

The Action Plan allowed the County to begin an important conversation with the community about walking and biking. Continuing that conversation over the course of the Plan’s implementation will help sustain the momentum and support needed to move forward.

Existing Conditions For Walking And Biking

Introduction

People in St. Louis County rely on our transportation system to travel to work and school, to run errands, to walk the dog, and even just to go for a relaxing walk or jog. Our roads, sidewalks, bike lanes, and trails are essential to keeping our individual daily lives moving and to connecting us to people, places and opportunities.

The character and quality of the transportation system plays an important role in how people who live and work in St. Louis County choose to travel. Factors like the presence and condition of sidewalks, nearby bikeways and trails, convenient access to transit, distances to everyday destinations, and perceptions of safety and comfort can all play a role in one’s daily travel decisions.

These factors have an even greater impact on people with limited physical mobility, people who use a wheelchair or other mobility aids, and people who do not use a car and rely on walking, biking, and transit to get around.

This chapter describes the current state of walking and bicycling in St. Louis County, highlighting many of the factors mentioned above. The chapter also examines pedestrian and bicycle crash data, health and demographic data, land use and development patterns, and relevant plans and policies that shape the environment for active transportation. While the plan focuses on County-owned roadways, the chapter does include analysis of some state and local roads as well.

The information and analysis in this chapter forms the foundation for the Action Plan and the basis for recommended investments in active transportation. With an understanding of plans and policies developed in the past and the opportunities and challenges we face now, St. Louis County can create a path forward to a better future for walking and biking.

Setting the Stage

St. Louis County is a large, diverse community. Nearly one million residents live in 88 municipalities, ten unincorporated communities, and rural areas across the county. While their travel experiences may differ based on their location, their means, and their abilities, they all have one thing in common: they rely on the transportation system to get where they need to go.

System Ownership

The road system in St. Louis County is owned by multiple agencies and requires considerable coordination and resources to operate and maintain. The Missouri Department of Transportation owns and operates the interstate highway system and many of the major highways that cross the county, like Olive Boulevard (Route 340), Manchester Road (Route 100), Gravois Road (Route 30), and Lindbergh Boulevard (US Highway 67).

St. Louis County owns and operates over 3,100 lane miles and is one of the largest caretakers of public roadways in Missouri. These county-owned roads include all roads in unincorporated St. Louis County (except state-owned highways), and designated arterial roads in many incorporated communities. Map 6 on the opposite page highlights these county roads.

Local municipalities also own and maintain local, collector, and even some arterial roads within their jurisdiction.

As people travel on the road system in St. Louis County, they move seamlessly between county, state, and locally owned roads, with little if any consideration of who owns or operates each road.

While focus of the Action Plan is on improvements to county-owned roads, much of the documentation and analysis of existing conditions in this chapter applies to other roads in St. Louis County, or to general demographic and land use patterns. In addition, facility improvements, and policy recommendations included later in the plan for state and local agencies, acknowledging the importance of interagency coordination and partnerships to create a safe and welcoming environment for active transportation.

ROADWAY SYSTEM

County-Owned Roadways

County-owned Arterial Roadway System (ARS)

Other County-owned Roads

Non-County Roadways

Interstate Roadways

Major Roadways

Secondary Roadways

LOCAL JURISDICTIONS

Incorporated Areas

Unincorporated St. Louis County

Land Use And Development Patterns

The way we build our neighborhoods, commercial districts, community destinations, and road networks has a direct impact on our travel choices and ability to walk or bike. From Pine Lawn to Pacific, from Shrewsbury to Spanish Lake, the form and character of St. Louis County communities varies greatly. More than 100 years of evolving development patterns can be generally grouped into the three development types described below.

Traditional Neighborhood Development

Closer to the urban core in eastern St. Louis County, many communities were built before most households had access to an automobile, so walkability and access to transit routes were essential design components. This traditional neighborhood development pattern is characterized by shorter distances between different land uses (residential and commercial, for example), well-connected streets, a mixture of housing types, and a variety of amenities like parks, schools, shops, and places of worship within walking distance. Examples of the traditional neighborhood development patterns can be found in inner-ring suburban communities like University City, Lemay, Affton, and Jennings, and in streetcar suburbs like Kirkwood and Ferguson. Because walking and pedestrian activity was an important design consideration for these traditional neighborhood developments, sidewalks are very common in most of these communities today.

Post-World War II Suburban Development

The housing market expanded rapidly following World War II, and shifting development patterns reflected new cultural values and the dominance of the automobile in American life. These suburban developments differed from previous development patterns in a number of ways. Housing was mass-produced, lower density, and separated from retail and employment; there was less street and neighborhood connectivity and greater distances from neighborhoods to everyday destinations; and commercial nodes or districts gave way to strip developments along major highways. All of these characteristics favored the private automobile at the expense of walking, bicycling, and transit.

Examples of this development type can be seen in Crestwood, Ellisville, Woodson Terrace, Bellefontaine Neighbors, and Concord. Sidewalks are not as common in these residential communities, but some communities have retrofitted arterial and collector roads with sidewalks.

Large-Lot Suburban & Rural Development

At the edges of St. Louis County, north, south, and west, there are many large-lot residential and rural areas. Most of these communities are sparsely developed, constrained by steep topography, mature woodlands, or prevailing agricultural uses, and consist primarily of large-lot single-family residential development. In most cases, distances to everyday destinations like schools, parks, and retail are too far to walk or bike, and there are limited facilities to support active transportation. Examples include parts of the cities of Wildwood, Eureka, Hazelwood, Bridgeton, and unincorporated communities Spanish Lake and southwest St. Louis County.

