Last Saturday morning we drove out to The Boulevard to get a gift at Crate & Barrel. When we arrived and left a large SUV was parked blocking the crosswalk.
The owner was sitting in his SUV blocking the crosswalk when we arrived and when we left
A person was inside, but I didn’t confront him other than giving him a dirty look as I slowly walked around with my cane.
This person was either:
Waiting to pick up someone who was shopping, or
Security
I emailed the property manager at Pace Properties, asking if this person was security. I’ve not heard back.
Flood waters are receding, but what an event — just 22+ years after the 1993 flood. After that flood, we built levees higher. Was that wise? From late last month:
The rising Mississippi River and its tributaries are threatening to overtop 19 federal levees in the St. Louis area. (Fox 2)
One levee that wasn’t in danger was one that famously failed in 1993 — the Monarch levee. The “gumbo flats” area, now called the Chesterfield Valley, was flooded.
THF’s Chesterfield Commons, with over 2 million square feet, is among many developments built in the floodplain since the 1993 flood
Two outlet malls, a couple of car dealerships, and much more now exist only because of the 500 year levee. How bad is flooding elsewhere because the water can’t spread out here? As we continue developing more land we decrease absorption and increase runoff. Add to that more & higher levees and the situation doesn’t look good.
I have plenty of doubt the levee will prevent a flood in my lifetime, I think I’ll live to see all this development under water.
It’s amazing, when you think about it, that 12 cities in St. Louis County are seeking to stop the ordinance. If they win, lower standards win out, too. If you live in Webster Groves or Clayton or Florissant or Hazelwood, or Kirkwood or Edmundson, your city is spending your tax money defending their right to have sub-standard police departments.
Why would they do this?
It goes back to the passage of Senate Bill 5 (also being challenged in court by multiple municipalities), which reduced the amount of traffic revenue cities could depend upon to fund their coffers. If you haven’t been hibernating since Aug. 9, 2014, you recognize this has been the strongest, and most unified across the political spectrum, response to the protests and unrest in Ferguson after the death of Michael Brown.
Messenger is right, these municipalities don’t want change from the status quo. They know change could lead to them no longer existing. St. Louis County isn’t big enough in land area or population for 90 municipalities and 57 police departments.
More than 70% of those who voted in the unscientific Sunday Poll support the new standards:
Q: St. Louis County has issued new minimum police standards, but some of the 57 police departments object. Do you support or oppose county-wide minimum standards?
Strongly support 12 [44.44%]
Support 5 [18.52%]
Somewhat support 2 [7.41%]
Neither support or oppose 0 [0%]
Somewhat oppose 1 [3.7%]
Oppose 1 [3.7%]
Strongly oppose 2 [7.41%]
Unsure/no answer 4 [14.81%]
Change isn’t going to come easily, quickly, or quietly.
Tony Berding says he’s been hit 3 times by vehicles on Lemay Ferry. Berding is disabled, and lives in a senior apartment complex in the 3600 block Lemay Ferry Road in South St. Louis County. He uses a motorized wheelchair to travel to a nearby Quick Trip and Kmart.
Berding was struck last Thursday while traveling on a narrow shoulder along northbound Lemay Ferry.
That evening a reader messaged me about the story, but I didn’t have time to watch. The next morning I got a message from Berding’s sister, so I watched — horrified watching her brother use the narrow shoulder to get to the store. We messaged via Facebook, then text, and finally on the phone. This is about real people at risk because of how we have chosen to build our physical environment.
Lemay Ferry in South St. Louis County is far more urban than the area I traveled through in St. Clair County, I’ve taken the #73 MetroBus numerous times, most recently the morning of August 25, 2015:
A passenger got on at the SB stop across from DierbergsI took a pic of a vintage convertible in front of the QT mentioned in the Fox2 storyI got off past Lindbergh, I met my husband for lunch at IHOP
What I hadn’t done is roll along the part of Lemay Ferry mention in the Fox2 story. After looking at it on Google Street View I saw just how physically impossible the West side of Lemay Ferry was, the East side isn’t great — but it’s passable. I decided I’d have to drive to photograph. Before doing so I did some research.
Fox2 said St. Louis County indicated they couldn’t afford to buy land for the right-of-way to build a sidewalk on the East side. Two problems here: Lemay Ferry is also known as MO-267 — it’s maintained by MoDOT, not the county. Secondly, the right-of-way is 80 feet wide — more than enough width for four travel lanes, a center turn lane, and sidewalks on each side! More on this later, let’s take a look at the problem.
Not far into the County there are good sidewalks, but no pads for accessing the bus or routes to buildings set back behind parking.There are spots on both sides where there is no pretense of a sidewalk, such as this cemetery stopEven spots where sidewalks exist they don’t always connect to buds stops/ The curb here makes this inaccessible.Here’s a spot where a wheelchair user has no choice but to use the shoulder. What about an able-bodied parent walking with a small child or pushing a stroller?Just before Reevis Barracks the sidewalk & bus stop are excellentI was delighted to see a good connection to the adjacent bank!But pulling back out to Lemay Ferry I noticed the curb to the NorthMany spots where you see a sidewalk on the West side they’re located on private property, don’t connect to adjacent property — the drive where the car is exiting has a curb.Looking South we have the same situation. A private sidewalk not usable by those who need it. Decoration adding to water runoff issues.We stopped to fill up the tank at the QT mentioned in the Fox2 story. For many convenience stores are their primary grocery store.Looking back North you can see what appears to be a sidewalk — but it isn’t accessible. It is, however, located in the PROW.How does a pedestrian get to the QT from the sidewalk? Up these steps from the side street!From the next property to the South we see how the shoulder is the only option for anyone in a wheelchair.A little further South we see a bus stop sign on a curbed island — located in the PROW.Looking South toward the apartments where Tony Berding has lived since 2001From the entrance drive looking back North. The QT is less than a 10th of a mile. Click image for mapThe Kmart is to the SouthPretty much the same thing heading South to Kmart. Curb after curb…At the Kmart parking lot you see the only way in is the auto driveway
So why not just move? When you’re disabled and low-income housing options are very limited. It has been 25 years since the Americans with Disabilities Act became law — St. Louis County & the Missouri Dept of Transportation need to prioritize this.
Below are two examples of dividing the existing 80′ right-of-way so still have four drives lanes & a center turn lane.
Two scenarios for the 80′ right-of-way. The top version has the overly wide lanes currently in use and the lower has better 10′ wide lanes. The ROW is wide enough! Click image to view larger version.
My guess is decades ago Lemay Ferry was a 2-lane road that got widened after people & businesses began moving to south county from south city. It went from a rural 2-lane to a 4-lane with center turn without any consideration for pedestrians. The 80′ right-of-way might have been in anticipation on more lanes of traffic — the land was subdivided before I-55 was even a dream.But MO-267, aka Lemay Ferry, is used by pedestrians. People use transit. Not all residents own cars.
It hasn’t kept up, but it needs to change. Before someone gets killed!
Usually I randomize the poll but someone suggested on polls with a logical order that they be presented as such, so this week everyone will see the answers in the same order. As always, the poll closes at 8pm tonight.
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