Bicycle Network Recommendations

The proposed bicycle network builds on decades of investments in bicycling infrastructure to create an interconnected, county-wide system of bikeways to support both local and regional bicycle trips. St. Louis County, MoDOT, Great Rivers Greenway, and many municipalities have all contributed to the 215 miles of existing on-street bikeways, trails, and greenways throughout the County. Their continued support for bicycle transportation and investments in related infrastructure is essential to close gaps between existing facilities and improve and expand the system to truly function as a safe, connected, and inclusive county-wide bicycle network.

The bike network recommendations are separated into three overarching categories based on implementation responsibilities and relationship to other planning efforts:

• The Action Plan Network: proposed facilities along roads owned and operated by St. Louis County

• The Gateway Bike Plan Network Updates: proposed facilities on MoDOT and locally owned and operated roadways that update recommendations in the Gateway Bike Plan

• Previously Planned Regional Bikeways: Regionally significant trails, greenways, and other facilities illustrated for network connectivity purposes

As St. Louis County and its community partners continue to implement projects within each of these categories, isolated bikeways will be connected, network gaps will be filled, and access to bicycling will be expanded into new areas of the County.

The Action Plan Network

The Action Plan Network consists of on-street bikeways and shared use paths along St. Louis County owned and operated roads. The 325 miles of proposed Action Plan Network bikeways build upon the 38 miles of existing bikeways on the County-owned road system to enhance connectivity in unincorporated St. Louis County and strengthen connections to local bike networks, parks, greenways, business districts, and other destinations. More than half of these proposed facilities consist of shared use paths and physically separated bike lanes, reflecting the plan’s vision of a safer, more inclusive network that welcomes people of all ages and abilities.

The proposed Action Plan Bicycle Network is shown in Map 2. The facility types that comprise the Action Plan Bicycle Network are categorized and listed in the table below.

BICYCLE FACILITIES

Existing Proposed

Mixed Traffic Bikeway

Visually Separated Bikeway

Physically Separated Bikeway

Shared Use Facility (Sidepath)

Shared Use Facility (Trail or Greenway)

JURISDICTIONS

Incorporated Areas

Unincorporated St. Louis County

THE COMPLETE FUTURE BICYCLE NETWORK FOR ST. LOUIS COUNTY

The combined recommendations for bicycle facility development in the Action Plan Network (St. Louis County) and the Gateway Bike Plan Network Update (MoDOT and local agencies), along with previously planned trails and greenways, serve as the blueprint for a county-wide bicycle system.

The complete future bicycle network is depicted in Map 3, and its components are listed below in Table 3 by facility category and type. With more than 1,100 miles of facilities, over 200 of which are already in place, the future county-wide bicycle system will be a realization of the County’s vision for a safe, connected, and equitable multimodal transportation system.

With more than 1,100 miles of bikeways, over 200 of which are already in place, the future county-wide bicycle system will be a realization of the County’s vision for a safe, connected, and equitable multimodal transportation system.

BICYCLE FACILITIES

Existing Proposed

Mixed Traffic Bikeway

Visually Separated Bikeway

Physically Separated Bikeway

Shared Use Facility (Sidepath)

Shared Use Facility (Trail or Greenway)

Previously Planned Trail/Greenway

Jurisdictions

Incorporated Areas

Unincorporated St. Louis County

Implementation Strategies

The Action Plan presents a bold and ambitious vision for the future of walking and bicycling in St. Louis County. Bringing this vision to life will require a sustained commitment to active transportation for years to come, as well as the necessary leadership, resources, partnerships, and policy advancements to create a lasting impact on the county’s physical and cultural landscapes.

Whether reviewing programmed projects for opportunities to incorporate plan recommendations, advancing progressive and flexible design criteria, or strengthening partnerships across County departments and with agency partners, St. Louis County can concurrently pursue multiple implementation strategies to better support walking and biking as an integral components of the multimodal transportation system.

Early Actions

While the Action Plan is a long-range planning document guiding future investments in active transportation, early actions to implement the plan’s recommendations will be necessary to sustain momentum from the planning process and build a foundation for lasting change.

Early implementation actions include:

• Integrating Action Plan recommendations into programmed roadway improvements

• Developing an annual report to highlight the County’s efforts to implement the Action Plan and promote Complete Streets

• Evaluating policies and design criteria to better support walking and biking

• Moving forward with the ADA Transition Plan and Asset Management upgrades

Project Impact Evaluation

Implementing recommended projects included in the Action Plan must take into account the potential impact of each project to support walking and biking and advance the Action Plan’s vision and goals. It is also necessary to consider the wider transportation system context, and the potential opportunities and constraints that may impact project programming and development.

The pedestrian and bicycle facility improvements recommended in this plan vary greatly in terms of length, location, facility type, land use context, and other characteristics. St. Louis County developed an evaluation methodology to determine the value of each recommended project on County-owned roadways with respect to the vision and value of the plan. Each of the evaluation criteria measure the extent to which recommended projects support SAFETY CONNECTIVITY a corresponding value or goal of the plan. These evaluation criteria are listed below.

The results of this project impact evaluation are displayed in the maps on the following pages. Projects are grouped into three categories based on the results of the evaluation: high impact, medium impact, and low impact. These categories reflect the extent to which each project advances the vision and values of the plan and will be considered by the Department of Transportation in future project scoping and programming efforts.

While high impact pedestrian and bicycle projects can are located in nearly all areas of the county, the prevalence of high impact projects in north St. Louis County reflects the higher scores for health and equity factors. Many residents in north St. Louis County rely on pedestrian and bicycle facilities to access transit, schools, employment, and other local destinations.

PROJECT EVALUATION RATING

High Impact

Medium Impact

Low Impact

LOCAL JURISDICTIONS

Incorporated Areas

Unincorporated St. Louis County

PROJECT EVALUATION RATING

High Impact

Medium Impact

Low Impact

LOCAL JURISDICTIONS

Incorporated Areas

Unincorporated St. Louis County