Steve Patterson
Recent Posts
Chestnut Street Bike Lane From 20th to 4th
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Those of you who follow this blog on Twitter & Facebook know I post a few pics of the new protected bike lane last week. I’d read about it in an article on the 18th or 19th: The city also announced the addition of its first parking-protected bike lane downtown on Chestnut ...
Readers: New Building Should Replace Condemned Parking Garage
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No surprise, but most who voted in the Sunday Poll favored an occupied building to replace a condemned parking garage downtown: Q: The parking garage at Tucker & Locust, built in 1967, was condemned a few months ago. What should be the long-term outcome? (PICK UP TO 2) Raze for ...
Changes Needed on South Broadway to Prevent More Pedestrian Deaths
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For over a decade I’ve written about pedestrians, including pedestrian deaths. It’s difficult to visit the sites and write about how the area could be designed better, but nothing like the pain experienced by the families & friends who’ve lost a loved one. Most recent was Bapi Gupta: Gupta’s mother, Genie ...
Older Coin Parking Meters Now Accept Credit Cards, Smartphone Required
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Eighty years ago today the very first parking meter was installed, in Oklahoma City of all places. For decades parking meters were entirely mechanical devoices, prone to mechanical failures. But the meter has been changing as new technology allows. The City of St. Louis is in the process of replacing ...
Arch Visitors Walk Where Sidewalk Used To Be, Should Be Again
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Currently there’s only one way in/out of the Arch grounds — via Walnut Street over I-44 (formerly I-70). While the new lid at the center is being completed, everyone is routed via the new bridge over the interstate, on the North side of Walnut Street. However, at some point, St. Louis removed ...
Readers Take Uber’s Side
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I’m still unsure about Uber, Airbnb, and the sharing economy, I’m also not pleased with how local taxicab companies take more fees from their drivers’ fares when credit cards are used. I rarely have more than $5 on me — we use plastic for everything we possibly can — rewards ...
Yellow Curb Isn’t Visible Enough To Keep Motorists From Parking In Bus Stops
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One of my pet peeves is blocked bus stops, people thinking they’re entitled to park in them. To be fair, many drivers who do so may just be oblivious to the fact that buses need to pull up next to the curb so some of us can board/deboard. The response ...
Lack of Curb Ramps in Just Two Spots Ruins Otherwise Accessible Tower Grove Ave
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One of the most frustrating things about using a wheelchair in the public right-of-way (ROW) is how many routes are 99% accessible — the 1% inaccessible part can be a bigger obstacle than you might think. Today’s example shows the lack of thought put into making an entire corridor accessible ...
See Demolition Requests At Demolition Docket
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Face it, building demolition in the City of St. Louis is a fact of life. Much of the city is in “preservation review” where we know city staff will review applications for demolition permits, denials are heard in public before the Preservation Board. But because we value fiefdoms, some wards ...
Readers Overwhelmingly Support Public Vote on Funding a New NFL Stadium
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After controversial funding of our current MLB stadium (Busch III) an ordinance was passed to give voters a say at the ballot box. At the time few probably thought about funding for the next NFL stadium — the Rams weren’t quite 10 years into a 30-year lease. Now they’re at ...
Left Turn on Red Not Allowed In Missouri
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People do it daily in downtown St. Louis — make a left turn on red from one one-way street onto another one-way street. Missouri is actually one of a handful of states that doesn’t allow a left turn on red! From Wikipedia: In the U.S., 38 states and Puerto Rico allow left ...
Significantly Reducing Access Points To Transit Isn’t Fair, Just, or Equitable
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In a guest piece in the St. Louis American 20th Ward Ald. Cara Spencer makes a passionate plea for expanding MetroLink light rail: The St. Louis region needs a high-quality light rail system to connect Florissant/Ferguson and our densely populated South Side to Downtown and the Central Corridor. Now is the ...