Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning
East-West Gateway Council of Governments (EWG) is committed to improving the conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians across the St. Louis region. EWG’s bicycle and pedestrian program is a way to address some of the issues associated with incorporating bicycle and pedestrian considerations into the transportation planning process. Through this program, EWG works with communities throughout the region to plan for efficient and effective bicycle and pedestrian projects and programs.
Bicycle Planning Guide
In June 2018, EWG released the Bicycle Planning Guide. The guide was developed to assist Local Public Agencies as they develop projects for Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) funding consideration. It provides an overview of planning for bicycle facilities, a compilation of current best practices, and additional resources for design and implementation.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Crash Analysis
In July of 2018, EWG released two documents titled 2018 Bicycle Crash Analysis and 2018 Pedestrian Crash Analysis. The documents analyze all reported crashes in the EWG region that include a bicycle or a pedestrian. They include maps of the region, charts, graphs, strategies to prevent these crashes, possible funding sources and outside resources for Local Public Agencies.
2017 Bicycling and Walking Survey
Understanding bicycling and walking activity, preferences, and trends is critical to planning for and implementing improvements to our regional transportation system. In order to generate the user data needed to inform regional decision-making and bicycle and pedestrian planning efforts, East-West Gateway initiated the 2017 Bicycling and Walking Survey. A total of 883 surveys were completed, with the survey results offering insight on respondents’ level of comfort on specific facilities, what prevents people from bicycling and walking more, and public opinion about improvements to bicycling and walking facilities.
St. Louis Regional Bicycling and Walking Transportation Plan
The growing popularity of bicycling in the St. Louis region prompted EWG to update the Regional Bicycling and Walking Transportation Plan. The Plan places emphasis on defining the nature of bicycling and walking environments and serves as a “how-to and when-to” resource document for communities developing facilities. The final Plan was completed in July 2005 and adopted by the EWG Board of Directors.Gateway Bike Plan
The Gateway Bike Plan (GBP) was completed in 2012 with the goal of making bicycling safe and comfortable for residents of all ages and abilities by identifying a regional network of low-stress bikeways and correlated strategies for education, encouragement, and enforcement. Great Rivers Greenway (GRG) led a collaborative effort between the Council, the city of St. Louis, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Bi-State Development, Trailnet, MoDOT, and a number of local governments to develop the plan. The Gateway Bike Plan – Working Group (GBP-WG) was established by EWG and GRG in 2013 as a sub-committee to the BPAC, to advise the BPAC on the implementation and assessment of the GBP and related topics. In 2021, with the support of the GBP-WG and partner agencies, GRG completed an update to the GBP. St. Louis County was nearing completion of a county-wide Action Plan for Walking and Biking at this time, which filled in gaps in the network by addressing many of the roadways that were slated for further analysis in the original GBP. Their comprehensive analysis of pedestrian level of stress (PLOS) and bicycle level of traffic stress (BLTS) on county-owned roads served as the St. Louis county update to the GBP. A similar analysis and plan update was completed for the city of St. Louis and St. Charles County.
Please click the links below to view the full GBP for St. Louis City and St. Charles County and the St. Louis County Action Plan for Walking and Biking.
St. Louis City Gateway Bike Plan
St. Charles County Gateway Bike Plan
Bicycle Facilities Inventory
EWG maintains an inventory of existing on-street and off-street bicycle facilities in the St. Louis region. These bike facilities are depicted on the Bike Facilities Map.
Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning Workshops
FHWA Bikeway Selection Guide Virtual Workshop
East-West Gateway partnered with FHWA to host a half-day virtual workshop to help educate our local public agencies on the Bikeway Selection Guide that was released by FHWA in February 2019. Due to COVID-19, the workshop was held virtually, with opportunities for interactive discussion and online quizzes and polling. Consultants walked participants through a series of steps to develop or improve plans for bikeways, considering context and important trade-offs, and demonstrated how to apply the guide to everyday projects and plans.
NACTO Bicycle Planning Workshop
East-West Gateway partnered with the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) to host a one-day Bicycle Planning Workshop on May 15, 2019. Planners, engineers, and local public agencies from across the region attended and learned the latest bikeway design best practices, including strategies for selecting and implementing low-stress bicycle facilities. An interactive group exercise allowed attendees to apply the concepts learned in a hands-on approach.
Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) Workshop
Nationally, pedestrians account for over 17.5 percent of all fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes, and the majority of these deaths occur at uncontrolled crossing locations such as mid-block or un-signalized intersections. These are among the most common locations for pedestrian fatalities generally because of inadequate pedestrian crossing facilities and insufficient or inconvenient crossing opportunities, all of which create barriers to safe, complete pedestrian networks.
East-West Gateway partnered with FHWA and the City of Woodson Terrace to provide a one-day training opportunity on March 22, 2019 for local agencies to address the pedestrian safety crossing problem and learn about safety improvements and innovative crossing treatments. Attendees also participated in a group field visit exercise to evaluate the nearby Woodson Road corridor for pedestrian safety and make recommendations for improvement.
Bikeable & Walkable Communities Workshop
East-West Gateway partnered with Great Rivers Greenway to host a one-day 
Bikeable & Walkable Communities Workshop on June 5, 2018. The workshop was intended to help educate our local public agencies on the importance of planning for bikeable and walkable communities, and to provide ideas and strategies for implementation. Consultants from Sam Schwartz presented on a variety of topics, including design best practices, low-stress facilities, walkability analysis, and case studies. Representatives from local governments and agencies across the region attended the workshop and participated in small group activities to explore possible solutions to real transportation issues in the St. Louis area.
St. Louis Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC)
EWG established the St. Louis Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC) in April of 1995 and is comprised of public, private and non-profit representatives from the St. Louis region. Its principal purpose is to enhance access and mobility throughout the St. Louis region by encouraging the coordinated development of bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
The BPAC meets quarterly on the second Wednesday of the month from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m.
Meeting Information
Other Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning
In addition to the bicycle and pedestrian planning that EWG conducts, there are several entities in the St. Louis region that are actively engaged in bicycle and pedestrian planning.
Great Rivers Greenway (GRG) is a public agency making the St. Louis region a more vibrant place to live, work and play by developing a regional network of greenways. The organization was created in 2000 by a vote of the people in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County to create a sales tax dedicated to parks and greenways. Those funds allow GRG to collaborate with partners and communities to build, care for, and bring to life a network of greenways, creating healthy habitats and watersheds along the way.
HeartLands Conservancy completes and helps municipalities in both Missouri and Illinois complete comprehensive bicycle and pedestrian facility plans.
Madison County Trails provides Madison County with 100 miles of scenic bikeways. In the early 1990s, Madison County Transit (MCT) initiated its “rails to trails” program, creating Madison County Trails. MCT is one of the only transit systems that link its own bikeways with its existing bus system.
The Metro-East Park and Recreation District (MEPRD) was formed by voters in November 2000 and is responsible for the development of parks, trails, and greenways within the boundaries of Madison and St. Clair counties in Illinois.
Ride Illinois is a statewide advocate for all Illinois bicyclists, promoting bicycle access, education, and safety.
Trailnet is a St. Louis based non-profit organization with a 25-year history of promoting active living –a way of life that encourages people to integrate physical activity into their daily routines. Trailnet has also developed Bikeable-Walkable community plans for several municipalities in the St. Louis region.
