THE OBVIOUS, INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM OF THE NORTH RIVERFRONT GREENWAY TRAIL DEVELOPMENT

This is the website for the trail:

http://www.greatriversgreenway.org/trails/north-riverfront-trail.aspx

The "greenway" trail from downtown runs 11 miles between Hall street and the river until the Riverview and Hall intersection, and then comes out from behind the industrial sprawl of Hall street and continues between Riverview Blvd and the river, until Chain of Rocks bridge.

The Riverview Metro Bus Transfer Center is located at Hall and Riverview.  It is a big intersection, and there are no pedestrian crosswalks north of Hall.  In fact, there is no crosswalk on Riverview from Hall street until the Greenway trail crossing at the water reclamation plant north of Spring Garden.

There are no bus stops on Riverview north of Hall, even though both the #61 Riverview and #75 Lilac-Hanley turn at Scranton, across from the North Riverfront Park parking lot and public facilities. 

The bridge over Maline creek, just north of the intersection, is out on one side, the west side.  If you are walking up Riverview, as a lot of people do, you must cross the street to go over the bridge, and then cross back again if you want to walk on a paved trail.

It is from the east side that the Greenway Trail emerges.  If this Greenway were anywhere south of Delmar, or west of Union, they would be promoting using public transit for a part of the Riverfront Trail's 11 mile stretch.  (Ride from downtown and take the bus back, or vice versa.)

Of course, if you ride the bus from Metro's Riverview-Hall transfer center, you see some of St. Louis' ugliest secrets out in the open.  First, you will see the many, many railroad tracks that run along Hall and Broadway, and wonder why the Metrolink hasn't been extended north?  Especially considering the second thing you will discover: that by bus you will need to travel at least 40 minutes to the nearest Metrolink, regardless of what bus line you ride.  Third, again, no matter which bus you take, you will travel through the most impoverished and crime ridden neighborhoods in St. Louis. 

If this were south of Delmar, there would crosswalks and the bridge would have been repaired and re-opened on the east side of the street.  There would be clear signage and sidewalks and lighting.

For about three months there was a big bag of garbage lying on the sidewalk over the Maline creek wash.  There are no lights on the bridge for the bike path and it is in very bad repair.  The bike path has a blind corner, where locals say there has been at least one mugging of a bicyclist.

At the end of the trail, Chain of Rocks Bridge parking lot has been closed.  The concrete barriers are always in place, and the lot is overgrown and neglected.

The city of St. Louis keeps the "finger" of Riverview because of the riverfront park, the Chain of Rocks bridge, and especially, the property and income tax from the wealthy homes that face the river along Riverview drive and the bluffs above it.  The "finger" of St. Louis city really belongs to the county municipalities of Glasgow Village and the Village of Riverview, and the Riverview Gardens School District.  

The North Riverfront Greenway Trail is the type of negligence that is common in north Saint Louis city and county.  It is obvious racism, the kind that has been institutionalized for so long that few people question it.

In St. Louis, all Greenways are NOT created equal.