As reported in our November/December 2017 issue, Trailnet recently updated its plans for a connected network of biking/walking pathways in St. Louis. Since then, the non-profit group has released a map showing 26 neighborhoods, institutions and attractions that would be joined by the project. The proposed network would extend north and south as well as east and west.

“Our region needs connectivity now more than ever,” said Ralph Pfremmer, CEO of Trailnet. “Whether we bike or walk out of necessity or by choice, we should all have true transportation options.”

The plan takes advantage of the Chouteau Greenway area under development by Great Rivers Greenway, which reaches from downtown to Washington University, and then extends west to Shaw Park. The north-south arm stretches from Fairground Park to Cherokee Street.

Trailnet hopes to have a pilot trail up sometime this year, with more planning and fundraising needed before any official work on the 12-mile network can begin. The overall cost of the trail has yet to be determined.

The 8-mile Indianapolis Cultural Trail, on which Trailnet’s plan is based, cost $88 million; property values within 500 feet of that trail increased by $1 billion in the ensuing five years.