Brickline Greenway comes together piece by piece, Forest Park Connector design goes before the public

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - The design and plan for the Forest Park Connector of the Brickline Greenway went before the public Thursday night. The path is meant to make it easier to get around the City of St. Louis for people who do not have a car.

Emma Klues, vice president of communications and outreach for Great Rivers Greenway, said the segment is just over halfway to the design point.

“We’re really showing the plan so far so that we can get community feedback,” Klues said.

The route runs from the Cortex MetroLink station to Forest Park. Klues said the plan includes changes to a large intersection just past the MetroLink station and a new rest area in a small park just before Kingshighway.

Klues said Great Rivers Greenway is working on the project with Forest Park, the City of St. Louis, BJC and Washington University Medicine.

“Everybody wants to go to Forest Park. We’ve heard this throughout the entire project,” Klues said. “We want to give people safe, easy connections that make them excited to explore and enjoy everything St. Louis has to offer. Forest Park being among one of our crown jewels for the region.”

The Forest Park leg will connect Forest Park to an existing part of the Brickline Greenway at the MetroLink station at Cortex. It is one of the final pieces being designed that will eventually lead to a connection to downtown and the Arch Grounds.

“Brickline Greenway will be Forest Park to the Gateway Arch, National Park, Fairground Park, Tower Grove Park, and hundreds of destinations in between,” Klues said.

Klues said the greenway covers 14 different neighborhoods. She said the aim is to give people options, including walking, riding a bicycle, pushing a stroller, rolling a wheelchair or connecting to transit.

Vladimir Sukhov was riding his bike at Forest Park on Thursday.

“I really like to cycle in Forest Park, but outside, in some areas of the city, to be honest, it would be nice to have a better infrastructure, like dedicated bike roads would be very nice to have,” Sukhov said.

Sukhov said he sometimes goes downtown and travels through the Central West End on roads. He said a specific lane for bikes would help.

Janet Newcomb said more connections are needed in the city, including at the Archgrounds and the riverfront.

“The more we can do to get people from this area [Forest Park] down is great,” Newcomb said.

Newcomb said greenways in other areas have drawn people and brought places together.

“I think we’ve done that in a lot of other areas where we’ve had different greenways that have been able to attract other people, bring places together that maybe weren’t before. So, I think it’s great,” Newcomb said.

Steven Foelsch, public policy advisor at the Starkloff Disability Institute, said the existing greenway sections mean freedom to him.

“It means freedom, you know, connection with my community, safety. You know, it’s really sweet going down roads where, you know, you take your life into your own hands. And now it’s just smooth and new,” Foelsch said.

Foelsch said he took the MetroLink from downtown and rode through Forest Park.

“Now with this greenway, I don’t have to cross any busy streets. I don’t feel like I’m in jeopardy or in peril,” Foelsch said.

The Forest Park Connector is slated for construction in 2028. It is a $6 million project.

A mile and a quarter of the Brickline Greenway is already built. Another 1.3 miles are under construction. The section of Spring between Lindell and Page is set to start soon. The remaining seven miles are in the planning and design phase.

The full Brickline Greenway project costs about $245 million. The goal is to connect all the pieces of the Brickline Greenway by 2030.