Chouteau Bridge Sidewalk Cracked, Pedestrians Detoured Slightly

The Chouteau bridge (aerial) between 39th and Vandeventer opened on January 19, 2007 (source). The project to replace the old bridge was estimated at $16 million and “the construction contract was awarded to KCI Construction Company for $11.7 million.”

Knowing the bridge wasn’t very old I was surprised recently when I saw barricades on the south edge, then I received a press release from MoDOT:

ST. LOUIS – The Missouri Department of Transportation will close Chouteau Avenue (Route 100) between Vandeventer and Spring in both directions for periods of up to 10 minutes starting at 10 p.m. Tuesday, May 8. All lanes will be open by 6 a.m. Wednesday, May 9.

Crews are conducting load testing on the bridge to determine the best way to fix the sidewalk. The sidewalk has been closed since mid-2011. (MoDOT)

Fix a sidewalk on a five year-old bridge?

BIke/Walk Alert – Chouteau bridge between Vandeventer and 39th St.: During a recent inspection, MODOT found a crack in the sidewalk on the Chouteau Bridge and has closed the sidewalk while they investigate if the bridge is safe. MODOT plans to close one eastbound lane of Chouteau between Vandeventer and 39th and separate it from traffic with a concrete barrier. This lane will be a shared bike and pedestrian path until the sidewalk is repaired. Until the concrete barriers are in place, please use extreme caution when crossing the Chouteau Bridge or select an alternate route. Trailnet will post updates as we become aware of them. (Trailnet Facebook post on November 1, 2011)

With the barriers it’s possible to cross the bridge, although meeting someone in the middle would be a problem.

I’ve not seen anything since the recent testing to indicate a solution. MoDOT hasn’t responded to my inquiry. Did Missouri get a warranty on this bridge?

– Steve Patterson

Missouri Transportation Meetings Not Accessible Via Transit

Missouri wants your input into our future transportation needs:

Missouri House Speaker Steve Tilley recently formed a Blue Ribbon Citizens Committe on Missouri’s Transportation needs which will be holding public meetings across the state in the next several weeks. The committee is being chaired by Rod Jetton and Bill McKenna, and they will be looking at total transportation needs in the state. (Source: CMT-STL)

The first such meeting is at 1pm today at 14301 South Outer 40 Road, Chesterfield, MO 63017. I’d like to attend but guess what, I can’t physically get there — at least not safely. I can get close after an hour or so ride on MetroBus but getting from the bus stop into the building safely looks impossible. The following is from a MoDOT Customer Relations Manager:

“One of the presenters at this meeting also uses a wheelchair and I know he will address the importance of access as the committee considers the transportation needs of Missourians. The area that you’re referencing is not a state road but I am familiar with it. I believe the bus stops at a paved shoulder then there’s a sidewalk and crosswalk across the street from the meeting site.”

Most likely the presenter will drive, or be driven, to the meeting. A shoulder? They expect me to get off the bus onto the shoulder of Woods Mill Rd? The few sidewalks that exist don’t have  curb cuts and their scarcity means I’d be a sitting target on the roads or in parking lots. I don’t expect the Blue Ribbon Panel to understand since most represent businesses/industries that profit from keeping Missouri locked into the auto culture:

Committee members include:

• Mr. Ben Jones, Union Pacific Railroad
• Mr. Blake Hurst, Missouri Farm Bureau
• Mr. Estil Fretwell, Missouri Farm Bureau
• Mr. Brian Meisel, Lake of the Ozarks Economic Development Council
• Mr. Duane Michie, First State Bank and Trust
• Mr. Joe DeLong, DeLong’s Inc.
• Mr. Len Toenjes, AGC of St. Louis
• Mr. Neal St. ONge, Coldwell BAnker
• Mr. Rick Neubert, Delta Concrete Inc.
• MR. Tom Crawford, Missouri Trucking Association
• Mr. Tony Thompson, Kwame Construction
• Mr. Dan Mehan, Missouri Chamber of Commerce
• Mr. Ed DeSoignie, The Heavy Constructors Association of Greater Kansas City
• Mr. Jim Anderson, Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce
• Mr. John Nations, Metro
• Mr. MArk Stidham, Dexter City Adminstrator
• Mr. Randy Verkamp, Phelps County Presiding Commissioner
• Mr. Scott Smith, HNTB Corporation
• Mr. Tom Dunne, Fred Weber, Inc.

