ST. LOUIS – Worried citizens packed Carpenter Library’s meeting room Monday night hoping to make South Grand safe for pedestrians and cyclists.

According to the City of St. Louis, so far this year, there have been at least seven fatal pedestrian crashes and at least two fatal bike crashes.

“I can’t expect any longer for bike lanes or laws to protect me,” a concerned citizen said.

“I urge you to consider, when you are traffic planning, the fact that not all modes of transportation are equal. I cannot kill someone by walking over them. A car can kill me,” another citizen said.

At the Intersection of Hartford Street and Grand Boulevard, someone put up signs offering free helmets. It asks pedestrians to wear them as they cross the street. Just last month, 44 speeding tickets were issued, and 68 violations of an electric signal were issued as well.

The Board of Public Service shared their recommendations Monday night to make South Grand safer. One recommendation included one travel lane in each direction, with a shared center turn lane.

Betherny Williams, Director of Streets, said, “The Streets Department has gone out, and we’ve improved the striping. We’ve refreshed all of the pavement markings and the striping in this area.”

The department is currently evaluating the 35 mph speed limit; if it needs to be lowered and how to go about the process.

Last month, a bicyclist died in a hit-and-run in the Tower Grove East neighborhood. The accident was on South Grand between Halliday and Magnolia Avenues. A couple of days later, another cyclist was killed.

“The bicyclist was in a dedicated bicycle lane. The driver, we’ve got video of him before this accident even occurred, further down the road, speeding,” Lieutenant Paul Lauer of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department Traffic Safety Division.

Everyone unanimously agreed that it is time for a comprehensive transportation and mobility study for the entire city.