PLANNING & POLICY CONTEXT

St. Louis County, local municipalities, and many regional partners have a long history of planning for and supporting walking and biking. From early regional bicycle systems plans led by East West Gateway Council of Governments to more than 25 municipal bicycle and pedestrian master plans or trail plans, there has been no shortage of planning efforts to support walking and bicycling.

The Action Plan builds on these previous plans and initiatives, advancing transportation goals, incorporating previous recommendations for new pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and synthesizing various active transportation strategies into a singular, comprehensive framework for St. Louis County. The plans described in this section represent the most relevant documents to this plan. A complete review of plans and policies pertaining to the Action Plan is included in the appendix.

Imagining Tomorrow for St. Louis County

Adopted in 2013 by the County Council, Imagining Tomorrow, the County’s strategic plan, provides a data-driven analysis of the current state of the county, highlighting opportunities and challenges and presenting a policy framework to guide the County to grow, thrive, and prosper. Recommendations are grouped into three overarching themes: healthy, engaged residents; desirable, connected communities; and accessible, attractive opportunities. Enhancing mobility and connectivity, particularly through bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure, is a policy priority for St. Louis County.

Gateway Bike Plan

In 2011, Great Rivers Greenway, with the support of local and state agencies, adopted the Gateway Bike Plan, a regional master plan for bicycle facility development in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Charles County. The Gateway Bike Plan recommends a network of 1,000 miles of on-street bikeways to link people to everyday destinations, like schools, parks, greenways, transit, and employment opportunities. The Gateway Bike Plan Network (existing and planned) in St. Louis County represents the foundation for the Action Plan’s bicycle network, and will be updated to better reflect County needs and opportunities, public input, and recent advancements in bikeway planning and design.

Municipal Active Transportation Plans

Twenty-five of the County’s 88 municipalities have developed standalone plans for active transportation. The majority of these plans have been completed in partnership with Trailnet, whose federally-funded Bikeable Walkable Communities Program helped to build interest in and support for active transportation at the local level.

St. Louis County Complete Streets Ordinance

Adopted by the County Council in 2013, the Complete Streets ordinance establishes guiding principles and practices for transportation projects to expand safe, reliable, efficient, integrated, accessible, and multimodal transportation options for people of all modes, ages, and abilities. The ordinance also established the County’s Interdepartmental Advisory Team and Peer Advisory Group to provide input and guidance on transportation plans and projects.

ROADWAY SYSTEM

Interstate Roadways

Major Roadways

Secondary Roadways

Local Jurisdictions

Municipalities with Bicycle & Pedestrian or Trail Plans (25 Total)

Unincorporated St. Louis County

Incorporated Area without a local plan

Existing Sidewalks and Trails

Imagine taking a walk from your home to your local grocery store or nearest bus stop. What is the best way to get there? Do you have to travel very far to reach your destination? Are there sidewalks along the route? Are they in good condition? Do you feel safe and comfortable walking along or crossing busy roads or intersections?

Depending on where you live in St. Louis County, the answers to these questions vary drastically. Some older, inner-ring and streetcar suburbs like Clayton, Ferguson, Maplewood, and Kirkwood have complete sidewalk systems and plentiful destinations within walking distance. For residents in rural and low-density areas, walking may not be a viable travel choice. For others, destinations may be close by, but traffic safety concerns or the lack of sidewalks can be discouraging.

The presence or absence of high quality sidewalks makes a big difference in how safe and comfortable you feel while walking in your community, especially along major roadways. The lack of a sidewalk or other walkway is likely to discourage someone from walking.

The more than six thousand miles of sidewalks and trails in St. Louis County represent the collective efforts of the County Department of Transportation, Great Rivers Greenway, MoDOT, local municipalities, homeowners associations, and private developers to provide safe places for walking. However, sidewalks are not distributed evenly throughout the County.

PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES

Public Sidewalk

Sidewalk on ARS/CRS2

Multi-use Path (Paved Trail)

TRANSPORTATION

Interstate Highway

US Highway, State Highway

Minor or Local Road

THE COUNTY’S ARTERIAL AND COLLECTOR ROAD SYSTEM

This chapter’s examination of existing walkways focuses primarily on the sidewalks located along St. Louis County’s Arterial and County Roadway Systems (ARS and CRS2). These roads are critical to the Action Plan for two important reasons.

First, these arterial and collector roads carry more travelers and provide vital connections to community destinations and links between municipalities. When people leave their neighborhood, they travel on these roads to get to school, parks, transit stops, and local shops and businesses. These roads are among the most important county-wide thoroughfares and support hundreds of thousands of motorists, pedestrians, and transit users every day.

Second, these roads are owned and maintained by St. Louis County Department of Transportation. The County will be responsible for any improvements, like new sidewalks or sidewalk repair, and can incorporate these improvements into roadway projects and funding applications.

Sidewalks on the County Arterial and Collector Road System

The County conducted a thorough inventory of sidewalk presence and condition along these arterial and collector roads in 2013, and the results of this inventory provide valuable insight to guide investments in pedestrian improvements throughout St. Louis County. As the chart above shows, not all ARS/CRS2 roads provide safe spaces for pedestrian activity. Forty-three percent of all ARS/CRS2 roads do not provide a sidewalks for people walking.

