Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation

City: St. Louis.    Route: Missouri Highway 30 (Gravois Avenue)    Location: From Taft Avenue to Christy Boulevard

Type: Shoulder, Bicycle Lane, Intersection improvements, Crosswalks, Signs, Planted median

Description:
Introduce bike lanes and a planted median to Gravois Avenue from Taft Avenue to Christy Boulevard. The segment of road is just under a mile. The median would be used by pedestrians attempting to cross the now-wide road, where currently such crossings are very dangerous. Bike lanes presently exist on Christy along a popular greenway. This project would extend the Christy bike lanes northward along the bustling Bevo business district and make the segment more walkable, bikeable, and business-friendly. Also, the Gravois/Morganford intersection is overly large, confusing, and very pedestrian-unfriendly. It should be reworked to reduce crossing times and assist cyclists. New lighting (pedestrian scaled) would be icing on the cake. Also, placemaking signs honoring Eastern European immigrants would be a tribute to what they have contributed to this commercial area. ADA accessibility should be introduced where it is lacking throughout this stretch.

Importance:
1) Bevo is one of the St. Louis's largest and densest neighborhoods. With scores of newly arrived immigrants who walk the neighborhood's revived business district along Gravois Avenue, pedestrian improvements are sorely needed. 2) The greenway connection at Christy would allow safer cycling into the business district, offering the neighborhood another (safe) mode of transit. So too might the bike lanes bring more business to the neighborhood. 3) Gravois Avenue in Bevo is one of the few state-maintained roads in the city of St. Louis with considerable remaining historic commercial fabric. This fabric should be strengthened by a more pedestrian- and cyclist-oriented layout.

Obstacles:
I would not anticipate any business owner or neighborhood opposition. Slower traffic through the neighborhood would make pedestrians and cyclists safer and would invite more people to the business district. The median would need to be maintained; an alternative to the median would be to widen sidewalks and restripe lanes, much as is being done on South Grand Boulevard in the International District of St. Louis.

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Facility Type(s):
·Shoulder
·Bike Lane
·Intersection
·Crosswalk
·Signage

School:
·Bicycle
·Pedesrian
·ADA