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Safety Improvements coming to Skinker and Forest Park Parkway

by Richard Bose 2 min
Safety Improvements coming to Skinker and Forest Park Parkway

Last August I wrote about the need for safety improvements at Forest Park Parkway and Skinker, specifically bollards to protect people from drivers unable to keep their vehicles between the curbs. I’m happy to report that something is happening!

NextSTL – Bollards at Skinker and Forest Park Parkway Needed

WashU, no doubt well aware of the carnage at the perimeter of campus, has been working with civil engineering consultant WSP and the city’s Board of Public Service to implement safety improvements at the intersection. Work begins July 19th.

The project plan includes-

• Improvements to ADA accessibility at the corners of the intersection

• Adjustments in signal operations to reduce conflicts and allow more time for pedestrians to cross

• New pedestrian ADA compliant cross walk buttons and audio signals

• Modifications to make crosswalks highly visible

• Separate crosswalks for bicycles and pedestrians similar to the approach implemented at the Skinker and Lindell and Skinker and Forsyth intersections.

• Installation of stainless steel bollards at the corners to enhance awareness for drivers and pedestrians.

I would like more bollards. There are still places a vehicle can fit through. Check out what Centene did at Hanley and Forsyth to see a high density of bollards.

This was shown at a community meeting a few months ago. The design changed somewhat since then.

And that’s not all. Safety improvements are coming to 10 intersections around the city using $3.5M of federal pandemic aid (ARPA) passed by the Board of Aldermen (BB120) and singed by Mayor Jones in March. They are:

• Broadway & Washington Avenue

• Grand Boulevard and Forest Park Avenue

• Gravois Avenue and Russell Boulevard

• Grand Boulevard, Martin Luther King Drive, and Evans Avenue;

• Broadway and Walnut Street

• Kingshighway and Lindell Boulevard

• North Florissant Avenue and Palm Street

• Kingshighway and Delmar Boulevard

• South Grand Boulevard and Gravois

• Lindell Boulevard and Whittier Street

StL Today – St. Louis to beef up safety at 10 dangerous intersections

StL Today – St. Louis mayor OKs more than $40 million to reshape streets, slow down speeders

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