Many Transportation Modes Available

Personal mobility is important in society, but I can’t imagine limiting myself to just one mode.  Within the last year I’ve used every mode visible in the following image:

I count four modes above:

1. Amtrak passenger rail? Yes.
2. Greyhound bus?  Yes.
3. Public transit via light rail? Yes.
4. Private auto on highways? Yes.

Each has it’s place, I generally use public transit or, lately, ride with my boyfriend in his car. In a couple of weeks we’re renting and car for a weekend trip. I’m itching to take Amtrak again soon, perhaps to Kansas City? Maybe mono-mode (car) is perfect for you, I couldn’t possibly know. For me though, I did the car-only thing for many years without any consideration of other choices. The car culture had a grip on me, I was afraid to let it go.

Now it’s habit to think about the various modes available when planning every trip, whether to Target or out of town. How much thought do you give to your mode of travel?

— Steve Patterson

New Brewery Improves Alley-Like Lucas Ave

The two streets on either side of Washington Ave are basically named alleys: St. Charles St (south) and Lucas Ave (north). These may have had active businesses fronting onto them decades ago, but not so much anymore.

Alpha Brewing Co. on Lucas Ave between 14th-15th is making the back of a Washington Ave building lively.

Kudos to Alpha Brewing Co for a well-designed space that makes a positive contribution to an otherwise dreary road. If you visit just ignore the trash dumpsters behind adjacent buildings.

— Steve Patterson

Readers Lean Toward Expanding Proposed Modern Streetcar Line With Connections To MetroLink Light Rail

The poll last week had two related questions, basically how you’d expand the proposed streetcar through north & south city, respectively.

North:

Poll #1/2: From the options below, select how you’d extend the proposed streetcar line further into north city from N. Florissant & St. Louis Ave:

1. N. Florissant>Natural Bridge>UMSL South MetroLink Station 14 [26.42%]
2. None, I’d prefer light rail over modern streetcar 8 [15.09%]
3. None of the above, don’t extend at all 7 [13.21%]
4. Better to expand north from Lindell @ Taylor 7 [13.21%]
5. Cass>MLK/St. Charles Rock Rd>St. Charles Rock Rd MetroLink Station 4 [7.55%]
6. Unsure/No Answer 4 [7.55%]
7. None, I’d take a route not listed 3 [5.66%]
8. Won’t be anything to extend 3 [5.66%]
9. St. Louis Ave>Goodfellow 2 [3.77%]
10. N. Florissant>Goodfellow 1 [1.89%]

The option that was, at least partially, selected for a north extension of our light rail received the highest number of votes, though hardly a consensus. In that plan the light rail turned north at Goodfellow, whereas I proposed continuing west to UMSL. This would be about a 7 mile extension, perhaps built in 1-3 phases. Natural Bridge is excessively wide so the streetcar could run in a median, just as was planned with the light rail.  Nearly the entire route is suitable for densification without displacement. This could bring much needed jobs as well as new housing options.

This alignment would replace the current #4 (Natural Bridge) MetroBus route. Current frequencies range from 27 minutes to one hour, depending upon the time of day.

UMSL is working on a plan to improve Natural Bridge, better connecting to the UMSL South MetroLink light rail station. A modern streetcar could be a great connection, helping deal with that first/last mile to/from light rail.

South:

Poll #2/2: From the options below, select how you’d extend the proposed streetcar line into south city from 14th & Spruce:

1. 14th/Spruce> Chouteau> Jefferson> Chippewa> Lansdowne> Shrewsbury MetroLink Station 15 [28.3%]
2. 14th/Spruce> Lafayette> Tucker> Gravois> Hampton 13 [24.53%]
3. 14th/Spruce> Chouteau> Vandeventer> Southwest> Hampton 7 [13.21%]
4. None, I’d prefer light rail over modern streetcar 5 [9.43%]
5. 14th/Spruce> Chouteau> Broadway > River Des Peres 3 [5.66%]
6. Other: 3 [5.66%]
7. None, I’d take a route not listed 2 [3.77%]
8. Won’t be anything to extend 2 [3.77%]
9. Better to expand south from Forest Park @ Taylor 2 [3.77%]
10. None of these, don’t extend at all 1 [1.89%]
11. Unsure/No Answer 0 [0%]

Three readers provided their owner answers to this question:

1. I’d like to see the route follow Jefferson, but continue south on Broadway
2. 14th/Spruce>Gravois>Jefferson
3. think about the goals of the whole system first

Like The goals for a streetcar go beyond just transit, they include:

• Creating dense corridors.
• Spurring new construction, creating construction & permanent jobs.

Looking at the votes here it looks like readers would prefer the south alignment to get into the heart of the southside rather than stay closet to Broadway/I-55. If we were to build the planned light rail instead it would go down Jefferson to Broadway and terminate in a park- & ride lot at I-55, with further expansion along the I-55 ROW into South County.

The south streetcar alignment that received the most votes would replace the current #11 (Chippewa) MetroBus which does a big “L” by traveling on Jefferson (north-south) and Chippewa (east-west). This would intersect with many existing bus routes, including the very busy #70 (Grand).

Right behind in votes was an alignment that would replace the rest of the #10 (Gravois-Lindell) MetroBus. Part of this bus route would be replaced by the original streetcar route on Olive/Lindell. Going down Gravois would cut through a big section of south city, connecting with east-west & north-south buses.

