St. Louis can expect to see bike lanes and improvements to pedestrian safety on Tucker Boulevard thanks to a city collaboration with biking advocates.
The Tucker Bike-Walk-Bus project is a .94-mile trail that will connect Washington and Chouteau avenues. Part of the project includes transforming Tucker Boulevard to a street with a two-way bike path, raised mediums and high-visibility crossings.
The changes will reduce the number of lanes to keep drivers and pedestrians safe, Mayor Cara Spencer said.
“Here is a street that is entirely too wide, and it has been too wide for far too long,” Spencer said.
The project is expected to be completed next spring. Other additions include pedestrian refuge islands, bus stop islands and ramps that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The development came together with about 60 organizations including Greater St. Louis Inc., the Missouri Department of Transportation, Great Rivers Greenway and Trailnet working with the city to help build out the path. Changes to Tucker are part of the city’s efforts to invest in transportation projects across the city.
“This is a great, powerful example of what it looks like when partners come together,” Trailnet CEO Cindy Mense said.
The initiative aims to add bike lanes throughout downtown St. Louis. Greater St. Louis Inc. Vice President Sarah Arnosky Ko said bike lanes and increasing accessibility will help fuel the city’s economy.
Tucker Boulevard runs by City Hall and parts of St. Louis University and is close to Enterprise Center and restaurants, allowing cyclists to stop at business, Trailnet Marketing Director Chantal Incandela said.
“There are a lot of studies out there that show that folks walking and biking do tend to spend a bit more money when they're out getting places,” Incandela said.
Tucker Boulevard has been the site of several high-profile car accidents over the past several years, including one last year in which a mother and daughter were killed by a speeding driver outside the Enterprise Center after a concert.
