Who Owns Our Streets? More Than Inertia Keeps Streets Closed, Non-Spec Barricades in Place

I don't like the barricaded streets in my neighborhood. They were one of the big negatives we considered before ultimately buying a home in Forest Park Southeast. The St. Louis Fire Chief doesn't like them. Closing St. Louis residential streets has a long history. The most comprehensive look at the issue was recently published here: Streets Not Through: An Analysis of the Blockages and Barricades to the St. Louis Street Network.

In my own inquiries and efforts to get the barricades removed, I have been told that a majority of residents must sign a petition and a request to remove the "temporary" barricades and restore our street grid must be accompanied by a neighborhood-wide traffic plan. Why?