St. Louis Officially Designated a "Bicycle Friendly Community" (St. Charles: 2009, violent crime)

[Skyliner]

I thought some of you would like to know that the city has achieved a bronze level BFC designation by the League of American Bicyclists.

More Information

[DinsdalePirahna]

I guess they never tried to get across the rivers, or into St. Charles County on a bike

[Marksman84]

MO 364 has a nice paved, standalone path over the MO River to the Arena Parkway (Katy Trail is not good for racing, touring or utility bicycles), although it becomes a bit of a tricky route to LSL from that point. Wifey and I run that section from Creve Coeur Park while training for longer runs (i.e. half and full marathons).

I would not cycle over the Chain of Rocks Bridge without my Glock 17.

Here's a cool link for cycling in STL:

STLBiking.com | Cycling information for St. Louis and the Midwest

Bike lanes are somewhat rare here (downtown, Holly Hills, and....I don't understand this one... Telegraph road in South County), but hopefully that will change as younger, active people become more populous.

[BoomBoxing]

As an avid cyclist this is GREAT NEWS!!!! The Bike St. Louis project has done a lot to make cycling safe and easy in the city and parts of the county. Even though most of it isn't dedicated bike lanes, the fact that they have signs, and easy routes to all the great places to see is a big plus. From my house in south city, I have a myriad of options to ride, whether it be Tower Grove, Forest Park, Carondelet, Wilmore Park, Francis Park, Lafayette Park. Having a grid street system is great too as it reduces traffic on main streets and gives me a ton of options to get to a particular destination. I know St. Louis has a long way to go before it is truly a bike friendly city but I feel like I see more and more cyclists out everyday, even now that its fall.

By the way for those who are interested in the cycling scene here in St. Louis here are a few good links:

Trailnet
Bike St. Louis - St. Louis MO - offering FREE information and maps to bike riders in the St. Louis Missouri area.
St. Louis Bike Fed
STLBiking.com | Cycling information for St. Louis and the Midwest
Velocity Cafe and Cyclery, St. Louis MO: Main Page

[DinsdalePirahna]

Originally Posted by BoomBoxing

As an avid cyclist this is GREAT NEWS!!!! The Bike St. Louis project has done a lot to make cycling safe and easy in the city and parts of the county. Even though most of it isn't dedicated bike lanes, the fact that they have signs, and easy routes to all the great places to see is a big plus. From my house in south city, I have a myriad of options to ride, whether it be Tower Grove, Forest Park, Carondelet, Wilmore Park, Francis Park, Lafayette Park. Having a grid street system is great too as it reduces traffic on main streets and gives me a ton of options to get to a particular destination. I know St. Louis has a long way to go before it is truly a bike friendly city but I feel like I see more and more cyclists out everyday, even now that its fall.

By the way for those who are interested in the cycling scene here in St. Louis here are a few good links:

Trailnet
Bike St. Louis - St. Louis MO - offering FREE information and maps to bike riders in the St. Louis Missouri area.
St. Louis Bike Fed
STLBiking.com | Cycling information for St. Louis and the Midwest
Velocity Cafe and Cyclery, St. Louis MO: Main Page

Thanks for the links

[OA 5599]

Originally Posted by Marksman84

I would not cycle over the Chain of Rocks Bridge without my Glock 17.

I've visited the Chain of Rocks bridge twice so far, both times Glock-less and unarmed otherwise. Both times were beautiful Saturdays and the bridge had many cyclists and walkers/joggers crossing it.

Granted, it is not an area I'd prefer to be around after dark, but I've never given visiting the bridge a second thought during the day.

[MoNative34]

Originally Posted by OA 5599

I've visited the Chain of Rocks bridge twice so far, both times Glock-less and unarmed otherwise. Both times were beautiful Saturdays and the bridge had many cyclists and walkers/joggers crossing it.

Granted, it is not an area I'd prefer to be around after dark, but I've never given visiting the bridge a second thought during the day.

I agree. The bridge was unsafe in days past with violent crime (rapes and homicides in 1991) and vandalism. That was all before the reopening. With all the bikes and pedestrians now, I say daytime crime is nill. The bridge is completley closed off during the evenings to keep the vandals and troublemakers out.

I walked the bridge back in '06 and saw numerous bikes, walkers and even some fisherman. I even spotted an eagle.