Residents Oppose St. Louis County’s Proposed Ban on Walking in Roadways

A proposed bill banning people from county roadways in the St. Louis County Council is facing stiff opposition from a diverse group of stakeholders, reports Kelsey Landis in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “The measure proposed by Councilman Ernie Trakas, a Republican from unincorporated South County, bars standing, sitting, walking or otherwise moving along roadways in St. Louis County.” 

As Landis explains, “Joggers, walkers, people with disabilities and community groups have all complained that it would unfairly target them,” as many people are sometimes forced to use the street when sidewalks are not available or accessible. “The pro-pedestrian group Safer Streets for Kirkwood and St. Louis County sent a letter to council members urging them to vote down the bill. And Trailnet, a St. Louis-based nonprofit that advocates for pedestrians and cyclist safety, also opposed the bill.”

While the bill makes an exception for locations without sidewalks, critics say the bill makes mobility more inconvenient and unfairly penalizes people while the county fails to adequately maintain its pedestrian infrastructure.