The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded the 26th Ward of the City of St. Louis with free technical assistance to conduct a walking audit. An important feature to be discussed during the workshop is the upcoming construction of St. Vincent Greenway through Porter Park and Etzel Avenue in the ward.

The 26th Ward includes the West End, Visitation Park, Wells/Goodfellow Academy, Kingsway West, Hamilton Heights, and parts of Skinker/DeBaliviere and DeBaliviere Place neighborhoods.

The walking audit workshop will be held twice on Tuesday, May 24, once in the morning and once at twilight. The workshop is open to the public. Space is limited, so those who would like to participate must register online at www.HousingandCommunitySolutions.org.

Dan Burden, a national expert in walkable communities, will lead community residents through a walking tour of key streets. The group will identify physical attributes that impede the safety and health of residents as they travel as pedestrians or cyclists throughout the neighborhood. Once the findings are revealed, participants will be able to review options for implementing improvements to the 26th Ward.

St. Louis City’s 26th Ward was selected for technical assistance based on an application drafted by Housing & Community Solutions, Inc., with support from Alderman Frank Williamson, as part of its St. Louis Social Compact DrillDown project that the organization co-chairs with the Regional Housing and Community Development Alliance (RHCDA).

Eventually the St. Vincent Greenway will include a seven-mile off-street trail from NorthPark near North Hanley and I-70 to Forest Park.