Accidents in Construction Zones Can Be Worse Than Alternate Routes
As a section of highway 40 (aka I-64) is completely shut down in St. Louis I am in Oklahoma City visiting with family and here a section of highway, known as the Broadway Extension (technically I-235 but nobody calls it that), heading north from downtown to the affluent suburb of Edmond is under reconstruction. A good analogy to Edmond would be Chesterfield, although they’ve not built any shopping centers in an area that was under water less than a decade ago. Back to the highway, a section that only has two lanes in each direction is getting a third (maybe 4th) lane as well as getting an awkward curve taken out and an improved interchange (@ NW 36th, see map).
Like so many projects in St. Louis this one in OKC is taking a while as they are leaving the existing lanes open where possible, closing only ‘as needed.’Â The shoulders are gone as they keep the lanes open but squeeze them onto less pavement to allow for the construction work to take place.
Yesterday morning my brother and I are heading toward downtown and traffic comes to a stop long before this construction zone. Both lanes are solid cars and a fire truck is coming up the shoulder at this part. Again, as you get toward the construction zone the shoulder goes away.  So then we are all trying to squeeze into the right lane so the fire truck can get by on the left lane.
After about 10 minutes or so we finally get to the issue — a Chevy Suburban SUV had rolled over in the narrow construction zone. They had it loaded on a flatbed at a crew were in one of the only two lanes cleaning up glass.  All traffic was having to condense from two narrow lanes to a single lane as motorists took their time looking at the wrecked vehicle. Just a hundred feet or so later the roadway opened up and we were back up to highway speeds on the 3 lanes that were headed south.
So what does all this mean? Well, those in St. Louis that are still fighting to now re-open highway 40 before the bridges are taken down talk about safety as an issue. Yet, the safety of having many still doing their commute through the construction zone doesn’t seem to register. Just as accidents will happen on alternate routes, they would most certainly happen in the construction zone. The workers on the highway, with it closed, are certainly much safer than keeping a lane or two open.
While I continue to question the need for such an extensive and costly rebuilding of highway 40, I certainly support the closing of that part being rebuilt. Â Accidents and delays can become so much worse in a construction zone as opposed to an alternate route.
The Post Dispatch assigned at least ten reporters on what turned out to be a non story, the closing of highway 40. It would be nice to see so much ink devoted to a thoughtful discussion of the transportation issues facing the region — MetroLink expansion, and, yes Steve, the possible role streetcars could play, $100 oil and the implications for the region, global warming and even the need to upgrade deteriorating roads and bridges. Add to that some ink devoted to good land use planning would be a bonus as well. Instead we get Elliot Davis “gotcha” journalism and the hype over 40. Do you suppose any stock holders in the media companies will question the resources — reporters, websites, helicopters and space devoted to what thus far has turned out to be nothing?
Safer for highway workers but much more dangerous to cyclists and pedestrians, especially children, along alternate routes. For months, west bound drivers have exited 40 at Skinker and used Clayton Rd as a freeway. Cycling with my sons along Clayton, I’ve had to watch SUVs purposely and aggresively run us off the road and the boys were smart enough to seek safety on the sidewalks. The police said the SUV driver claimed that we were “attacking his vehicle and also said that cyclists don’t have any right to be on the road”. Sacrificing childrens’ welfare for construction workers is not good public policy.
Just the other day, as my GF and I were driving along 44, I wondered aloud about how many people would be killed as they waited for assistance on what remains of the shoulders. John brings up an excellent point: what happens along arterials and side streets when you dump thousands more cars onto them than they were designed to handle. As for the ExcessUV, well, what can you say. Most of them, I have found, are asses of the highest order. Dodge truck drivers are the worst.
An old cliche in the news business is if it bleeds, it leads (the news that day). Drama and conflict sells a lot more advertising than feel-good stories and non-issues. Why else do we see so much about celebrity missteps?
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Even if 40 weren’t completely closed, the congestion of reducing it to two lanes would’ve shifted a significant of “new” traffic onto parallel roads, as well, making them less cycling-friendly. The reality is that the parallel streets can handle more traffic, not well, but it can be done. Highways are rated on an A-F congestion scale, with A being completely free-flowing and F approaching gridlock. We’ll probably see a full-letter drop in congestion on the parallel routes, but that doesn’t mean that they’re carrying “thousands more cars onto them than they were designed to handle”, it just means that they’re busier than we’re used to seeing them.
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I do agree completely that riding a bike around here includes encountering everything from oblivious to homicidal drivers. Not knowing the kids’ ages, I would however question the wisdom of “Cycling with my sons along Clayton” Road – I’m an experienced cyclist, and I find it uncomfortable to ride along there, and I wouldn’t trust any kids’ lives with a few of those drivers. Yes, cyclists have the same legal rights as motorists, but you can also be right, dead right . . .
