January 4, 2012 Vol. 91 No. 1
Plan partners propose more than 1,000 miles of bike lanes linking St. Louis City and County and St. Charles County, paving the way for creation of one of the larger bicycle networks in the U.S.
Greenway
Great Rivers Greenway Completes Gateway Bike Plan
IN this Issue
Working to help the St. Louis region become a premiere community that encourages healthy living and active lifestyles, Great Rivers Greenway and a host of regional partners recently completed the Gateway Bike Plan. The product of months of work, the Bike Plan will provide direction for the region to develop a safe, convenient connected on-road bicycle system of routes with links between communities, greenways, transit and trails, creating one of the larger bicycle networks in the United States. Over the next 20 years, the Gateway Bike Plan partners envision 1,011 miles of bike lanes, shared use lanes and other bicycle facilities throughout St. Louis City, County and urbanized areas of St. Charles County. The network aims to improve the use and safety of bicycles by commuters, students and recreational riders and contribute to the region’s economic and environmental health, making St. Louis a better place to live. Great Rivers Greenway led the collaborative effort to prepare the Gateway Bike Plan for on-road and multi-use trails, working in partnership with local officials from more than 100 municipalities 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. The finished plan reflects the input of citizens and technical advisors, who worked together through the public engagement phase of the project to develop the vision of the plan and define Around Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4 Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
the core goals to be achieved through its implementation. These goals include: • providing a prioritized system of contiguous bicycle routes that are connected to other on- and off-road facilities; • improving safety of all modes of transportation through careful design and educational and enforcement programs; • expanding the public’s view of bicycles as a viable form of transportation, and • increasing the commitment of public officials to support or initiate public policy for bicycling at the state, local and regional levels of government. Another key component of the plan is the development of performance measures so that public agencies and interested citizens can assess how implementation of the plan is generating increases in ridership and resulting in reductions in crashes involving bicycles. “Connecting communities, promoting good health and providing transportation alternatives are just the beginning of creating a vibrant region. The Learn & Play . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Movie . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2139 Bryan Valley Commercial Dr. • O’Fallon, MO 63366
Gateway Bike Plan helps to foster the development of safer cycling routes,” said Susan Trautman, executive director of Great Rivers Greenway. “With
Photo courtesy of Great Rivers Greenway
input from citizens, community leaders and transportation experts, the Gateway Bike Plan has been favorably accepted See BIKE PLAN page 3
Movie Talk
See Movie page 9
Eddie Redmayne and Michelle Williams in The Weinstein Company's My Week with Marilyn - 2011
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