Sidewalk Quality

Not all sidewalks on the County ARS/ CRS2 provide the same level of service for pedestrians. Over time, common sidewalk deficiencies can become major issues for people walking, jogging, pushing a stroller, or using a wheelchair. Common deficiencies like heaving, obstructions, and cross slope can limit a person’s ability to travel on the sidewalk system. These issues are of greater concern to children, older adults, people with limited mobility, and people who use mobility devices like wheelchairs and walkers.

COMMON SIDEWALK DEFICIENCIES IN ST. LOUIS COUNTY

Heaves: Uneven, cracked sidewalks can make travel especially difficult for people using wheelchairs, walkers, or pushing strollers.

Obstructions: Objects like light and utility poles or utility boxes are commonly found in walkways, thereby obstructing easy or safe walking.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Non-Compliant Slopes: Sidewalks that have steep slopes or cross-slopes (how much the sidewalk tilts to one side) present challenges for people with limited mobility and people with mobility assistance.

Sidewalk Connectivity

St. Louis County has made considerable investments in pedestrian facilities along the County Arterial and Collector Road System, however, there are still challenges with pedestrian network connectivity that limit people’s ability to safely and comfortably access everyday destinations on foot.

Many roads on the ARS/CRS2 were initially designed and constructed without sidewalks as they were primarily intended to serve automobile traffic. On some of these roads, like Berry Road in Glendale, continuous sidewalks have been installed as part of larger capital projects.

On other roads, like Heintz Road in Oakville and Old State Road in Wildwood, sidewalks have been installed piecemeal in concert with adjacent development and redevelopment.

While these sidewalks contribute to the overall sidewalk coverage on the County road system, in many cases parcels on either side of these developments lack sidewalks, and gaps in the sidewalk system persist.

In addition to sidewalk gaps and connectivity issues on County roadways, people walking may encounter sidewalk gaps on roadways owned by other agencies. As such, it is necessary that the County prioritize investments in pedestrian improvements along its Arterial and Collector Road System, and that it coordinate with these other agencies to provide a singular, seamless, and well-connected pedestrian network. This is a major challenge since policies of public agencies differ in providing sidewalks in their jurisdictions.

Existing Bikeways

St. Louis County residents need safe, comfortable bicycle facilities that connect to all the places they need to go on a daily basis, from school to work to shops. St. Louis County, MoDOT, Great Rivers Greenway, and many local municipalities support bicycling by installing and maintaining bicycle facilities, which include on-street bikeways like signed bicycle routes and striped bike lanes, and off-street shared-use paths and greenways.

Bicycle Network Composition

There are 275 miles of trails and roadways with bicycle facilities in St. Louis County. This includes facilities developed as part of the Gateway Bike Plan, municipal bicycle and pedestrian master plans, and Great Rivers Greenway’s River Ring network. This inventory does not include loop trails, soft-surface trails, and other internal park trails that do not serve a significant transportation purpose.

As displayed in Figure 4, multi-use paths compose the greatest percentage of the mileage of existing bicycle facilities in St. Louis County at 42 percent, followed by bike lanes (21 percent), shared lane markings (20 percent), and paved shoulders (11 percent).

For planned bicycle facilities, wide outside lanes compose 16 percent of the mileage, followed by paved shoulders (15 percent), and shared lane markings (14 percent). There are 90 miles of roadways designated as “Analysis Needed”. These roadways were identified in the Gateway Bike Plan as important corridors for bicycle travel, but an appropriate facility type was not identified at that time. Many of these “Analysis Needed” corridors are located on the County Arterial and Collector Road System and will be a key focus of the Action Plan.

BICYCLE FACILITIES

Existing | Previously Planned

Multi-use Path

Separated Bike Lane

Buffered Bike Lane

Conventional Bike Lane

Uphill Bike Lane

Bicycle Boulevard

Shared Lane Markings

Paved Shoulder Bike Route

Wide Outside Lane Analysis Needed

LOCAL JURISDICTIONS

Incorporated Areas

Unincorporated St. Louis County

County Arterial and Collector Road System Inventory

There are 38 miles of existing and 173 miles of planned bicycle facilities on County ARS/CRS2 roadways. Bike lanes make up the majority of the mileage of existing bicycle facilities at 63 percent, with wide outside lanes accounting for another 24 percent. Facility type is undetermined for 39 percent of all planned bicycle facilities. Another 23 percent of planned facilities are wide outside lanes.

Gateway Bike Plan Inventory

The Gateway Bike Plan’s vision of more than 1,000 miles of interconnected onstreet bikeways in St. Louis County, St. Louis City, and St. Charles County serves as the blueprint for regional network development. In St. Louis County alone, the plan recommended over 600 miles of bikeways to support bicycle travel between residential neighborhoods, schools, parks, greenways, commercial hubs, and employment centers. Since the plan’s adoption in 2012, 116 miles of the Gateway Bike Plan network have been implemented in St. Louis County, and 497 miles of planned facilities remain to be built.

