Crossing Manchester Rd (MO 100) at McKnight
Recently I wanted to cross Manchester Rd, state highway 100, at McKnight. I quickly found out doing so is far from ideal in a wheelchair. On the surface it looks good: crosswalks, pedestrian signals, etc. Let me show you one glaring problem I discovered:
Over the last 20+ years three out of the four corners at this intersection have been redeveloped, and Rock Hill has been trying nearly as long on the fourth. Why is this still an issue? Who cut out part? How long ago?
Three possible culprits: Rock Hill, St. Louis County, or most likely, MoDOT. I suspect MoDOT because Manchester Road is Missouri State highway 100. I hope to find out why this wasn’t addresses recently when a gas station replaced the stone Rock Hill church on this corner.
This is part of the problem with having too many entities: municipal, county, & state.
— Steve Patterson
You are lucky, last time I walked anywhere around mcknight, at night, I got arrested for walking down the street. Stick with the city, the county is just awful. I’m not really loving the suburbanreviewrockhill that you are doin.
I lived in Rock Hill for three years, and it’s just hostile to people walking, period. Whether or not you’re in a wheelchair, or an older person using a cane or walker, or even a younger parent pushing a stroller, this city is not set up for anyone or anything except cars. That intersection, in particular, was a nightmare to cross on two able-bodied legs.
The reason for so many municipalities is residents wanted to feel like their say counted in decision making – frequently zoning and commercial development. I think I wrote you before that until the rules change, communities that are Point Of Sale have a strong incentive NOT to merge – the new merged entity would lose the POS status and be strictly pool. A lot of communities are POS. And for many, you are talking about million of dollars per year.
Good point Charley, don’t live in Shrewsbury nor does my step daughter attend Webster Groves schoool district anymore but still own a house there. While I certainly like Shrewsbury, their is no reason why some of the smaller communities need to exist. The Shrewsbury public pool, parks and neighborhood we like won’t go away if my house was part of Webster Groves. I dont have any reason to believe that the police and fire services would be any less desireable. Nor do I see why Richmond Heights, Brentwood, and Maplewood exist as is. North county is even worse with some it struggling communities and police departments surviving by handing out speeding tickets.
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St. Louis County muni are ripe for consolidation but a lot of it is about mini fiefdoms and the almighy point of sale tax dollars. Politics don’t make it any better. The Tea Party who advocates for less government should be leading the charge yet anyone who talks about less government or better government means they want more for themselves to control and less for someone they don’t agree with.
Wow, it’s been years since I was there, but, it is indeed a tough place to cross as a pedestrian, far less in a chair. Drivers are not expecting us to not be in a vehicle either.