Poll: St Charles County is considering banning bikes from some state highways

The poll this week is about bicycling:

Q: St Charles County is considering banning bikes from some state highways

More info:

A bill that would ban bicyclists from using state highways in southwestern St. Charles County will be introduced during the St. Charles County Council’s meeting Monday night.

Councilman Joe Brazil, R-District 2, requested the bill.

“We spend millions of dollars a year on parks and trails,” Brazil said in a news release issued by the county. “The bicyclists need to stay on the trails that were made for bikes and off the roads in southwest St. Charles County.”

The proposed ordinance would prohibit bicycles on highways DD, D, F and Z and Highway 94 from its intersection with Highway 40 west to the county line. The ordinance would apply to highways that lack shoulders or bicycle lanes.  (Full story)

The poll is in the upper right hand corner.  Please vote and add any comments you have below.

– Steve Patterson

Poll: thoughts on Judge Dierker’s ruling on the NorthSide TIF

You’ve probably heard the news by now:

“A St. Louis judge threw out a city ordinance Friday that authorized $390 million in tax increment financing — the largest in the city’s history — for Paul McKee Jr.’s $8.1 billion NorthSide redevelopment.”

Full story: Judge nixes $390M in financing for McKee’s NorthSide – St. Louis Business Journal

Readers support regulation of valets operating on public streets

Readers last week responded to the weekly poll felt some level of regulation of valets was needed:

Q: Rules regarding valet parking vary in the St. Louis region. What are your thoughts regarding valet parking on public streets?

1. Valets are operating on public streets — they need permits and regulation to keep them under control: 59 [33.33%]
2. Valet parking on public streets should take away no more than 2-3 public parking spaces: 53 [29.9%]
3. Valet parking should not be allowed on public streets at all: 46 [25.99%]
4. They should be allowed to take all the public parking spaces they want to take if they have a permit: 7 [3.95%]
5. Unsure: 5 [2.82%]
6. Don’t care what they do: 3 [ 1.69%]
7. Other answer… 3 [1.69%]
8. The operators are just trying to earn a living and provide a need service – they shouldn’t need a permit or be regulated: 1 [0.56%]

The three other answers were:

1. They should rent spots at the meter rate from the city perhaps.
2. They should take no more than 2-3 public spaces AND they need regulation!
3. They should be allowed on public streets BUT not allowed to take away spaces

As more places open in close proximity the more the need to coordinate valet services.

– Steve Patterson

Poll: Public meetings without prayer

The poll this week is about an issue that often ends up in court — the role of prayer during public meetings.  Many public bodies do not begin their meetings with a prayer, but others do. One that does is the St. Louis Board of Aldermen.

Here is their outline for each meeting:

Rule 13 Regular Order of Business
The Order of Business and Procedure shall be as follows:

1. Roll Call.

2. Suggested Prayer.

“Almighty God, source of all authority, we humbly ask guidance in our deliberations and wisdom in our conclusions. Amen.”

3. Announcement of any Special Order of the Day.

4. Introduction of Honored Guests.

5. Approval of minutes of previous meetings.

6. Report of City Officials.

7. Petitions and Communications. (Source)

Increasingly public bodies that include prayer as part of their agenda are being challenged in court:

Federal District Court Judge James A. Beaty this morning ruled that Forsyth County is violating the U.S. Constitution by allowing prayers with sectarian references before meetings of the county board of commissioners.

Beaty ordered the county to stop allowing prayers under its current policy, which had come under fire from those who said that the county was promoting Christianity because most of the prayers have made reference to Jesus.

Beaty gave the county several options in his order. He said that the county could choose to open meetings without a prayer, or could require that prayers contain no sectarian references.

Mike Johnson, the attorney representing the county, told commissioners this morning that he hopes they will appeal the case to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. That court traditionally also has ruled against sectarian prayer at public meetings.

Today’s ruling by Beaty confirms what a magistrate recommended in November. The lawsuit was filed in March 2007 by several county residents, supported by the American Civil Liberties Union. They asked that the commission only allow non-sectarian prayer at meetings; in those, references to God are allowed, but to specific deities such as Jesus Christ or Buddha are not.

The lawsuit prompted other counties to study their policies on invocations before public meetings. Several, such as Yadkin County, changed their policies to eliminate sectarian prayer. Others, such as the Winston-Salem City Council, have held off, saying they would wait to see the outcome of the Forsyth County case.  (Source)

One example is the Texas State Board of Education:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdhGK9aYjDY

Friday the prayer at the start of the Board of Aldermen mentioned God four times.The poll this week asks how you feel about prayer and public meetings. The poll is on the right hand side of the site.  The final results will be posted Wednesday June 30, 2010.

– Steve Patterson

Readers: Vacant Ballpark Village site now downtown’s biggest eyesore, I-70 close behind

The top winner for downtown’s biggest eyesore is the vacant site that was planned to be Ballpark Village.  But second & third place were the depressed lanes and the elevated lanes of I-70, respectively.  City to River’s idea will take care of I-70. Each person was allowed two picks.

Q: With the St. Louis Centre pedestrian bridge being removed, downtown’s biggest eyesore becomes? (pick up to 2)

1. The vacant Ballpark Village site 106 [28.42%]
2. The I-70 depressed lanes in front of the Arch 98 [26.27%]
3. The I-70 elevated lanes North of Washington St 92 [24.66%]
4. Other answer… 24 [6.43%]
5. Twain 20 [5.36%]
6. Lumiere Casino 19 [5.09%]
7. The Kiel Center parking garages 7 [1.88%]
8. US Bank’s parking garage (8th & Washington) 7 [1.88%]

Total Votes 373

“Other” edged out the other answers I had suggested.

1. Kacie Starr Triplett
2. Chouteau’s Landing
3. Arcade Building
4. Highway 40 and the railyard to the south
5. The building to the right of I-64 , just before you cross the Poplar (name?).
6. Downtown
7. Lumiere’s digital sign needs to go!
8. The vacant Arcade building
9. Powell Square
10. Kiener Center parking garages–particularly considering their prominent location
11. The I-40 bridges running through the center of the city
12. “Powell Square”
13. The Stadium Parking Structures
14. Kiel Opera House
15. The countless surface parking lots
16. All buildings on 70 Northbound from the Arch all the way to the Airport
17. Powell Square
18. The Peabody Building
19. Statdium East and West parking garages
20. Gateway One
21. Powell Square
22. Amrica’s Center
23. Macy’s garage
24. GatewayOne tower

I want to comment on a couple of the “other” answers.

Peabody is a tenant in the Gateway One building, occupying 7 of the 15 floors. The plan decades ago was to have four of these half buildings. I’m glad only one was built but I like obscured view of the Old Courthouse and Arch.  It forces you to walk closer to get the full view.  While Gateway One is not great architecture, it is not remotely close to being an eyesore.

I don’t consider Powell Square in downtown as I tend to think of I-64/40 as on the near south side.  But assuming it is part of downtown it is an eyesore in it’s windowless state. But this is not an eyesore to be removed.  This building just needs windows to be stunning.

– Steve Patterson