Network Connectivity

The bicycle transportation system in St. Louis County varies widely in terms of coverage and connectivity. At the local scale, many municipalities like Kirkwood, University City, Richmond Heights, Wildwood, and Ferguson have worked to establish city-wide networks to support bicycle mobility. At the County-wide level, the lack of interconnected facilities along arterial and collector roads (both County and non-County), particularly those that support the “interested but concerned” group of bicyclists, limit the potential for longer trips between municipalities. To some degree, the greenway system supports regional trips. However, it too suffers from a lack of connectivity between greenways, to existing on-street facilities, and to major trip generators.

Some areas of the County, like Ladue, Frontenac, and Creve Coeur lack meaningful bicycle facility coverage and will require longer thru routes to support regional connectivity. Where facility development along County roadways may be impractical or infeasible, local networks can also provide alternative routing to maintain network connectivity.

Quality

Separation from Motorized Traffic Facilities that provide a greater level of separation, like physically separated bike lanes and shared use paths, offer a higher level of quality and comfort for people bicycling and are more likely to be used by a wider variety of bicyclists, including people interested in bicycling but concerned about traffic safety and conditions on roadways. These facilities make up 42 percent of the total existing bicycle facility mileage across the County. Visually separated facilities (bike lanes, buffered bike lanes, climbing bike lanes, and paved shoulders) make up 33 percent of the mileage. Mixed traffic facilities (bicycle boulevards, designated bike routes, share the road signs, shared lane markings, and wide outside lanes) make up the remaining 25 percent.

The majority (71 percent) of bicycle facilities along the County Arterial and Collector Road System are visually separated from motorized traffic. This is due in large part to the County’s Bicycle Facilities Plan, a policy document that which specifies bicycle facility types that can be installed on County roads. The Bicycle Facilities Plan allows bike lanes and wide outside lanes. Another 29 percent of bicycle facilities along the County Arterial and Collector Road System are mixed traffic facilities. Physically separated bicycle facilities make up less than one percent of the mileage of bicycle facilities along the County Arterial and Collector Road System.

25% Mixed Traffic

42%

Physically Separated

33% Visually Separated

Speed of Roadway and Separation from Motorized Traffic

In the county-wide bicycle network, there are 130 miles of mixed traffic facilities on roadways with speeds of 35 mph and above. Most of the mixed traffic facilities on the County Arterial and Collector Road System are on roadways of 35 mph or higher. Mixed traffic facilities at these speeds may be uncomfortable for the “interested but concerned” bicyclists, who represent between 51 and 56 percent of the adult population.1

Most facilities on County arterial and collector roadways of 40 mph or higher are visually separated. Nearly all of these facilities are conventional bike lanes, which may be uncomfortable for “interested but concerned” bicyclists, who prefer physically separated facilities at these speeds.

Walk and Bike Comfort

Think about the last time you were out walking or riding a bike. Maybe you were walking to the park, biking to school or work, or catching a bus. What was your experience like on that walk or bike ride? Did you feel comfortable on your journey?

The character and quality of each section of sidewalk, road, or trail that you walk or bike on impacts your experience. Roadway characteristics like posted travel speeds, number of travel lanes, average daily traffic volume (ADT), and walking and biking facilities influence people’s walking and biking routes, as well as their decision to walk or bike at all.

National surveys estimate that 50 to 60 percent of people say they would ride a bicycle more (or start riding) if they had access to facilities that provided more separation from traffic, lower traffic speeds, and/or lower traffic volumes.1 Additionally, evidence has shown that increasing the number of bicyclists on the road improves safety for all transportation modes. Cities with high bicycling rates tend to have lower crash rates. 2

Measuring the level of comfort for walking and bicycling on St. Louis County Roadways provides an understanding of the quality, connectivity, and need for improvement to better support active transportation for people of all ages and abilities. This plan uses two best practice analyses to quantify comfort: Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress and Pedestrian Level of Service.

Pedestrian Level Of Service

The Pedestrian Level of Service (PLOS) Analysis quantifies the experience of walking along the road network by scoring roadways based on important factors like posted speed limit, number of travel lanes, and presence of sidewalks or sidepaths. Scores range from PLOS 1 as the least stressful to PLOS 5, the most stressful.

Roads scoring PLOS 1 are pleasant, enjoyable places to walk, like neighborhood streets with low posted speed limits of 25 MPH or less, only one lane of traffic in each direction, and sidewalks on both sides.

Roads scoring PLOS 5 are the most stressful for walking. These are multilane, high-speed roadways without dedicated space to walk. Roadways also score PLOS 5 if they have a sidewalk on only one side of the street, more than two traffic lanes, and 40 MPH or higher speed limit. Roadways within the County Arterial and Collector Road System were scored based on these considerations.

PLOS Analysis Results

Pedestrian comfort is not uniform on the St. Louis County ARS/CRS2. Map 10 displays the results of the PLOS analysis. Stress levels vary considerably among roadways that were evaluated for PLOS. As shown in Figure 6, nearly half of all ARS/CRS2 roads received a high-stress score of PLOS 4 or 5. In comparison, less than a quarter of all roads received a low-stress score of PLOS 1 or 2.

In addition to varying across the network, walking conditions can also vary along a single corridor as the roadway conditions like posted speed limit, width, or presence of sidewalks change. The lack of sidewalk continuity often reflects decades of piecemeal sidewalk installation.

Pedestrian Level of Service provides an understanding of the travel experience from the pedestrian’s perspective and can serve as a valuable tool for the County to identify high-stress corridors and target investments to create a comfortable and accessible walking environment for people of all ages and abilities.

PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES

PLOS 1: Highest level of service

PLOS 2 PLOS 3 PLOS 4

PLOS 5: Lowest level of service

LOCAL JURISDICTIONS

Incorporated Areas

Unincorporated St. Louis County

Bicycle Level Of Traffic Stress

The Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress (BLTS) Analysis evaluates how stressful it is to ride a bike in the presence of cars, trucks, and other motor vehicles. This analysis takes into account a street’s width, posted speed limit, ADT, and the presence and design of bike lanes. Not all streets in St. Louis County are included in this analysis, which looks specifically at roads on the County Arterial and Collector Road System, as well as roads that are part of the Gateway Bike Plan Network.

Each roadway segment and intersection is scored from one to four, with four being the most stressful:

LTS 1: most children would feel comfortable bicycling here

LTS 2: most adults would feel comfortable bicycling here

LTS 3: people who are already “enthused and confident” when bicycling would tolerate riding here, but would prefer having bicycle-only space away from car traffic

LTS 4: only people who are "strong and fearless" when bicycling would ride here. This excludes the vast majority of the population.

BLTS Analysis Results

The majority of the roadway network analyzed for BLTS is composed of roads that are stressful for the majority of county residents. Just ten percent received a score of LTS 1 or LTS 2. The remaining 90 percent of roadways scored LTS 3 or LTS 4.

Major arterial roadways support longer distance travel and provide access to major destinations. However, these streets are currently only accessible by “strong and fearless” bicyclists. Investing in bicycle facilities has a noticeable impact on creating lower stress environments. Lower stress roadways are generally busier streets with dedicated space for bicycling (e.g., bike lanes), low-speed and low-volume roadways in urban or suburban areas, or rural roadways with very low traffic volumes.

Bicycle Level of Traffic Stress measures the accessibility of the road system to different types of people traveling by bicycle. Only 10% of the streets analyzed in this study are comfortable and inviting for the majority of people to ride bikes for routine trips.

BICYCLE FACILITIES

BLTS 1: Lowest stress / most comfortable

BLTS 2

BLTS 3

BLTS 4: Highest stress / least comfortable

LOCAL JURISDICTIONS

Incorporated Areas

Unincorporated St. Louis County

Safety and Crash Analysis

For many residents of St. Louis County, safety is an important consideration when making everyday travel decisions, like what means of travel to use (walking, biking, driving, transit) and what route to take. For people walking and biking, who are more likely to experience severe injuries when involved in crashes with motor vehicles, the perception of safety weighs heavily on these travel choices.

In order to understand the safety needs of people walking and bicycling, the County conducted a safety analysis examining pedestrian- and bicycle-involved crashes reported from 2013 to 2017. Through this analysis, the County identified crash patterns, trends over time, high-crash locations in need of improvements, and roadway types on which pedestrian- and bicycle-related crashes are most likely to occur. These findings will help target investments in walking and bicycling that improve safety for all road users.

Crash Trends By Year

During the study period, pedestrian crashes accounted for nearly three in every four crashes that involved people walking and bicycling. Ninety-seven percent of reported crashes involving people walking resulted in injury, and 81 percent of reported bicycle-involved crashes resulted in injury. This is a stark contrast There were no fatal bicycle crashes during the reported period. Four percent of pedestrian crashes were fatal during the reported period.

While the overall number of crashes involving people walking and bicycling fluctuated during the five-year study period, the annual number of combined pedestrian and bike crashes is down 26 percent from 2013 to 2017. At least one person was killed while walking on a County road every year from 2013 to 2017.

CRASHES INVOLVING A PERSON

WALKING

Crash on/at a County Road

Crash on/at a Non-County Road

LOCAL JURISDICTIONS

Incorporated Areas

Unincorporated St. Louis County

CRASHES INVOLVING A PERSON BICYCLING

Crash on/at a County Road

Crash on/at a Non-County Road

LOCAL JURISDICTIONS

Incorporated Areas

Unincorporated St. Louis County

Systemic Safety Analysis

Roadway characteristics were analyzed to find trends between number of crashes involving people walking or bicycling and types of streets in St. Louis County. Crashes were also analyzed according to the community context where they occur, such as commercial areas or residential areas. Major findings that will inform the Action Plan include:

Crashes between drivers and people walking or bicycling disproportionately occur at intersections. Pedestrian crashes at intersections outnumber non-intersection crashes by a factor of nearly two. Bicycle crashes at intersections outnumber nonintersection crashes by a factor of four.

Arterial roadways are overrepresented in crash data involving people walking or bicycling, compared to the actual mileage of arterial roadways found in the county. Local and collector roadways are underrepresented.

The largest percentage of crashes involving people walking or bicycling occurred on 35 mph roads, even though they only account for 12 percent of all County roads.

Crashes involving people walking or bicycling occurred more frequently in commercial areas, near institutions, and in single family neighborhoods, compared to the total percent of land that each of these areas represents in the county. For example, 36 percent of pedestrian crashes occurred in commercial areas, even though these areas total only 6 percent of all land in the county.

Demand for Active Transportation Facilities

Think about the area where you work or live. Are there schools, restaurants, parks, shops, libraries, or other destinations near enough for you to reach by walking and biking? When destinations are close together, they generate demand for walking and biking. For example, when an office building is across the street from a sandwich shop, people want to be able to walk across the street for lunch. If there are multiple office buildings and multiple restaurants on the street, the demand is even greater.