Thoughts?

— Steve Patterson

Bike Lanes: Do Them Right Or Don’t Bother

Bike lanes, when done right, can greatly assist the users by guiding them and making motorists more aware.  Done wrong, the cyclist often ends up in the wrong position at  an intersection. Most of the time in St. Louis our bike lanes are flawed, especially at intersections.

In the situations above most people on bikes will incorrectly shift to the right so they’ll be to the right of right turning vehicles — not good for the cyclists or motorists. Bikes are vehicles so those continuing straight through the intersection need to be positioned to do that. Above, that means being on the white line separating the through lane from the right turn lane.

In cities where they do more than lip service bike lanes are more helpful.

In the above example from Portland, even the most amateur cyclist will stay in the proper position on the roadway to continue forward. Motorists will be able to get into the right turn lane and turn without conflicting with the cyclist.

Colored bike lanes

Colored bike lanes have been a feature of bicycle infrastructure in the Netherlands (red), Denmark (blue), France (green) and many other countries for many years. In the United Kingdom, both red and green pigments are used to delineate bike lanes and bike boxes. However, in this country their use has been limited to a few experiments in just a handful of locations. The most extensive trial took place in Portland, Ore., where a number of critical intersections had blue bike lanes marked through them and the results were carefully monitored. The results of the study, conducted by the City of Portland Office of Transportation and the UNC Highway Safety Research Center, can be found here.

The Portland photo was taken about a decade after their study. Portland cyclists must still be skilled to be able to make left turns, for example.

— Steve Patterson

Fragmentation: One Tiny Example That Reeks

The St. Louis region ranks second in the nation for fragmentation of government, resulting in negative consequences:

With each decennial Census since 1980, we find that more people are leaving the St. Louis region than moving in. We rank very low among competing metropolitan areas in job growth and in new business starts. We have not attracted the new immigrants that other metros have done in recent decades, and our demographic profile is much less diverse than that of regions that are growing. Economic and racial disparities create chasms within the regional family. Our governmental structure is second in the nation in terms of fragmentation. (East West Gateway)

Not good, right? Often cited is the 90+ municipalities in St. Louis County but last week I discovered a small example of governmental fragmentation within the City of St. Louis.

A parking meter issue related to the Central Library was voted on by the Parking Commission last week that required me to dig into St. Louis’ history from 156+ years ago to get some answers. Huh?  Yes, I had to go back to two land transactions from 1857 to try to make sense of a modern day issue. I’m still not totally clear about the legality of a recent property boundary adjustment, but first let me set up the background for you.

We need to start with the history of the land bounded by Olive, 14th, St. Charles St., and 13th — today the site of the Central Library and Lucas Park. The old city website about Lucas Park had great information, good thing I saved it before it was removed:

Lucas Garden was the site of a brick house built by Judge Lucas in 1820 facing the present St. Charles Street or King’s Road, as it was called. There is still a flowing spring in the Public Library basement that was the water supply for the Judge’s home.

“Desirous of contributing to the ornament and health of the City of St. Louis and at the same time to establish a permanent monument to the memory of his ancestor (father) the late Honorable John B. C. Lucas, in the shape of a public square bearing his name,” reads the deed signed by James H. and Marie E. Lucas on March 24, 1857, giving the block of land immediately north of the St. Louis Public Library to St. Louisians. The deed states further that, “This conveyance is however made with the express condition, to wit: that said public square shall forever be maintained as a public promenade for the inhabitants of the City of St. Louis.”

On the same day in 1857 that he signed the deed on Lucas Garden, James H. Lucas sold the block where the Public Library now stands to the city for the sum of $95,000.

In 1859, a board of improvement for the park was created and its development started.

Its layout caused Locust Street to be closed at 13th and the park was given an asymmetrical plan with a bandstand near the foot of Lucas Place. Sale of the buildings at the southwest corner of the park was authorized by Ordinance in 1872. From the time of the first appropriation in 1858 to 1877, $41,465 was spent on it.

The entire 6.25 acres was named Missouri Park and provided popular downtown breathing space until the erection of the St. Louis Exposition and Music Hall in 1883. Licensed to a private corporation for a period of 50 years, the ground was restored to use as a park in 1907 and designs for the Italian Renaissance inspired library building were drawn up by the famous architect Cass Gilbert. The library was completed in 1912.

Locust Street was reopened behind the Library from 13th to 14th Streets and the present sunken garden with its fountain was developed. (source)

So the city bought the block where the library stands, but the land for the park to the north was a gift to the city, with conditions. With both parcels part being public land there shouldn’t an issue over boundaries. Shouldn’t, but there is.

“Their property?” The city “provided” land presumably part of the 1857 grant to the city to the public library, which then generously allowed the Treasurer’s office to keep parking meters located on the new moved sidewalk. Could citizens stage a protest on this sidewalk or would the library tell citizens it isn’t public property?

At the July meeting of the Parking Commission they voted to allow the library to “hood” the ten meters on library property up to 50 times per year for special events, including board meetings.

The next day I emailed all involved, informing them the library neglected to mention that two of the ten spaces are designated as disabled parking. Even if the parking meter is hooded, anyone parking in the space needs a legit disabled placard or plates. You can be sure I’ll be watching to see. Even so, I don’t like the idea of a disabled patron driving down to the library only to find every space on this side of the street taken by the library for board members.

A fragmented, reeking mess.

— Steve Patterson