Public Infrastructure committee hears update on St. Louis Transportation and Mobility Plan

The Public Infrastructure and Utilities Committee of St. Louis City heard an update Wednesday on the city’s first comprehensive Transportation and Mobility Plan, a multi-agency effort that project staff said is about halfway through development and scheduled for formal adoption in August.

The plan, presented by Scott Ogilvie, program manager for Complete Streets in the Planning and Urban Design Agency, and Jackie Knight, project manager for consultant Crawford, Murphy & Tilly, synthesizes outreach and technical work and will include a Safety Action Plan, a Street Design Framework and a policy and ordinance review, the presenters said.

The presenters emphasized public engagement and safety. “We’ve reached over 1,500 total survey results,” Jackie Knight said, describing a mix of a community survey and a statistically significant survey administered by a research firm. The project team reported that safety, connectivity and maintenance and quality are the top values expressed by participants. “Safety is, is always coming in by far number 1,” Knight said.

Why it matters: The plan is designed to give the city an organizing framework for streets, sidewalks, bridges, trails and transit — elements Ogilvie called core local-government responsibilities — and to align future investments and policies with resident priorities and technical data.

What the project team reported - Public outreach: The team combined a community survey (about 1,200 respondents, representing 43 ZIP codes) and a statistically significant survey of 327 city residents (90% confidence level), plus interactive mapping, four open houses, 23 pop-up events, nine presentations and targeted engagement with disability advocates and other stakeholders. Knight said the fact sheet and survey results are available on the project website and she left printed copies for committee members. - Safety findings: The team is building a City Safety Action Plan that builds on the East West Gateway regional safety plan and applies its methods to city streets. The City plan will analyze crash reports by corridor and hotspot, assess planned improvements and recommend specific countermeasures and investment-tracking approaches. Knight displayed draft appendix pages for Grand Avenue as an example of corridor-level analysis. - Street Design Framework: The draft framework will pair a vision and a map of street types with typical cross-sections, priorities and decision tools so officials can select context-sensitive designs that prioritize vulnerable users and align with adjacent land uses. “The street design framework is a vision, a map, and a set of tools that describe how each street in St. Louis can be designed, prioritized, and then realized,” Knight said. - Policy and ordinance review: The team has interviewed city departments, held a staff workshop, and is compiling benchmark policies from other cities. The review covers traffic safety, traffic calming and enforcement; development and private construction; asset management and data sharing; and community engagement practices. Ogilvie said the plan will recommend policy changes and programs “specific to the St. Louis context” but the plan itself will not write ordinance text.

Numbers and public sentiment: Presenters highlighted a few data points from the community survey: 81% of respondents said they always or frequently drive; 45% said they frequently walk; 21% bike frequently; and 17% use Metrolink or MetroBus. Knight said 80% of community-survey respondents felt children’s mobility needs are unmet, 51% reported being involved in a traffic crash, and about 21% said a loved one had suffered a life-altering injury or death in a traffic crash. She also said roughly 90% of respondents indicated willingness to accept lower travel speeds if it would reduce reckless driving.

Timeline and next steps: The team said a draft Safety Action Plan will be submitted in February, a draft Street Design Framework in March, public engagement on the draft plan in April–May, draft policy recommendations after that, a draft planning document by June and planned adoption in August 2025.

Questions from committee members focused on whether the plan will include implementation tools and whether operational matters such as snow removal will be addressed. Ogilvie said operational issues are harder to implement directly through a plan but that establishing clear goals in the plan — for example on accessibility or state of good repair — gives departments a reference point for budgeting and program changes. “Because this is a planning process, generally, of course, the plan itself is not doing the implementation, but I do think there will be clear recommendations that will be based on… input from city staff,” he said.

The presenters identified partner firms and agencies on the project team, including Crawford, Murphy & Tilly (prime consultant), SmithGroup, SWT, Vector Communications, Civil Design Inc. (CDI), Crawford, Bunte & Bramer (CBB), PGAV, the Board of Public Service, the Streets Department, the Office of the Disabled and the Office of the Mayor. They also noted ongoing coordination with East West Gateway and a Universal Design Group focused on disability access.

Votes at a glance: The committee approved procedural items during the meeting. Members approved the minutes of the Jan. 22, 2025 meeting (motion moved by Aldewoman Velasquez; seconded by Alderman Keyes; recorded roll-call votes: Keyes — Aye; Velasquez — Aye; Vice Chair Browning — Aye; Chair Schweitzer — Aye). The committee also voted to adjourn at the end of the meeting (motion moved by an alderwoman from the 6th; seconded by an alderman from the 5th; vote: aye).

What’s next: The project team plans targeted public engagement on draft plan elements this spring and expects to return to the committee as the draft elements are available. Presenters requested continued staff coordination and stakeholder input as work moves from analysis to recommended policies and implementation sequencing.