To find these areas with many destinations that are close together, the County conducted a demand analysis for walking and bicycling in St. Louis County showing concentrations of places people live, work, learn, play, shop, and take transit. The composite map shows orange and red “hot spots” of areas that could support higher numbers of walking and bicycling trips, if safe and comfortable active transportation networks were created to support these trips. Scores increase for areas that have a high density of destinations that are close together, like a downtown. Scores decrease in areas with lower densities of destinations that are farther apart such as strip malls in suburban areas.

Analysis Results

Nodes and corridors of high demand are located in every area of the county. Inner ring communities with a diverse mixture of uses, historic commercial main streets in “streetcar suburbs” like Kirkwood and Ferguson, major employment centers like Westport Plaza and Downtown Clayton, an excellent system of parks and greenways, and countless other amenities and destinations contribute to the mosaic of places that people in St. Louis County travel to and from on a daily basis. Current walking and bicycling access to these places varies significantly. These demand “hot spots” will be used as critical inputs in the development and prioritization of projects to enhance connectivity for people walking and bicycling.

LAND USE & TRANSITBASED DEMAND FOR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES

Lower Need

Higher Need

Health Analysis

Street design and land use changes that support healthy travel options have high potential to impact health outcomes in our communities. Increased physical activity can help reduce the risk of various diseases and health conditions.

This health analysis identifies locations in St. Louis County with high concentrations of health concerns to better understand health disparities and transportation needs, to develop recommendations for improving the transportation system, and to prioritize recommendations to have a greater impact on community health. The County examined the rates of diagnoses of diseases and health indicators that have a stronger connection to transportation system and physical activity. These indicators are:

• asthma

• diabetes

• heart disease

• high blood pressure

• mental health disorders

• obesity

While the available data do not represent all clinical diagnoses of these conditions, they provide a useful tool for comparing different geographic areas of the County.

Analysis Results

A composite map was created by adding together the scores of each of the individual indicator. Results of the composite analysis are shown on the following page. The map indicates that there is a concentration of these diseases and conditions in northeastern St. Louis County. As noted in the St. Louis County Community Health Improvement Plan, supporting walking, bicycling, and access to transit can improve health outcomes. The Action Plan can support the County in strategically investing in areas with the greatest need to improve active transportation and health across the County.

Map 15. Need for Active Transportation Facilities Based on Health Indicators

HEALTH-BASED NEED FOR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES

Lower Need

Higher Need many people in St. Louis County will have a harder time getting to work, buying healthy food, seeing a doctor, going to school, or connecting with others. While communities in St. Louis County offer a variety of ways to get around, not everyone has equal access to a range of convenient, safe, and affordable means of transportation. Many communities rely on a variety of transportation modes to connect to basic services that are necessary to live productive, fulfilling, and healthy lives. relative concentration of six equity indicators, using block group estimates from the US Census Bureau:

This analysis identifies concentrations of St. Louis County residents that have been historically disadvantaged or are otherwise considered vulnerable to unsafe, disconnected, or incomplete active transportation facilities. Accessible and interconnected transportation infrastructure helps create opportunities for St. Louis County residents and reduces the disproportionate economic and health burdens experienced by its most vulnerable residents.

• Limited English proficiency

• No access to a motor vehicle

• People of color

• Poverty

• Senior residents

• Youth

Analysis Results

The combined map is valuable for identifying areas of focus for walking and bicycling improvements and prioritizing projects that serve people in the county who could benefit the most from these investments. The composite shows greatest need in for walking and bicycling investments based on a combination of demographic indicators in northeastern St. Louis County, particularly in the area bounded by Olive Boulevard, I-270, Lindbergh Boulevard, and the City of St. Louis.

Map 16. Need for Active Transportation Facilities Based on Equity Indicators

NEED FOR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION BASED ON EQUITY INDICATORS

Lower Need

Higher Need

The Action Plan Pedestrian Network

Introduction

Safe, connected, and accessible sidewalks, intersection crossings, and other pedestrian facilities are necessary to establishing walking as a vital and valued mode of transportation. While St. Louis County and its many agency partners have worked for decades to include pedestrian facilities as part of the transportation system, the analysis of existing conditions revealed a variety of system deficiencies that limit or discourage walking as a means of transportation.

The proposed pedestrian network aims to provide a safe and comfortable environment for pedestrians of all ages and abilities. The improvements presented in this chapter are built on a thorough review of existing conditions and extensive public input gathered during the course of the planning process.

Given the enormity of St. Louis County’s roadway system, the current state of the existing pedestrian facilities across the county, and the limited resources with which to improve and expand the pedestrian network, the pedestrian improvements proposed in the Action Plan represent key opportunities to direct resources in areas where improvements are most needed and where people are most likely to walk. At the time of publication, funding is not available to meet minimum system maintenance needs nor to prioritize many of the improvements detailed in this report.

The Action Plan Pedestrian Network chapter includes an overview of the network recommendations development process, descriptions of the different types of facilities that comprise the pedestrian network, and a summary of proposed pedestrian improvements that will advance the Action Plan goals and support walking as a viable mode of transportation for county residents.

