St. Louis Bike Lane Puts Cyclists In Dangerous Situation

Broadway is a popular route for cyclists heading South from downtown St. Louis. In the last week I’ve ridden it three times. This last time I stopped to get photos of a dangerous situation that needs to be corrected immediately.

Before I do into the details let me state that bike lanes are controversial in the bike world. Some argue that bike lanes give riders a false sense of security and adds to a view that bikes don’t belong on the road. Others argue that lanes are effective at enticing people to bike on the road. I think both perspectives are true.

OK, on to the specifics of this situation. Broadway, after passing Park Ave, becomes very wide and fast. Just before reaching the point pictured at right the cyclist needs to be taking the right of the two lanes. This requires skill and speed.

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Mayor’s Office Shares Details About the CBD Traffic/Access Study

The Mayor’s campaign site just released the following:

I reviewed websites for Downtown Now, and Downtown Partnership,and found no reference to the study or how the public (aka stakeholders) can give any input. Maybe the survey was designed as a don’t call us, we’ll call you type? Or they just haven’t updated their sites yet.

I looked at the site for consultants Crawford, Bunte, & Brammeier
and found a reference to an on-going project:

It is not fully clear to me if the study relates to a phase of this signal modification project or if it is an entirely new project. Anyone know? I’d be curious to see what timing changes have been made.

– Steve

Bike Rack Added Along South Grand

Back in May I did a post on the recent improvements along South Grand. I had this to say about Grand at Asenal:

As you can see in the picture on the right a bike rack, a 3-bike wave rack, has recently been added to the area where it was certainly needed. While I prefer the inverted-U rack this wave rack will do fine. Cyclists riding along Grand will easily be able to go from the bike lane to the parking area. When full cyclists will easily be able to get to their bikes and at no point will pedestrians on the sidewalk be blocked.

Out of curiosity I lifted the escution plate at the sidewalk to confirm they used what is called a flange mount rack. This type of rack is designed for adding a rack to an existing sidewalk. When you add a new rack in new concrete it is recommended to use a below grade type that is set into the concrete. These typically only go about a foot below grade so it doesn’t require major digging.

Again, I’m glad to see the addition of this rack. Other than the minor issue of the mounting type (which won’t affect its use unless someone unbolts it) I think they’ve done a great job. So next time you are heading that way considering taking your bike.

– Steve

Update on New St. Louis Target Store

I happened to be near the new Target store at Hampton & Chippewa yesterday. Still under construction, the store is beginning to take shape. I drove around it a couple of times to try to take it in.

Before I go into my criticisms of the design let me say that yes, I agree that it is a far cry better than the old store it replaces. Of course, I certainly expect any new store built from the ground up to be better than the one they just tore down. The use of brick on the front looks great — nice detailing and colors.

In April I did a post on the new target store. I still think it is set too far back from Hampton Avenue but I’m glad it is closer. The new store is further away from Bancroft on the South and I think this is actually a good thing as it relates to the houses to the West.

The first problem I’ve noticed is the new sidewalk, just poured, along Clifton Avenue along the back (West) side of the building. It was raining so I didn’t get any photos but let me paint you a picture. The street is concrete and lacks a proper curb, it is one of those that just rolls up a bit. The new sidewalk is very narrow, can’t be much more than 3 feet wide. It is directly up to this non-curb. Along the very long back of the building are several telephone poles which sprout up right in the middle of this new sidewalk. This new sidewalk should have been separated from the street by a couple of feet and some street streets or other plantings. This would have made this much more hospitable to nearby residents using it to walk around to the front of the store.

Most likely the old sidewalk, if one existed, was in this same place and they simply replaced it without any thought. Clearly, our city has no standards regarding sidewalk width and relationship to the street.

– Steve

Tour de France: A Study in Urbanity

The Tour de France is thrilling to watch. Stunning bikes, top athletes, and photo finishes. Lance Armstrong, the only man to win the tour six times, is a huge draw. With this years tour his last many are watching to see if he will make it seven.

But I have a theory about why so many American’s enjoy watching the TDF — the scenery. The French countryside, towns and villages are so beautiful to see. And so different than America. Watch as the race goes from the country to the towns. Where are the tract houses? Where is the Wal-Mart sucking life away from the town center? Where is the mall? They don’t exist. Instead you go from the fields to town. The line is quite clear.

The view from the helicopters gives you a great overview of the towns and their relationships to the countryside. From the motorcycles filming the riders you can a feeling of the streets and the importance buildings are upon creating an enclosure to the street. America’s small towns and villages certainly don’t have the age or buildings of France but at one time they had their own charm.

American towns were compact, walkable and had a clear separation with the surrounding farm fields. Not so today where even our smallest rural towns suffer from sprawl. Suburban style subdivisions and strip centers are more offensive next to a rural town than they are in a big metropolis.

I love the countryside and charming towns and villages. Sadly so few are left outside of Amish areas. For now that leaves the TDF on OLN.

– Steve