MO News Roundup: Bad sidewalk cause of STL death, KC's Brush Creek finally to be completed, Cape Girardeau's new trail--and more

Broken down STL Sidewalk blamed for woman's death:

A jury has blamed the city of St. Louis for the death of a wheelchair-bound woman, claiming a broken and overgrown sidewalk forced her into the street, where she was struck by a car.

The jury on Wednesday awarded $250,000 to the parents of Elizabeth "Lisi" Bansen, 40, and absolved the driver of the vehicle that hit her.

Brush Creek Trail in Kansas City

Brush Creek Trail in Kansas City finally near completion--after decades:

Two decades after work began on one of this area’s most ambitious public improvement plans, Kansas City is finally on the verge of wrapping up the Brush Creek flood control and beautification project. . . .

Chief among the unfinished work were trail connections bridging the city’s historic racial divide at Troost Avenue.

Note: Most of the trail is open now, but the one awkward street crossing of Troost Avenue remains. Kansas City recently approved the funding to remove that final barrier and complete the trail.  When budget constraints on the construction of the new Troost Ave Bridge led officials to re-route the trail to cross the busy street, Rep. Emanuel Cleaver personally took an interest in the trail, helping the city find the funding and strongly encouraging the completion of the trail, which will now stretch from the Plaza east about three miles along Brush Creek, through the heart of the city and crossing many major thoroughfares and U.S. Highway 71, with no street crossings at all.

New trail under construction in Cape Girardeau:

Construction along William Street for a trail is underway.

The project will complement Cape Girardeau existing trail by connecting it to different areas around town.

Food delivery by bicycle in St. Louis:

Ordering is done through griffindelivery.com, the menu for each restaurant is part of website. I was able to select the type of bread and cheese for my grilled cheese. You can select to receive email and/or text messages to be notified when the courier arrives at the restaurant and when your food is on the way. My food was still warm when it arrived!

Grants Trail--Rail-to-Trails Conservancy's Trail of the Month:

Only 10 miles from the famed Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Mo., fittingly lies Grant's Trail. Like the arch, which was built as a monument to westward expansion, the trail follows a former rail line that set out with an ambitious goal to reach all the way to the Pacific Ocean. Even though the tracks never made it that far, the trail has preserved much of the corridor's pioneering history and spirit.

Shawnee KS--in the Kansas City metro area--is leading the way as a bicycle friendly community: 

Bicycle Friendly Community logo

“This community is laid out well for cycling,” said Shawnee resident Mark Thomas, who offers local group rides, cyclocross racing and other biking-related activities through localcycling.com, a business he and his wife, Teresa Jarzemkoski, launched in 2000. “I’m more of an urban cyclist myself. But Shawnee also offers lots of country for those who like the open road, and when you add in the streamway trails — wow.”

Shawnee is one of three officially recognized Bicycle Friendly Communities in the Kansas City area. Missouri now has five Bicycle Friendly Communities along with fourteen Bicycle Friendly Businesses.  Find out how to make your business or community more bicycle friendly here.