ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – Several major arterials through the city will undergo major resurfacing projects as part of a $40 million ARPA-funded project.
Those projects, which include improvements along Kingshighway, Grand, Jefferson and other major streets, will include pavement upgrades, but also enhanced pedestrian amenities such as new crosswalks, curb bump outs and raised medians.
Last week the city unveiled its early drafts of a proposal for Jefferson Avenue, outlining improvements that Emily Thenhaus and others in the Cherokee Street Community Improvement District, which sits on the Jefferson corridor, have been urging the city to implement for several years.
Thenhaus said Jefferson Ave’s current state, a four-lane street with fast moving traffic and out of date pedestrian crossings, has long been a barrier for cultivating foot traffic within the Cherokee Business District.
“We’re really trying to promote a continuous Cherokee street where people can come and antique shop and stop to eat,” Thenhaus said. “But many people get to Jefferson and stop because it’s intimidating to cross. Cherokee is one of the fastest growing business districts in the city but Jefferson is holding it back from continuing to grow.”
Following the city’s engagement session last week, Matt Wyczalkowski with the St. Louis Coalition to Protect Cyclists and Pedestrians has organized a pedestrian walk from Sump Coffee this Saturday at 10am to get an idea of experiencing the corridor on foot.
“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a difference,” he said. “This is an important conversation to have in the context of what’s going to be happening in the context of the Green Line and some of the other projects the city is putting in.”
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