Vision and Values

The Action Plan envisions a safe, connected, and equitable transportation system that supports people of all ages and abilities in accessing life’s many opportunities.

There are seven core values that shape the plan’s recommendations and implementation strategies:

Safety

Connectivity

Equity

Health

Inclusivity

Reliability

Collaboration

Plan Background

What

The Action Plan will serve as St. Louis County’s long-range vision to make it safer and easier for people of all ages and abilities to walk and bike. The plan builds on the County’s Complete Streets ordinance and other planning studies that stress the importance of a safe, connected, and accessible transportation system for all.

Who

The Action Plan is being led by the St. Louis County Department of Transportation, with support from other County departments and guidance from steering committees consisting of local municipalities, state and regional agencies, non-profit organizations, and community residents. The plan’s vision and recommendations are also being shaped through input provided by hundreds of County residents just like you.

Why

The Mission of the Department of Transportation is to promote the health, safety and well-being of St. Louis County residents by providing an exceptional transportation system that supports multi-modes and promotes regional growth and opportunity. Walking and biking are important modes of transportation for St. Louis County residents.

Where

The focus of the Action Plan is on the County-owned road system, which includes most roads in unincorporated St. Louis County, and also many arterial and collector roads that pass through local municipalities (like Big Bend Blvd, Union Rd, and Chambers Rd). The plan will also offer some recommendations on state and locally-owned roads that help increase connectivity to important regional destinations like transit, parks, and schools.

When

The Action Plan is an important step for walking and biking, but it is not the end. The County will work to implement the recommendations for the next 10 to 20 years and will evaluate and update the plan on a regular basis.

Planning: Summer 2019 to Fall 2020

Implementation: 2020 to 2040

Process

Development of the Action Plan began in spring of 2019. Based on extensive research into existing conditions and considerable community input, a draft network is now ready for public comment. Next steps are to update the network based on public comment and prepare an implementation plan to guide development of the network over the next 15-20 years.

What We’ve Heard

Throughout the planning process, public input has been critical. Thanks to all who participated in various engagement opportunities: stakeholder and small group interviews, online survey, online mapping tool, public meetings, and pop-up events.

Engagement by the Numbers

Walking and biking improvements are important

74% of survey respondents said walking improvements were important or very important to their quality of life.

73% of survey respondents said biking improvements were important or very important to their quality of life.

Participants would ride more if…

There were more OFF-STREET areas for bicycles like greenways and trails

Intersections felt safer to cross

There were more designated ON-STREET areas for bicycles like bike lanes

Only 15% of respondents felt comfortable sharing the road with drivers on a street with heavy traffic, a typical condition of County roadways. 97% feel comfortable on a greenway and 93% feel comfortable on a protected path next to the road.

Participants would walk more if…

There were more destinations nearby

Intersections felt safer to cross

There were more sidewalks

Most important factors to consider when setting priorities for improvements:

Demand
Invest in routes with the most desire for walking and biking

Efficiency
Invest as opportunities arise through roadway projects

Consistency
Invest equally across St. Louis

What We’re Doing

St. Louis County is taking action to create a safer, more connected environment for walking and biking. This includes redesigning streets, building new sidewalks and trails, and creating a more balanced transportation system to meet the diverse needs of our residents. People we have met through the planning process have shared their ideas to make walking and bicycling safer, easier, and more convenient. These ideas, paired with the plan’s guiding vision statement and the planning team’s analyses of the current roadway system, form the foundation for the plan’s recommended walking and bicycling improvements.

Summary of Recommendations

Pedestrian safety and connectivity recommendations are focused on County-owned roadways. While many of these roads are located in unincorporated St. Louis County, there are also major roads on the County’s Arterial Road System (ARS) that travel through incorporated municipalities. The ARS includes roads like Hanley Road, Big Bend Boulevard, Chambers Road, and Sappington Road.

In total, there are 431 miles of new or improved facilities for walking recommended in this plan. This includes:

377 miles of new sidewalks and shared-use sidepaths (which support both walking and bicycling) to increase pedestrian access to schools, parks, transit, and shops
24 miles of sidewalk infill projects to eliminate gaps in the pedestrian system
10 miles of improvement projects to make existing sidewalks safer and more comfortable
20 miles of off-street trails to provide low-stress connections to parks, greenways, and other community destinations
83% of pedestrian projects serve high need and high demand areas for walking

The total mileage of all recommended bikeway improvements is 773 miles. This includes on-street bikeways like shared travel lanes, dedicated bicycle lanes, and off-street trails and sidepaths.

Over 480 miles of recommended bicycling improvements are considered low-stress, “All Ages and Abilities facilities.” These recommendations include new trails, sidepaths, protected bike lanes, and neighborhood calm streets. This represents 62% of all recommendations.
83% of all bicycle projects are located within or provide direct connections to high need and high demand areas in St. Louis County

We need your help to review these network recommendations and let us know what you think. Please use the survey and interactive map to share your ideas.

How will we achieve these recommendations? Who will lead the process?

Your thoughts and ideas are needed to make sure that the plan’s recommendations reflect the needs of your community and communities throughout the county. We will use these ideas to refine the plan’s recommendations.

The plan also includes details about who will construct the project recommendations. Many people must work together to bring the plan to life. This will take many years, but will ultimately result in more connected and healthier communities throughout the county.

The project team will use three main approaches to implement recommendations. These include:

Strategic communications: We must increase transparency and inclusivity in decision making. This plan allowed County staff to speak with residents, community organizations, and other stakeholders. This work continues after the plan is published.
Supporting policies: County staff used this planning process to think about current ways that they and other staff make decisions. Continuing to be thoughtful about how decisions are made would result in more equitable implementation of recommendations. The planning process also reviewed current policies and legislation to propose ways to better support people as they walk and bike. This work is ongoing because policies operate at multiple levels of government.
Equitable programming: This plan includes recommendations for new or expanded educational and encouragement programs for youth and adults throughout the county. Learning about safe walking and bicycling and finding encouragement are crucial to creating communities where more people feel safe and empowered to choose walking and bicycling as ways to get around.

Prioritizing Projects

With over 800 miles of recommended sidewalks, trails, and on-street bikeways and limited resources to implement the plan, it is important that the County and its community partners focus on investments in walking and biking infrastructure that best meet the vision and values of the plan.

The County will group projects into four implementation categories shown in the table based on several key factors:

Safety

Connectivity

Equity

Health

Demand

Public Support

Inclusivity

Cost

Survey