Our legal and electoral systems are complex—even the most informed among us may not know all the details. In response to readers’ election questions, The St. Louis American is launching the “Unlock the Ballot” initiative to demystify down-ballot propositions and races for judges and school board seats. Now more than ever, St. Louisans need to be informed about lesser-known candidates and issues that may not make headlines but deeply affect our lives and communities.
Ricky Hughes enjoys the serenade of insects and birds as the wind whips past him during his early morning runs. His favorite trails, Truman Park in Hazelwood and Grants Trail, which runs through Kirkwood and River Des Peres, are part of the 135 miles of trails Great Rivers Greenway has developed since 2000. This year marks the organization’s 25th anniversary.
Great Rivers Greenway (GRG) started when voters in St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles created a sales tax dedicated to parks and greenways. Its mission is to foster a “more vibrant place to live, work and play by developing a regional network of greenways.”
“This anniversary is a reminder of how much we can accomplish when we work together across our region and listen to our community,” said Mark Perkins, CEO at Great Rivers Greenway. “The greenways we’ve built are only the beginning. We’re excited for what the next 25 years will bring.”
Great Rivers Greenway (GRG) started when voters in St. Louis, St. Louis County and St. Charles created a sales tax dedicated to parks and greenways. Its mission is to foster a “more vibrant place to live, work and play by developing a regional network of greenways.”
Greenways are outdoor spaces that connect people and places. They usually contain a trail, elements of conservation, amenities such as a restroom, water fountain, bike racks, play equipment and connections to neighborhoods, transit, businesses, schools and more. They are located throughout the city, county and St. Charles. Greenways offer residents opportunities to exercise, socialize and experience the region on foot or by bike.
“My family and I often go on trail walks on greenway paths,” said Hughes, who is associated with the Run, Walk, Meditation series in partnership with GRG. “We love them. It’s the perfect rest from digital life and an amazing connection to nature.”
Many others use the spaces to decompress. April Walker, an outreach specialist with GRG, enjoys taking her grandchildren to the one located near Forest Park.
“They love the playground next to the History Museum, and they love picnics in the park,” Walker said. “We also use the Ruth Porter Mall Greenway because of the StoryBook Walk. Every month they feature authors of color with illustrations of people of color. We love those.”
Another of her favorites is the St. Vincent Greenway due to the Trojan Park in Wellston, which offers a play area to her grandchildren. “They love playing the musical instruments and playing on the playground,” she said. “When the grandkids are not here, I use the parks to sit on a bench or put my chair under a tree and read. I love being outside. It feeds my soul to sit under a tree and listen to the birds sing.”
In addition to creating walkable paths and refreshing outdoor spaces, GRG has other projects in the works, some that include making St. Louis safer.
Construction to make North Grand Boulevard narrower and create more walking space on both sides of the street has begun. The width of the boulevard contributes to hazardous activity and, according to the transportation advocacy group Trailnet, makes it one of the deadliest corridors in St. Louis, especially for pedestrians.
“It’s bigger than it needs to be; it’s dangerous,” said Emma Klues, vice president of communications at GRG. “People are driving too fast; they’re weaving in and out of traffic. So, we are going to reimagine that street in partnership with the City of St. Louis so that the street will be smaller and make more room for a full greenway.”
Construction will take place over about two years from Spring Street and Page Avenue to Natural Bridge Road near Fairground Park, thanks in part to a generous grant from the United States Department of Transportation.
Another project underway is the construction on the Brickline Greenway on Market Street from 22nd Street to Compton Avenue, connecting Energizer Park to Harris-Stowe State University at Compton Avenue and destinations in between.
Audrey Ellerman, a GRG committee member, is happy about the project because there hasn’t been a greenway in her neighborhood. She looks forward to taking advantage of the space.
“I am so excited about the future Brickline Greenway because it will be within walking distance of my home,” she said. “I am genuinely excited to see the beautification the greenway will bring to my neighborhood. The area has been disinvested for years. This marks the beginning of growth and much-needed upgrades.”
GRG works with local landscape architects, planners, engineers and designers to deliver solutions to meet the needs of the region.
In recognition of the work GRG has done over the past 25 years, the organization has hosted several community events over the summer. The last one is a community dinner, “The Gather Round,” that will be held in front of the Missouri History Museum on Monday, Sept. 15 from 4:30 p.m. – 7 p.m.
To find out more about “The Gather Round,” go to www.greatriversgreenway.org/events/the-great-gather-round/