I really question the need for re-striping on I-44. The rush hour in St Louis is not very long. (I know this is relative, but I’ve driven in LA, SF, Atlanta, Boston and NY. We don’t have traffic, trust me.) For about 2 hours in the morning and 2 at night there is traffic on I-44 that would perhaps need extra lanes. For the rest of the hours, there is little traffic on I-44. Yet there is now no median or shoulders should accidents occur. As Steve noted, this exacerbates a backup caused by simple breakdowns (since there is now a lane blocked and no way for emergency vehicles to get around the backup). This also makes the highways more dangerous the entire day with narrow lanes and lack of shoulders. I would rather extend the rush hour commute for everyone on average 10 minutes than risk safety and exaggerate the effects of accidents and breakdowns (which could in effect bring the average commute with more lanes closer to the average with one less lane).
I agree that shutting down 40/64 is the safest for workers and perhaps commuters. The safest of all would be to close 40/64 to commercial trucks/vans and leave it as it is. No one will ever get on a Metro train if we keep providing an easier (and more expensive alternative).
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I agree 44 is rarely congested east of 270, was this really necessary?
“Everyone” is complaining about the restriping of 44, but if they hadn’t done it I bet we would hear the same people saying they should have restriped 44 to increase the number of cars on that stretch or road.
john, I don’t know what you’re doing cycling on Clayton Road. If it’s for recreation, I will point out that Forest Park is just minutes away and has miles of trails dedicated to biking. Utililizing those trails would mean that you don’t hold up the cars travelling behing you at 15 mph just so that you can pretend like you are in the Tour de France.
If you are commuting on your bike, then I suggest that you be considerate of the car drivers and refrain from using major traffic arteries like Clayton Road. I would suggest using the DeMun neighborhood in this instance.
Although I would never run a bicyclist off the road, I will certainly yell at you from my car as I try to get past you and on to my destination at a pace somewhere near the speed limit.
I would suggest that if you don’t like other users on “public” roads you should go ahead and build your own private road to drive on.
With ever increasing oil prices more of us might be biking, just a thought to consider as everybody fills up with gas the next time. On top of it, how do you get anywhere by taking side streets in the DeMum neighborhood, with bike or car?
Why is everybody always so upset about getting places in a hurry? That’s the price of our society, I guess.
Having switched from riding the bus to driving within the past six months, it’s obviously faster to drive for the majority of trips, even if you stick to side streets like I usually do. My ol’ clunker would probably also be considered a slow-moving vehicle by many drivers, so I try to stay out of the left lane on the main streets like Gravois, unless I am turning left or I am certain I can keep up. I avoid Grand and Kingshighway as much as possible. While I do take Forest Park Pkwy a lot, I’m thinking about shifting to side streets now. It only takes a few minutes longer, and unless it’s a true emergency, what is the big deal?
Cyclists have the right to take the lane, and I have the right to pass a cyclist, as long as I do so at an even slower speed than normal, and take care of oncoming traffic that may not slow down.
On interstates, yes, there is a minimum speed. But on surface streets, we have to share. Sometimes we even have to share with pedestrians, if there’s no sidewalks.
I don’t dispute that cyclists, by law, have a right to the far right portion of the road. I am pointing out that, as a matter of courtesy, cyclists should avoid major thoroughfares. It is not uncommon to be in a line of eight cars on Clayton Road – all stuck behind an obstinant cyclist. It’s very hard for such a line up of cars to merge during peak travel times.
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ONE cyclist could save those EIGHT cars not only time but potential liability by travelling on less travelled roads. This is especially so if the bike riding is being done merely for recreation in a day and age where there are so many dedicated bike paths.
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Tim E., instead of travelling westbound Clayton, maybe the considerate cyclist would take Southwoods to Demun to Alamo to the alley to Big Bend and then to Wydown where there is a dedicated bike lane.
Even if you were biking eastward from Hanley to the Science Center, Demun neighborhood would be useful as it leads right into Forest Park — there is even a crosswalk.
Craig – while I would agree that Clayton Road is a thoroughfare – is it really a major thoroughfare – or is it a street that about 95% of goes through residential neigborhoods – apart from the sections between Skinker and Big Bend and then Hanley to Brentwood – Clayton Road is a neighborhood where people live. People ride bikes for recreation where they live. People driving down Clayton Road should not view it as some sort of highway to get them somewhere fast. Rather, they should consider that they are driving down a street that is primarily residential with many neigborhoods and streets feeding into it that have no other outlet, other than Clayton Road. In any event, you have no greater right to use Clayton Road than any car, suv or cyclist. If you don’t like the fact that Clayton Road, for as long as I have lived in St. Louis (16 years) has been a major cycling route perhaps you should take Southwoods to Demun to Alamo to the alley to Big Bend and then to Wydown where there is a dedicated lane in each direction for cars! You could even stop for a cup of coffee at starbucks if you werent in such an obvious hurry.
newsteve, I hope it was clear that we were discussing the eastern portion of Clayton Road, beginning at Skinker and going towards Brentwood. At peak traffic times it is a very busy road. I would call it a major throroughfare, but if you disgaree with my categorization that’s fine.
