ST. LOUIS – The city of St. Louis recently completed its traffic-calming, neighborhood-branded project in The Hill, donning the pedestrian crosswalks in the colors of the Italian flag around the neighborhood.

Traffic calming uses physical design and other measures to improve safety for drivers, pedestrians, and bikers. Such strategies help combat speeding and other unsafe actions by drivers in busy neighborhoods.

Sixteen crosswalks throughout The Hill have been painted in the colors of the Italian flag. The recent project is not only symbolic of The Hill’s Italian footprint, but reflects the city’s ongoing efforts to slow down traffic and improve pedestrian safety.

“The Hill is an important tax base for our city with a rich cultural history that deserves to be recognized,” said Board of Aldermen President Joe Vollmer, who used ward capital funds to complete the project. “This project helps celebrate the heritage of The Hill while improving pedestrian safety in the neighborhood.” 

Pedestrian safety improvements have also recently been completed at Bates and Leona in the Holly Hills neighborhood. Other street calming projects along Louisiana Avenue from Meramec to Gravois are ongoing with plans to install ADA-accessible ramps, crosswalks, and bump-outs.