See our comment at the County Council: https://youtu.be/haPnkmHZFJ0

Many students at WashU cross Forest Park Parkway across from the Village in order to get to class. However, instead of being able to directly cross at Trinity Ave, everyone on foot is required to walk an additional 600ft, crossing and waiting for signals at two intersections rather than one. Obviously, most people choose to reduce their crossing distance by jaywalking directly across. 

If the county cared about pedestrian safety over the convenience of drivers, then the clear solution would be to build a crosswalk (potentially with flashing pedestrian lights and/or rumble strips to alert drivers of the crosswalk) across from Trinity Ave so that people who desire to cross can do so safely. Moreover, a crosswalk would save pedestrians minutes of walking while only adding a few seconds of travel time for drivers.

Existing Conditions: 

Our proposed alternative:

However, the St. Louis County Department of Transportation has decided that the solution is not to protect pedestrians crossing directly, but to ensure the convenience of vehicles driving on Forest Park Parkway. The county recently spent an estimated $19,000 to erect fences along Forest Park Parkway to deter jaywalking instead of building a crosswalk. In doing so, this demonstrates that the county prioritizes those driving through the area over the members of the community who live and walk across here every day. 

We call on St. Louis County to remove the fence and build a crosswalk for pedestrians. The needs and safety of our community should not be overwritten by the county's desire to increase vehicle speeds. 

County construction bid for the fence on Forest Park Parkway