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newsteve, second, I stated that cyclists have a right to the right side of the road by law. I realize that. But, I’m talking about courtesy, not what sort of ignorant actions the law entitles you to take. Take a people mover in the airport. I have a right to stand on the people mover with my large bag next to me while 20 people all atempting to walk down the people mover two-abreast bottle up behind me. Just because I have a right to do this doesn’t make me courteous.
This is the most circular argument I have ever heard. Man, how about cars all get out of my way as a courtesy to me, on my bike? The exact same, totally incorrect logic applies. Craig, lots of people use bikes to get places, some all the time. After making the claim that you reserve the right to scream at people on bikes, its really amazing that you suggest that they get out of your way as a courtesy to you. Do you drive on the Highway? Wouldn’t it be a lot more convenient for every truck driver out there on the interstate if you just stayed off the highway? It sure would be.
Here is a challenge: Spend two weeks making all your trips by bike. I will loan you a bike if you need one. Then come back and tell us what who you think is causing a problem on the roads: cyclists or drivers. Here is my email: gsogilvie AT yahoo.com
I dare you.
Scott O., my logic doesn’t break down as you claim. It is important to remember that cyclists are in the minority (by far). They should accomodate others because they can’t move as fast.
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Thanks for the bike offer. I already own a nice one so I won’t be e-mailing you.
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As for the experiment, I think I already understand that cars are a menace to cyclists — they are hundreds of times bigger and move ten times faster after all. That’s just another reason that a sensible cyclist should do all she can to avoid as much automobile traffic as possible. That is my strategy when I ride my bike for errands or for recreation.
since this is just another blah blah 40 closed blog topic… I haven’t seen a whole lot of speculation of what the cost of a gallon of gas will be in 2010 when 40 completely re-opens. Allowing folks to drive a SUV in a straight line from belleville to chesterfield at 60 mph may be a moot point if a gallon is > than $5.
Craig’s point of cyclists avoiding Clayton road between Big Bend and Skinker may have some merit as much as I dislike most motorist’s habits and driving in general. My take as a cyclist, it’s just not worth the headache compensating for the a$$ clowns behind the wheels of a lot of cars. I may be right but cars are easily replaced where as my body is not. With the bike you can use sidewalks to cut through neighberhoods that cars can not. The difference between avg’ing 18’s vs 16’s is not that important.
This discussion has turned from highway closing and restriping to an argument about biking.
I’m neutral about the closing, primarily because unless I specifically travel west, it won’t effect me. I do wish that if they were going to widen and improve it, they do the entire thing and not just repave around Richmond Heights because those residents thought they were more important then the entire region, but I digress.
Let’s face it, we have all encountered bad walkers, bad runners, bad bikers, and bad motorist. Construction or not, does it really take that much more effort to extend a courtesy to the other? Give a biker a bit more room or use your signal so they don’t run into your door. Bikers stay as far to the right as possible. Pedestrians the same. Etc. Like it or not there are more and more people of any type on the roads and we all need to adapt.
I also love many of the comments I’ve been hearing from some of the new metro users. From the socializing with the common people to I didn’t know how to get to the Savis center except for highway 40! I think a lot of people are 1) going to have new experiences of St. Louis (that’s good) and 2) it’s going to make people think about alternatives, and with 2 years of them, perhaps they will be engrained enough that they will stick with them after construction is over.
How long will it take before St. Louisans decide to enter the 21st century?
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Back in the early 60s, the StL region was excited about reversing the new emerging problem, depopulation. The consensus showed that the population had fallen to 750 thousand from 856 thousand. Major steps were being taken to use public funds to build the Arch and promote tourism, the new ballpark was being built, and highways (like 170, 270, and 40) were being built/expanded.
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40 years later, not much has changed. The Arch grounds are still being debated (Danforth), the BPV is still being built, school districts continue to deteriorate, law enforcement is still an ongoing problem as is employment growth, TIFs are dominating public policies, and leadership/public continue to ignore and fail to debate the design of our transportation system. This system impacts daily lives enormously and especially our decisions on how we get from A to B efficiently.
