Trailnet crash report shows increasing number of pedestrian deaths in STL region

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) - Trailnet’s annual report on St. Louis streets showed another record-setting year for pedestrian deaths in the region.

The report, published Wednesday morning, noted that 23 pedestrians were killed in St. Louis City and 36 in St. Louis County.

Trailnet, which advocates for pedestrian safety, characterized the design of St. Louis streets, as well as a lack of bike and pedestrian infrastructure as a “deadly combination.”

Cindy Mense, the CEO of the organization, said the findings highlight a need for further investment in traffic calming designs throughout the city.

“We want to make people understand that we can make streets safer for everyone,” Mense said.

This year’s report also highlighted ways in which some projects have led to better outcomes in specific city corridors.

Mense pointed to a MODOT design at Natural Bridge Road and Parnell. The state had installed a concrete median and roundabout in 2021 and reduced the road from four lanes to two for much of the Natural Bridge Corridor.

As a result, Mense said, the total number of car crashes had fallen by nearly 80 percent in the last few years.

Aaron Willette, who works at Truck Supply Company near the intersection, said he’d noticed the difference in traffic speeds and a reduction in reckless driving.

“It was kind of unruly with the four lanes of cars. It slowed down traffic a lot and made it a lot safer,” he said.

Mense said she believed that several current and projects in the city, such as the Tower Grove Connector between Cortex and Tower Grove Park, would continue to help reducing traffic collisions and pedestrian injuries.

“When you use that infrastructure it makes you more cautious while driving. It’s effective,” Mense said.

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