ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) -Several new bicycle and pedestrian projects are coming online this spring and summer in the city.
Most recently, a new stretch of the Brickline Greenway officially opened between Harris-Stowe State University and Energizer Park. The final project will link Forest Park with the Gateway Arch by 2030.
South of I-64, a new 1.8-mile bike and pedestrian path has replaced traffic lanes in neighborhoods along the Missouri Botanical Garden and Tower Grove Park, part of a growing network of trails transforming how residents move through the city.
“It’s been a wonderful day to bike around,” said Beth Klauss, a bike commuter who now uses the pathway for her daily ride. “I work a high-stress job at the hospital, so it’s a good way to get warmed up and then on the way home to kind of decompress.”
Klauss said the new connector has improved her route without significantly reducing parking access to the botanical garden, park or farmer’s market.
“I’m glad to see any upgrades to the city, especially for those of us who walk and bike and enjoy the outdoors,” said Angela Byrne, who lives nearby.
Sarah Trende, who works at Running Niche, said the shop has been preparing for the trail since moving to the neighborhood.
“From a personal perspective, it’s cool to see the city improving itself,” Trende said. “From a business perspective, we’ve been excited for a while. We knew this was coming when we first moved in here.”
The shop has already incorporated the trail into its operations.
“For our group runs, it’s made a huge difference,” Trende said. “We used to go out and worry about people rolling an ankle, but we don’t have to anymore.”
Emma Klues works with Great Rivers Greenway, which built the new path as part of its expanding network of trails around the region.
“This was basically just a sidewalk and a wide road, so we’ve really re-imagined Market Street to work for everybody,” Klues said.
The Brickline Greenway runs from Harris Stowe past Energizer Park and Union Station into downtown. The trail will eventually travel to Forest Park, the Arch and the new Tower Grove connector.
“It’s a nice place for people to get out and walk,” said Cheryl Osby, who works nearby.
Osby has watched the trail take shape near Harris Stowe, where it includes tributes to Black history and to residents of the Mill Creek neighborhood who were forced out by urban renewal and interstate construction in the 1950s.
“It’s a great place to connect with history, and we have this nice mural here of the stars of the negro leagues museum,” Klues said.
“The murals are great,” Osby said. “You learn history while walking.”
The advocacy group People for Bikes found that more than a third of Americans rode a bike in 2024.
“We actually moved into the city because we can go places on my bike,” Klauss said. “Normally, I would have driven to meet a friend and used a lot of gas, but now I can hop on my bike and get there in about the same amount of time.”
“It brings more people to the city,” Byrne said.
“This is what people want,” Klues said. “We’ve heard so many people say that this is what they’re looking for when they’re visiting the city or looking for a place to live.”
Alderman Michael Browning’s ward includes parts of the new connector. He sees the trail as a way to boost businesses and neighborhoods.
“When we build around people, we tend to attract people,” Browning said. “This is going to be a big asset for the city. Everywhere you use this kind of infrastructure, whether it’s the beltway in Atlanta or the highline in New York, you’re going to see housing built around the trail, businesses opening. It’s the kind of thing that attracts investment.”
Research on the impacts of bike lanes has examined possible links to increased property values. One study found that in Minneapolis, homes near bike paths went up by around 25 percent, though the same study noted mixed results nationwide, and even slight declines in other cities.
“When we create these kinds of spaces, people want to spend time in them,” Browning said. “Most importantly, it’s a way to connect our city. It’s a way to move around by something other than a car.”
Klauss said she is excited for the new routes opening up, particularly a safer ride to Midtown.
“We love to cheer for St. Louis City, so we’re excited to get on the brickline greenway and ride to the stadium down there,” Klauss said. “It’s also wonderful for people visiting from out of town to see the city’s commitment to building for bikes and pedestrians.”
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