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The Bike St. Louis project is an outgrowth of a partnership between the City of St. Louis and the Great Rivers Greenway District. The idea came from then Alderman Lewis Reed and Congressman Russ Carnahan, long-time friends and cyclists who felt it was time to create a way to connect the parks in the City for cyclists and to provide safe commuter route options.
After months of planning with Alderpersons, constituents, City Agencies, and local bike organizations, the first 20 miles of continuous on-street bicycle routes were unveiled in the Spring of 2005. Signage on the routes is both MUTCD standard signage as well as custom designed signage by Kiku Obata that marks the route and provides point of interest directions and distances. A printed map was also developed and distributed which included bike safety information. In addition an educational program was created and presented to over 30 classes of middle school students.
In May 2008, we celebrate the first major expansion to the Bike St. Louis network since 2005. Phase II adds nearly 50 miles of Bike St. Louis routes in the City of St. Louis, providing expanded connections from downtown to neighborhoods, business districts, educational, cultural and recreation amenities in North and South St. Louis. The new routes also provide on-street connections to the North Riverfront Trail and the McKinley Bridge Bikeway along the Mississippi River in North St. Louis, as well as the River des Peres Greenway and Christy Greenway in South St. Louis. Phase II extends the routes into the Cities of Clayton and Maplewood and offers users solid connections to Metrolink and Metro Bus stations.
In addition, a public awareness campaign was introduced made up of three posters with themes; safety awareness, encouraging people to consider the health and environmental benefits of cycling. The awareness campaign themes and designs were created through an inclusive process with local bicycling groups, citizens and the Kiku Obata design team.
About The Great Rivers Greenway District:
 The Great Rivers Greenway District is the public organization leading the development of a region-wide system of interconnected greenways, parks and trails, known as the River Ring. The River Ring will join two states and cover an area of 1,216 square miles. The Greenway District was established in November 2000 by the successful passage of the Clean Water, Safe Parks and Community Trails Initiative (Proposition C) in St. Louis City, St. Louis County and St. Charles County, Missouri. For more information about Great Rivers Greenway District, visit www.greatrivers.info.
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