Inclusive Design

The Action Plan envisions a safe, connected, and equitable transportation system that supports people of all ages and abilities. This begins and ends with a pedestrian network designed to support people of all cognitive and physical abilities, from children to seniors, from parents pushing strollers to people with limited mobility and those using a wheelchair or other mobility assistance devices. The design needs of pedestrians can vary significantly, and it is important that pedestrian infrastructure like sidewalks, shared use paths, and crosswalks include design elements that support safe travel and access for all.

As the County continues to improve pedestrian mobility through targeted infrastructure investments and ADA improvements as part of larger capital projects, it is important that the design needs of these most vulnerable road users are considered and addressed. These include sidewalk widths, passing widths and locations on narrow sidewalks, sidewalk obstructions, running slopes, cross slopes, ADA-compliant curb ramps, and tactile warning surfaces. The County’s continued commitment to pedestrian accessibility and inclusive design will be further supported by the upcoming ADA Transition Plan, which will further guide investments in pedestrian mobility.

Project Identification

The County established a methodology for identifying potential pedestrian improvements based on the Action Plan’s values and goals. This methodology relies on the vast amount of data and information collected and analyzed during the existing conditions phase of the project, as well as input provided by county residents through in-person and virtual engagement activities. As these data are layered on top of one another, a clear picture emerges of needs and opportunities for pedestrian investments.

By focusing on addressing sidewalk gaps and deficiencies in high-density and high-crash areas, St. Louis County can strategically allocate its limited resources to projects that can have a significant impact on pedestrian safety, connectivity, and accessibility. Through future studies like the ADA Transition Plan, the Department of Transportation will identify additional projects to increase pedestrian safety and accessibility. The data gathered and analyzed for the Action Plan can serve as a resource for project identification in the ADA Transition Plan.

Building Blocks of the Pedestrian Network

Safe, connected, and accessible infrastructure is necessary to support pedestrian mobility. Sidewalks, shared use facilities like trails and greenways, and intersection and mid-block crossings are the basic building blocks of the pedestrian network. St. Louis County and its community partners like MoDOT, Great Rivers Greenway, and municipal agencies regularly incorporate these building blocks into infrastructure projects to address system gaps, increase connectivity to local destinations and transit, and address ADA-related accessibility considerations.

Each of these building blocks are described in greater detail below and on the following page. As the sample images of these building blocks illustrate, the character and design of these different pedestrian facilities can vary widely based land use and transportation contexts, intended user types and activity volumes and other considerations. National design guides and resources from AASHTO, FHWA, NACTO, and the United States Access Board provide valuable resources for tailoring these facilities to meet local conditions while adhering to standards.

Sidewalks

Sidewalks provide a dedicated path for pedestrians, separated from motor vehicle traffic by a curb, tree lawn, or other physical element. Connected, accessible, and well-maintained sidewalks are critical to a functioning pedestrian network.

Shared Use Facilities

Shared use facilities include trails and sidepaths, which are used by people walking or bicycling. Sidepaths travel adjacent to a roadway and are used when roadways have high posted speed limits and high traffic volumes. Trails are typically located away from roadways in natural areas. Trails are often used for recreation, but they are also important utilitarian connections.

INTERSECTION AND MID-BLOCK CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS

Safe, accessible roadway crossings are an integral component of the pedestrian network. Crosswalk markings, signage, signals, curb ramps, refuge islands, and other design features reduce conflicts at intersections and mid-block crossings. These design elements provide a safe, comfortable, and accessible experience for people walking. Accessibility concerns at pedestrian crossings are especially important for elderly pedestrians, children, people with limited mobility, and people who use a wheelchair, walker, or other mobility assistance device.

Pedestrian Recommendations

The recommendations for pedestrian improvements are located on County roads in both incorporated and unincorporated areas throughout St. Louis County. These projects address system gaps, replace deteriorating sidewalks, and support a safer, more accessible, and more comfortable pedestrian experience. The proposed pedestrian improvements are described below and shown in Map 17 on page 74.

New Sidewalks

Recommendations for new sidewalks address corridor-level gaps in the sidewalk system along the Arterial and Collector Road Systems (ARS and CRS2). These proposed projects provide new connections to transit, schools, parks, commercial districts, and other important community destinations.

Sidewalk Infill

Sidewalk infill recommendations address minor gaps along corridors with disconnected sidewalks. Many of these proposed projects are located along ARS and CRS2 roadways that have experienced redevelopment in recent years, triggering requirements for new sidewalks, which in turn has resulted in fragmented sidewalk development. Creating contiguous pedestrian paths along these corridors will enhance pedestrian safety, connectivity, and access to transit, schools, shops, and other destinations.

Sidewalk Repair

Proposed sidewalk repair projects address sidewalks in poor state of repair or those that provide a poor level of service. These existing sidewalks present significant challenges for people with limited physical mobility or who use a mobility assistance device like a walker or wheelchair. While the sidewalk repair recommendations are likely to be expanded through the County’s ADA Transition Plan, these proposed projects address key deficiencies in the sidewalk system located in high-density and high-need areas.

Sidepaths

Recommendations for new sidepaths support both bicycle and pedestrian activity. These represent the most significant recommended pedestrian improvement type by mileage, constituting more than two thirds of all proposed pedestrian facilities. For instances in which sidepath installation is determined infeasible due to lack of available right of way or other physical constraints, every effort should be made to provide a continuous, accessible pedestrian facility along these corridors.

