Those interested in shaping Jefferson County’s future walking and biking projects have until the end of August to add their input.
Jefferson County Public Works Director Jason Jonas said the department has been seeking public feedback about the Walk Bike Master Plan since April and already has received some “clear guidance” as to what sort of projects the public would like to see.
Jonas said people may still provide their thoughts about the plan by filling out an online questionnaire at walk-bike-jefferson-county-jeffsncntybkwlk.hub.arcgis.com.
People also may share their opinions at the Walk Bike Team’s public engagement event to be held during Pevely Days on Thursday, Aug. 15, at Pevely Park, 60 Main St., where county officials will be available to discuss the master plan.
“We really want to give the public the most amount of time to solicit their input,” Jonas said.
In the works
As the public weighs in on possible walking and biking improvements in the county, Jonas said the Walk Bike Team is crafting its master plan, which will be unveiled to the public at an Oct. 24 open house. The location is still to be determined.
Jonas said the Public Works Department has enlisted the help of firms Crawford, Murphy & Tilly Inc. and SWT Design to develop the master plan.
The county will pay an estimated $250,000 for the firms to design the master plan, and then the plan will be submitted to the Jefferson County Council by February 2025 for approval, according to a written statement from the Jefferson County Public Works Department.
He said in mid-July that the Walk Bike Team led five focus groups that shared what walking and biking-related improvements they’d like to see. The groups included senior citizens and people with disabilities, young people, those associated with tourism, civic leaders and people in the cycling community.
The wants and needs of the five groups tended to overlap, Jonas said, with many in the groups calling for expanded walking and biking access to the Mississippi River Trail along Hwy. 61-67 from Arnold to Festus; an east-to-west corridor across the county; and a north-to-south corridor on the west side of the county, most likely along Gravois Road from High Ridge to House Springs.
The Walk Bike Team met with avid cyclists from the Festus area about what routes they take, and how to make those safer for cyclists, motorists and pedestrians, Jonas said.
“A lot of the roads (the cyclists traverse on) are low volume,” he said. “So, we wouldn’t necessarily put in sidewalks, but we could add more wayfinding signage to make those safer.”
Jonas said the focus group with young people, many of whom currently attend Jefferson College, would like to see more transportation options, other than driving a car or other vehicle.
“We’re not behind the curve, but we’re not ahead of it (in expanding transportation options),” Jonas said. “We need to develop this and start showing a positive approach toward alternative transportation. Younger generations want this. If we want them to stay in our communities, this is what we have to do to support them.”
Expanding Jefferson County’s walkable areas is also a priority for the Walk Bike Team, based on public feedback, Jonas said.
While there are many recreational areas, including city and county-maintained parks, you often have to drive to access them, he said.
“Some of the most successful communities across the country are ones that have developed this and have a good network of how people can get around for recreation or necessity by other means besides cars,” he said. “Those are the successful communities, the ones that are growing. I’m an avid walker. I love living close to Mastodon State Park, but not everybody has that. If they don’t have it, then it would be nice if they were within a mile of some sort of walking facility that is for public use.”
Next steps
If the County Council approves the Walk Bike Team’s master plan early next year, Jonas said his department will begin applying for grants.
While some projects on the master plan may take 10-15 years to come to fruition, the department can get to work on others right away, he said.
Jonas said developing Jefferson County’s walking and biking trails and increasing safety for pedestrians and cyclists will help to increase growth in the county.
“That adage, if you build it, they will come, is 100 percent true,” he said. “Every time we put shoulders on a county road, people start walking and biking there. This happens instantly, so I think it’s one of those things that people want, and I think they want to live in communities that have it. If we don’t see that vision for our future, we’ll lose out on that growth.”