Dear Mayor Jones,
We are incredibly heartened to see your letter in the Riverfront Times on Wednesday, October
5th, and to hear from your staff at the public meeting held on Monday, October 3rd. What we
heard was a clear acknowledgement that our current system is not working and is risking the
lives and well-being of residents and visitors to St. Louis. What we heard was an
acknowledgement that we must shift gears as a city. What we heard was a commitment to lead:
by proposing funding, fostering collaboration, and mandating accountability. We are reminded
that this commitment is urgent, particularly by the tragic death of a woman on Gravois at Spring
on Sunday evening, and the many others injured and killed by traffic violence in St. Louis.
The experience of safely biking, walking, rolling, or scooting is in the details: the angle of the
curb, the shade of the trees, or the separation from automobiles. Similarly, the fulfillment of your
commitments will be in the details. As Chief of Staff Boyd said on Monday, we believe that the
city can run and chew gum at the same time. We can develop a long-term, sustainable plan that
comprehensively addresses our transportation network, while also addressing the urgent and
immediate crisis on our streets, utilizing the relevant and existing plans and studies that have
been conducted over many years, such as the Downtown St. Louis Transportation Study. We
can address infrastructure, while also expanding education and advancing equitable
enforcement. For this effort to be a success, we expect to see full implementation of this plan,
including consistent, long-term funding, evaluation, and maintenance.
We look forward to working with your staff in Streets, the Board of Public Service, Planning and
Urban Design, the Office for the Disabled, and your own team over the months and years
ahead. Please call on us, and all the residents of St. Louis, to inform your next steps.
Thank you,
The Voting Members of the Community Mobility Committee
Aamna Anwer
Denis Beganovic
Matt Bernstine
Stephen Jung
Liz Kramer, chair
Taylor March, vice chair
Wendy McDaniel
Kevin McKinney
Kaleena Menke
Michael Ridenhour
Tiffanie Stanfield
Comments