SHARED USE PATHS (TRAILS)

While the focus of pedestrian improvements is the County road system, there are a small number of shared use path (trail) projects recommended in the plan. Some of these projects provide short connections between existing pedestrian facilities and major greenways like Grant’s Trail, and others are more substantial projects that will require significant resources and coordination with the Department of Parks and Recreation and local municipalities to develop.

PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES

Existing Proposed

Existing Sidewalk

Existing Sidewalk on County ARS/CRS2

Proposed Sidewalk on County Road

Shared Use Facility (Sidepath)

Shared Use Facility (Trail or Greenway)

Jurisdictions

Incorporated Areas

Unincorporated St. Louis County

The Action Plan Bicycle Network

Introduction

The proposed bicycle network in St. Louis County embodies the Action Plan’s vision and values to create a safe, comfortable, and interconnected system for bicycling. As described in the preceding Action Plan Pedestrian Network chapter, safe and connected bicycling facilities are critical to making bicycling a viable, accessible, and enjoyable form of transportation. This chapter includes the following key sections:

• Building Blocks of the Bicycle Network

• Bicycle Network Planning

• Bicycle Facility Selection

• Bicycle Network Recommendations

• Supporting Infrastructure & Design Elements

The recommendations for bicycle facilities and supporting infrastructure proposed in this chapter offer strategic pathways through which the County and its community partners can realize the vision of a safe, accessible, and equitable transportation system for all.

As with any plan, the recommendations included herein serve as a guide, supporting bicycle network development with facility recommendations that best achieve the plan’s vision and goals while respecting the unique land use and transportation context of each corridor.

As the County explores these recommended projects in greater depth through project scoping and development, it will be important to employ a flexible approach to facility design and network implementation in order to meet project-specific challenges and opportunities.

Building Blocks of the Bicycle Network

The proposed bicycle network includes many types of recommended street designs depending on the surrounding land use characteristics and the roadway’s current conditions, such as posted speed limit and traffic volume. The following designs are considered “building blocks” of the proposed bicycle network. On-street bicycle facilities are divided into three categories, based on the bikeway’s level of separation from motor vehicle travel lanes: mixed traffic bikeways, visually separated bikeways, and physically separated bikeways. While also physically separated from motor vehicle traffic, shared use facilities are listed separately because of their location adjacent to the roadway (or in a different right of way altogether), their unique design characteristics, and their ability to support a wide range of user types. Some of the facility types and markings included in this section are not accepted in the County’s current Design Criteria Manual, particularly those not approved in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD).

Mixed Traffic Bikeways

Mixed traffic bikeways are appropriate on roadways with low speeds and traffic volumes because people bicycling and driving share the same space. They include shared lane markings, bikes may use full lane signage, and steep roadways that feature an uphill bike lane and shared lane markings for bicyclists traveling downhill.

Visually Separated Bikeways

Visually separated bikeways use lane striping, markings, and signage to provide an exclusive space on the road for bicycling. This category includes bike lanes, buffered bike lanes, which add additional space between bicyclists and drivers, and paved shoulders or shoulder bike lanes.

Physically Separated Bikeways

Physically separated bikeways use physical barriers like bollards, curbs, planters, or even vehicle parking lanes to separate the bike lane from motor vehicle traffic. They may be at street level or sidewalk level, on both sides of the road (like conventional bike lanes), or on one side, depending on the selected design.

Shared Use Facilities

Shared use facilities include trails and sidepaths, which are used by people walking or bicycling. Sidepaths travel adjacent to a roadway and are used when roadways have high posted speed limits and high traffic volumes. Trails are typically located away from roadways in natural areas. Trails are often used for recreation, but they are also important transportation connections.

Planning for the Action Plan bicycle network builds upon a strong foundation of data analysis, public input, the plan values established earlier in the planning process, and other important input as shown below in Figure 13. Recommended connections were identified to enhance bicycling mobility within the County based on existing roadway conditions, bicycle crash data, surrounding land uses and trip generators, previously planned bicycle facilities from other studies and planning documents, and feedback from residents and other stakeholders.

Similar to the process used to develop walking-related network recommendations, the network planning and facility selection process emphasized projects that would support people of all ages and abilities. Once the initial network was drafted, members of the public provided input via an online open house. The project’s interactive map allowed residents to provide feedback about proposed connections and share any ideas or questions. This feedback was incorporated into the final proposed network presented in this chapter.

Plan Values

Existing

Bicycle Facility Selection

Selecting the appropriate bicycle facility type for a given street requires careful consideration of intended or desired user types, roadway and traffic characteristics, adjacent land uses, and other important factors. To provide a framework for this selection process and narrow down the range of possible facility types that support a low-stress, “all ages and abilities” network, the County developed the bicycle facility selection matrix shown below. This matrix identifies desired and acceptable ranges of average daily motor vehicle traffic and posted speed limits for different bicycle facility types to best support not just the “strong and fearless” or “enthused and confident” bicyclists, but also the “interested and concerned” bicyclists for whom separation from motor vehicle traffic can create more opportunities to increase bicycling activity. By setting the parameters for facility selection based on these key data points, the County could focus on corridor-specific characteristics like number of travel lanes, adjacent land uses, access to arrive at a final recommendation.

CALM STREET

ADVISORY BIKE LANES

MARKED SHARED ROADWAY

SIGNED SHARED ROADWAY

SHOULDER BIKEWAY

ON-STREET BIKE LANE

BUFFERED BIKE LANE

SEPARATED BIKE LANE

SIDEPATH