Gravel on Sidewalk Next to MetroBus Stop
For a couple of years I’ve come across a problem that I hadn’t addressed, until now.
The few times I’ve been through here I’ve gotten through without getting struck, it seems the sidewalk underneath the gravel is just fine. Still it’s annoying to me and I’m sure it is to any pedestrian trying to catch the bus, or visit the Downtown Children’s Center in the background.
I checked Google’s street view where this doesn’t appear but the lot has bare dirt. My guess is the gravel was placed on the dirt to prevent erosion. Well, the dirt isn’t washing away…
I’m going to send this to the Streets Dept and to Metro, hopefully between the two the gravel will get removed. If an adjacent property owner is at fault, I hope they get billed for the cleanup costs.
— Steve Patterson
The adjacent property owner is responsible: http://www.slpl.lib.mo.us/cco/code/data/t2026.htm . . Achieving compliance is the challenge. If the property is vacant (as are many in the city), the owner needs to be notified, the owner needs to fail to perform, the owner needs to be cited, the owner needs to fail to show up for their court date, then the city can perform the work, bill the owner for the work, probably not get paid for doing the work, put a lien on the property and hope that it is eventually sold, when they will finally be paid for the work! Multiply this by thousands of similar situations across the city and you can see the uphill battle the city is facing. Occupied properties with viable uses, even suburban “crap” with drive-thru’s, are generally better maintained than vacant ones, if for no other reason than pride of ownership and/or a fear of trip-and-fall lawsuits.
If this is 2115 Washington, it is owned by Business Environments Inc. But there is no 2115. There is a 2107, 09, and 20 which would be the building for lease and the empty lots:20060080110 2021 – 2105 WASHINGTON AV ADLER FRAME LOFTS CONDOMINIUMS20080000300 2106 – 2114 WASHINGTON AV CITY OF ST LOUIS20070000200 2107 WASHINGTON AV BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS INC20070000200 2109 WASHINGTON AV BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS INC20080000200 2120 WASHINGTON AV BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT INC20080000150 2124 WASHINGTON AV THE LOCUST BUSINESS DISTRICT20080000050 2128 – 2130 WASHINGTON AV CITY OF ST LOUIS20070000100 2135 WASHINGTON AV CITY OF ST LOUIS
Sure the sidewalk is untidy but in the bigger picture. Really? I’m more concerned with bus stops in the middle of nowhere. Looks like the route needs to be reconfigured though I’m sure at one time someone thought it would be nice to put the stop under the trees The next bus stop on that side of the road is not till the intersection of Jefferson which is that green/blue building allllllllllllllllllllllll the way down the street. Common sense would say put the stop where the people will need it: in front of the Children Center.
Yep, very true.
The City/Metro should endeavor — at the very least — to uniformly place bus stops at the beginning or end of blocks — never mid-block. Makes it more visible and more accessible.
It’s weird, there is no one to take care of it? Forget about that gravel, the road is terrible, it has to be fixed. I am in a similar situation: there are repairs near my home and all the traffic cones are always in the way, it’s so annoying. They can’t finish it for like a year, it pisses me off so bad i wanna yell as Rammstein in this song. Grr