St. Louis, Missouri (First Alert 4) – Several major arteries in the city will undergo extensive road resurfacing as part of a $40 million ARPA-funded project.
These projects, which include improvements along Kingshighway, Grand Street, Jefferson Street and other major streets, include not only better pavements but also improved pedestrian amenities such as new crosswalks, curb cuts and raised medians.
Last week, the city unveiled the first drafts of a proposal for Jefferson Avenue, outlining improvements that Emily Thenhaus and other members of the Cherokee Street Community Improvement District, which lies along the Jefferson corridor, have been pushing the city to implement for several years.
Thenhaus said the current condition of Jefferson Avenue — a four-lane road with fast-moving traffic and outdated crosswalks — has long been an obstacle to pedestrian development in the Cherokee business district.
“We’re really trying to create a continuous Cherokee Street where people can buy antiques and stop for a bite to eat,” Thenhaus said. “But a lot of people come to Jefferson and stop because they’re afraid to cross the street. Cherokee is one of the fastest-growing business districts in the city, but Jefferson is holding it back from growing any further.”
Following the city’s event last week, Matt Wyczalkowski of the St. Louis Coalition to Protect Cyclists and Pedestrians has organized a pedestrian walk from Sump Coffee for this Saturday at 10 a.m. to provide a sense of how to experience the corridor on foot.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a difference,” he said. “This is an important conversation in the context of what’s going to happen with the Green Line and some of the city’s other projects.”
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