Data from local advocacy group shows most dangerous roads in St. Louis Co.

ST. LOUIS, Mo. (KMOV) - The region is now getting a better understanding of the most dangerous roads in St. Louis County thanks to a recent crash report from local advocacy group, Trailnet.

The data collected includes a startling increase in pedestrian deaths in the county over the last ten years.

“There is always a wreck there,” Marshal Franklin said.

Franklin, who works nine-to-five for Grubhub, said he knows all too well how dangerous Lindbergh through Florissant can be.

“I see a lot of people texting while they drive,” Franklin explained. “Facetiming while they drive. They aren’t paying attention to the road.”

Tramon Ellis works at the Five Guys nearby. He said pedestrians have it a lot worse in the area.

“They try to walk right through the street when cars are driving by,” Ellis shared. “When they see a pedestrian walking, they hurry and speed up and it seems bad things happen here.”

According to Trailnet’s 2022 Crash report for St. Louis City and County, North Lindbergh, St. Charles Rock Road, Jennings Station, Big Bend, Page Ave, West Florissant Ave, and Halls Ferry are the top crash corridors in St. Louis County.

That new data finds 23% of pedestrian crashes and 42% of fatalities happened on those seven roads in 2022.

Chambers between West Florissant and Halls Ferry Road saw seven people die because of traffic violence in 2022. This tied with Interstate 270 for the most fatalities on any road in St. Louis County.

Knowing how dangerous 270 is right now, MODOT is overhauling the highway in the Lindbergh area.

Trailnet’s worst spot for wrecks is St. Charles Rock Road. Twelve people were hit, and four people were killed last year along that corridor.

That’s 21% of the year’s total pedestrian fatalities.

News 4 went to St. Charles Rock Road and Lackland, right by I-170, where one pedestrian was killed last summer at a bus stop.

The report shows 95% of all fatal crashes in St. Louis County happen on corridors in areas with 35 mph speed limits or more. No one from St. Louis County was available to speak on camera about solutions, but the transportation department’s David Wrone wrote:

“Pedestrian fatalities have increased across the nation in recent years. It’s by no means an issue unique to St. Louis County. Our department continues to analyze this troubling pattern, and develop solutions to it. Chambers/Elizabeth is a case in point. The road diet and round about we currently are designing for this intersection will, we trust, increase both pedestrian and driver safety.”

That roundabout was the fix News 4 Investigates reported on in July 2022. A piece of a $1.3 million plan that almost a year later, is still in the development stage.

For Ellis, he said it’s not fast enough for areas troubling pedestrians for years.

“We need a change, a change where we can make this better, make it better for our community,” Ellis said.

Trailnet’s data shows 19 pedestrians were killed and 231 were hurt in 2022.

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