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This thread is not about just cycling and the lack of effective law enforcement, but public policy and how it impacts everyday life. Depopulation problems have spread from StL to the County and the leadership/public are still stuck with their 60’s attitudes. Times have changed but the StL attitude (favoring more highways, auto-dependencies, pollution, noise, poor health, etc.) haven’t changed enough.
So far, so good, the alternate routes seem to be working, although some more tinkering will need to happen. I also agree that Monday will be the real test. The Highway folks are saying that both Clayton Road and Ladue Road are carrying 2½ times the traffic they were before the shut-down and that’s without the students and soccer moms doing their twice-daily trips to all the schools, public and private, along both roads. I know I’m getting up there (50+), but I remember riding the big yellow bus, even through high school, pretty much every day. One of the traffic reporters pointed out today that at least one school does no busing, and I know from experience that fewer and fewer students actually ride the bus these days. I know it’s a fantasy, but wouldn’t it be great if these schools had planned on offering and/or increasing bus service during the shut-down – as it is now, Monday could actually result in Carmegedon along these two roads . . .
the Husband shifted to an early schedule for his west county job yesterday, and made the same comment JZ did.
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A few of the private high schools have started buses on demand, but the fact is that many parents won’t go there. Our kids ride the bus (and love it), but many of their classmates are driven to school–and this is in the City. None of the County parents I know would have their kids ride a school bus, not even those from rural areas that rode the bus themselves! Their arguments against busing: safety (most school buses do not have seat belts), time (even driving to two different schools I would not have to leave as early as I have to get the kids on the bus, and they’d actually get home a few minutes before sundown instead of after), and control (most parents these days like to know the exact location and comportment of their children at all times).
Well, I just have to say that since the highway shutdown that my commute is actually *better* than before!
I drive one of the “major” E-W alternative streets, and starting from about a couple weeks before the shutdown, when the traffic lights and lanes were re-done, I noticed a big difference. Esp on my evening approach to I-170, when traffic would typically have been blocked up for about a mile.
No longer! While there are indeed many more cars along the way, I’m hitting more of the lights so long as you drive the speed limit, and there isn’t hardly the back-up at the “big lights” as there were before.
So my question is this… if all it took was some striping and tweaking of the signals… WHY THE HELL WASN’T IT DONE BEFORE?!?!?!
Perhaps this is just further evidence that we don’t need the damned highway in the 270-Loop at all. Good riddence. Keep it closed!
County school districts do use buses for VTS students and even for local residents. However these services began years before the New 64. In Clayton for example, local students are chaffeured to school on yellow buses (and cars!) even though many live within one mile of school. Few students walk or cycle to school because local streets like Clayton, Hanley, Brentwood, etc. have been taken over by cars, buses, trucks, and most drivers are speeding while on cell phones. The traffic on these roads has increased dramatically in the last few months which impose much greater risks for residents and their children (the last few days have been lower than normal).
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Most commuters are allowed to ignore their legal driving responsibilities as they speed along these roads and through neighborhoods. An accident happened last year between a young cyclist and a Metro bus on Brentwood. The auto-dependent culture has led to increasingly more auto and motorized vehicle use, not less.
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Even our FHA recognizes the problem and note that back in the 60s more than half of children walked or biked to school. Now this number is estimated to be a miserable 15% and less in many communities. Wouldn’t it be great if school districts, parents and communities help support such international recognized and sponsored programs like Safe Routes to School and children are seen on their bikes and walking again?
http://safety.fhwa.dot.gov/saferoutes/
http://www.saferoutesinfo.org/
I doubt we will ever see children riding their bikes or walking to schools again. Not with some really sick people out there that think those kids are there for the taking…literally.
I doubt that there’s a higher percentage of “really sick people” now than there were 25, 50 or 75 years ago. But there certainly is a higher percentage of people who live in fear and/or refuse to be involved in the community/become in a situation that looks out of place. Kids used to be able to ride their bikes “everywhere” because there were a lot more eyes on the street – like the cliche says, it takes a village to raise a child.
The Catholics have this issue figured out. When you live in a tight-knit parish, like many in the city of St. Louis, the church is located in the geographic center of the community, and a very high percentage of the area’s residents are members of the church. The church and its school are within walking distance to every able bodied person in the parish, and many children walk to school. Since Catholics often have more than one child, you frequently see siblings, and grade-school aged groups of kids walking to and from school every day. Since most people living in the area are also members of the Church, the kids have hundreds of knowing eyes on the street, keeping an eye on them. If any kid gets out of line, chances are his/her ID is quickly known, and the word travels back to the parents. Catholic schools are not for everyone, but the model works well for those it fits. And the presences of a Catholic school in an area has been an important factor in maintaining the strength of some areas. Look at the good St. Francis Cabrini is doing for the area between Grand and Jefferson, south of Arsenal.