The list is from CMT.

The other meetings are:

• May 21 – MoDOT Northwest District Office, St. Joseph, MO
• June 1 – Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, Springfield, MO
• June 29 – Show-Me Center, Cape Girardeau, MO
• July 9 – ARC City Activity Center, Columbia, MO
• July 23 – MoDOT Northeast District Office, Hannibal, MO
• August 6 – Gamber Center, Lee’s Summit, MO

I doubt I could get to any of these safely.

– Steve Patterson

Grand Ave MetroLink Station Taking Shape

The new Grand Ave Viaduct is moving along, it’ll open later this  year to vehicles first and then to MetroBus and MetroLink.

Originally I saw the graphics  pointing toward the platform and incorrectly assumed pedestrians would be able to cross Scott Ave and the westbound track at the center point under the new bridge, but the access point is the sidewalk to the west which I don’t think will offer much protection from rain.

Two tracks are located between the platform and Scott Ave — the westbound MetroLink and an additional track I thought was going to be removed. It’s unclear how pedestrians will get from the grade-level crossing up to platform height.

Before those transferring to/from the #70 (Grand) MetroBus & MetroLink had a flight of stairs or elevator ride. Now they’ll have to cross a plaza, Scott Ave and one or two tracks.  We shall see when it opens if this is an improvement or a fail.

– Steve Patterson

New Low-Floor Buses Make Boarding Easy

More of Metro’s new low-floor buses from California transit bus manufacturer GILLIG are on the routes I ride regularly. Eighteen months ago I was lucky to see one and now about half my bus trips are on a new bus. The old buses are worn out, used long after the expected lifespan. Any new bus would be an improvement over the old but the lower floor makes boarding and unboarding easier and faster for everyone — especially those of us using power chairs.

The old high-floor buses had a mechanical lift to bring us up to the right height. One winter I spent 45 minutes stuck on a lift when it malfunctioned, not fun.  The low-floor bus has a piece of the floor that hinges out to provide a ramp. The operation is faster than the old lifts and it can be operated manually in case of a mechanical failure. The lack of steps is great for others not using mobility devices.

Not all are pleased though, Metro says these seat 39 compared to 43 on the older “Phantom” bus. Metro hasn’t provided me with seating diagrams I requested a couple of weeks ago so I cannot verify their numbers.

I’ll just keep enjoying these new buses and hope service improves on many routes to address overcrowding.

– Steve Patterson

Happy First Birthday Downtown Bicycle Station

One year ago today the Downtown Bicycle Station opened on Locust between 10th and 11th.

The Downtown Bicycle Station describes itself as:

The Downtown Bicycle Station is located at 1011 Locust Street between 10th and 11th streets, in Downtown St. Louis. Housed in a LEED certified building, it will feature storage options for more than 120 bikes, as well as provide cyclists with the opportunity to use showers, lockers and other bike commuter amenities. The Downtown Bicycle Station will occupy approximately 1400 square feet. The Downtown Bicycle Station has been designed to encourage the use of alternate modes of transportation by reducing some of the traditional impediments to bike commuting. Downtown St. Louis will now offer a full service bike facility easily accessible to the City’s central business district and Metrolink stations.

The Downtown Bicycle Station is an initiative of the City of St. Louis, Missouri, done in collaboration with key partners and supporters. The project is funded in part by funds allocated by the US Department of Energy through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. With these funds, the Downtown St. Louis Community Improvement District (CID) has the initial contract to manage the Downtown Bicycle Station; the CID has contracted with Trailnet for marketing and membership and Urban Shark for facilities and operations services. The project would not have been possible without several additional generous contributions.

Earlier in the week I requested information on usage but I received no reply. I have no idea how well it’s doing.

– Steve Patterson