St. Louis regional bike plan--final public comment period May 10-19, 2011

Great Rivers Greenway sent the following announcement about four upcoming open houses--the final opportunity for public comment on the ambitous, proposed St. Louis Regional Bike Plan.

Great Rivers Greenway is providing area residents with one last chance to weigh in on the large-scale, long-range regional bicycle plan that is being developed to enhance on-road connectivity throughout the St. Louis region over the next two decades. During the month of May, Great Rivers Greenway will hold four public open house events so that residents can learn more about existing routes in their communities, view maps, comment on the proposed network of regional on-road routes, review what it will take to implement the system and learn about the performance measures needed to ensure successful expansion of an interconnected on-road system of bicycle routes in the region. The plan will encompass St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County with over 100 municipalities involved in the planning effort.

 
The open houses will take place from 4:30-7 p.m. on these dates and locations:
  • May 10th at the Webster Groves Recreation Center (33 East Glendale Road, Webster Groves, MO 63119)
  • May 11th at the Forest Park Visitor’s Center (5595 Grand Dr., St. Louis, MO 63112),
  • May 17th at the University of Missouri-St. Louis (UMSL’s) Millennium Student Center (1 University Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63121)
  • May 19th at St. Peters City Hall (1 St. Peters Centre Blvd., St Peters, MO 63376). 
Attendees can choose to come to any of the four open houses, as they will be identical, and arrive anytime during the designated 4:30 – 7 p.m. timeframe.
 
Working in partnership with local municipal officials and representatives from the Missouri Department of Transportation, St. Louis City, St. Louis and St. Charles counties, Metro, East-West Gateway Council of Governments and Trailnet, Great Rivers Greenway is leading the effort to prepare a master bicycle plan for on-road and multi-use trails in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County. The project’s mission is to create safer routes for bicyclists, while also increasing use of bicycles as a mode of transportation. The regional bike plan kicked off a year ago, and many residents have already provided valuable input through previous open houses and through the plan’s website www.stlbikeplan.com. These remaining four open houses will be the last opportunity area residents will have to provide input before the plan is finalized over the next several months.
 
A main goal of the project is to develop consistent and contiguous on-road bicycle facilities throughout the region over the next 20 years. The plan will also contain facility recommendations (such as bike lanes or shared lane signage) for specific roadway segments, specific priorities for route implementation in the short, intermediate and long-term timeframes, and policy recommendations that can be adopted by public entities to support the goals of the plan.
Developing consistent and contiguous on-road bicycle facilities will strengthen connections to the River Ring, the off-road network of greenways, parks and trails being developed by Great Rivers Greenway. By uniting on-street bicycle facilities with off-road trails, residents will have increased transportation options to school, work, shopping and recreational destinations, an important consideration given the recent trends with higher gas prices.“Developing the regional bicycle plan is a critical component to providing access to the regional greenway trail system, while also providing residents with additional affordable transportation options,” said Susan Trautman, Executive Director of Great Rivers Greenway. “We encourage area residents to attend one of these final open houses and help lay the ground work for enhancing the quality of life for residents and visitors.”
 
Individuals unable to attend any of the remaining open houses can still provide input through the project’s website, www.stlbikeplan.com. Visitors will be able to view information from the open houses and participate in an online survey through Friday June 3rd. For more information about the regional bicycle plan, the remaining open houses or the online opportunity to participate, visit www.stlbikeplan.com.
 
About Great Rivers Greenway:
Great Rivers Greenway is a public organization developing an interconnected system of trails and greenways to make the region a better place to live. These linear green spaces link neighborhoods and communities, increase the economic vitality of the region, preserve nature, provide transportation alternatives, and improve health. Great Rivers Greenway includes St. Louis City and County and St. Charles County. For more information, visit www.grgstl.org.

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