Description:
Branch Street is a critical connection between the neighborhood population centers directly to the west of I-70 and both the River Front Trail and Iron Horse Trestle ~6 blocks east of I-70. The Branch Street exit ramp splits into two sweeping curves, one heading west and one heading east, making it so that pedestrians/cyclists have to cross two off-ramp intersections. The broad sweeping curves of the off-ramp make it so exiting traffic has a tendency to barrel straight through the off-ramp stop signs. There are also no bicycle or pedestrian accommodations on the south side of the street (the side that the off-ramp is on) and poor overall accommodations along the underpass that connects to the neighborhood.
Importance:
The area in question could be re-designed and re-built for a moderate cost. It will forge a desperately needed connection between the neighborhoods and significant bike/ped facilities. The project area was the site of an MLK Day clean-up attended by Mayor Slay who commented on the strong need to improve the connection. There are many key partners already at the table who want to see this happen.
Obstacles:
To do it right, MODOT will need to coordinate with SLDC and Great Rivers Greenway, both of which are working on improving the connection heading east from Broadway to the River (two blocks east of the off-ramp in question).
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