East-West Gateway’s June 2023 Map of the Month depicts bike facilities available for public use in the East-West Gateway region. In total, there are at least 1,086 miles of bike facilities. Facilities include off-road shared-use paths or trails that allow multiple recreational uses such as biking, walking, and inline skating, as well as on-road facilities, which includes bike lanes, buffered bike lanes, shared-lane markings, designated paved shoulders, and roads with “Share the Road” signs. The mileage of bicycle facilities is an estimation as some facilities may have been constructed without being recorded while others may have deteriorated but are still reported as usable.
A standout among these facilities is the Katy Trail, the longest-developed rail-to-trail conversion in the United States. The trail extends a total of 240 miles and stretches across Missouri from Clinton in Henry County to Machens in St. Charles County. More information on this and other rail-to-trail projects can be found at the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy website: www.railstotrails.org.
The majority of bike facility mileage, approximately 91.36% is found within four counties in the East-West Gateway region: St. Louis County (323.5), St. Charles County (236.2), Madison County (222.8), and St. Louis City (209.7). The remaining mileage is distributed among St. Clair County (76.2), Monroe County (9.3), Franklin County (6.81), and Jefferson County (1.4).