Proposal For New Sidewalks Gets Highway Department Hoping For the Best

This might not be the best time to be in the sidewalk business. With budgets tightening almost everywhere, even this pedestrian-friendly niche is hurting. But staff from the St. Louis County Department of Highways and Traffic is keeping their fingers crossed. 

The department applied for federal funding for its County Sidewalk Package at the beginning of the month. The project would install sidewalks near several of the schools in Oakville and Mehlville, including sidewalk construction on Hudson Road, Milburn Road, Eddie and Park Road, Concord School Road and Old Jamestown Road.   

But despite a community plea for the sidewalks, the spokesmen at the department knows the chances of receiving any federal aid are slim to none.

“There’s a very slim chance that we’ll get funding this time,” said South Area Engineer Tobi Moriarty. “But it never huts to try.”

With an already limited budget of their own, the department applies for federal aid several times a year. This time, they hope to tap into funds made available through the federal Transportation, Community and System Preservation Program (TCSP).

While putting in sidewalks would meet a few of the criteria of the TCSP, including the improvement of transportation efficiency, reduction of environmental impacts and ensuring reliable access to work and community gathering points, the county’s plan doesn’t meet all requirements.

But Moriarty and the rest of the engineers are trying anyway. They know how important these sidewalks are for the community.

“People call us almost daily with sidewalk requests,” Moriarty said. “Some people get really persistent and tell us we’re going to kill their child if we don’t put in a sidewalk.”

These requests don’t fall on deaf ears. Moriarty understands the need for accessible pedestrian walkways; it’s just not in the budget right now.

“We’re operating with the same funding levels from a year and a half ago,” said John Hicks, a spokesman with the department. 

If anything, he said he expects reduced funding levels in the future.

The outlook for the department’s nearly $3 million sidewalk package isn’t great and without the federal funding, the project won’t happen. 

“We’re competing against everyone at the state level and all 50 states,” Hicks said.

To get an edge on the competition, the department got letters of interest from local churches, councilmen and school districts.

“Anytime you can demonstrate strong local support, a project will score higher,” Hicks said.

Sixth District County Councilman Steve Stenger wrote a letter of interest and stated:

"Completing these gaps in the sidewalk system will provide the community a more continuous pathway for pedestrian movement between residential areas, schools, community facilities and commercial properties. The improvements for this enhancement project include a 5-foot-wide sidewalk and curb ramps that are ADA compliant, and truncated domes to facilitate the safe movement of the sight and mobility impaired."

If the project does gain financial assistance, the department will know as early as July, but construction wouldn’t begin until the fall of 2013.

If the project doesn’t win federal aid, Hicks and Moriarty will continue to find ways to make it safer and easier for travel.

“Our priority is to link as many neighborhoods as we can to schools and community services,” Hicks said. “We want to connect people to where they want to go.”