urbanSTL

Amtrak will be adding a 1.1 billion dollar high speed rail line between Chicago and St. Louis.
Would it be better to have another station near Grand Ave?
(ie 2 stations for St Louis)

Hi guys, Jennifer from Metro here. I'm super excited about the Grand Viaduct project, too, because it's giving Metro a chance to redo the Grand MetroLink Station. We will have full details with renderings and photographs on Metro's blog soon (NextStopSTL.org), but for now know that the City is kind enough to add bus turnouts on the bridge (no more buses stopped in traffic lanes) and upgrading the sidewalks so they are ADA accessible. Metro is going to add some lovely, spacious shelters for our bus passengers, and the elevator towers will be relocated (to the North) so that they don't touch down on the MetroLink platform but rather in a new plaza we are constructing underneath the bridge. Right now it doesn't look like much, but when the old bridge piers get taken out it will be a very nice, comfortable, well-lit and artistically-designed space, a comfortable place for our passengers to wait for their bus down on Scott Avenue. I'll link the blog post here when it's up.

I hope you guys are able to find elevator cars that don't absorb urine.

Wait til you see the plaza design! I'm really excited about it.

Re: the urine in the elevators, you wouldn't believe what we go through to police/maintain those elevators. We agree that people using them to relieve themselves is revolting and work hard all day long keeping them clean & sanitary.

Unofficially and off the clock, I'm in favor of that option.

What do you guys think about something like this, though, to further discourage public peeing but to accommodate people's needs?

http://www.thedesignblog.org/entry/whee ... urination/

It's a little unfair to the ladies, but I suppose the gals can always get a Shenis. (And I'm not putting in a link to that one because I'm still on a work computer. You Google it.)

we need those urinal bins by Larry Rice's DT.!

Check it out: The new Grand MetroLink Station/Scott Avenue Transit Plaza project. http://www.nextstopstl.org/1845/a-grand ... a-project/

I love it, and I love the Blue LED lights...

Jennifer,

Kinda curious about the comment concening the old freight track alongside metrolink tracks that is no longer needed, defunct. Is this part of Metrolink's current right of way? or is this small slice of RoW being purchased by Bi-State specifically for the added parking. The right of way in my mind would make an interesting bike/pedesterian connector that would tie in BJC/Wash U Medical Campus with SLU if you combine the old trestle that allowed a spur to go to the defunct factory between Forest Parkway and I-64 (sorry, can't think of the name for the life of me). The old trestle itself would make an interesting addition to any development in this area.

Second, I believe this would essentially remove any rail service to the existing grain elevator and encourage a change of use to this property sooner then later. Really don't see the economic sense of keeping a grain elevator without an active rail line or barge service.

Designs from Metro have been released for the Metro Station on the bridge.
http://www.nextstopstl.org/1845/a-grand ... a-project/

I would give them a B- with the stair and shelter design hurting their score significantly.

LIKE:
-park and ride
-blue led lights / decorative fencing
-incorporation of a more artistic design
-restroom area (hopeful proposal to resolve the current urine on the stairs issue)
-relocation of the elevator and stairs away from platform for increased visibility
-switch from 4 to 6 lanes on the bridge and pullout spaces for the buses

QUESTIONS:
-How will the bike lanes be incorporated into the bridge?
-What will the bridge design look like?
-How will the investment in renovating the bridge and Metro station affect the development of the valley underneath the bridge? Will the Chouteau Greenway happen? Can some of the abandoned, empty warehouses be transformed into a green space or park of some sort?
-Will the design require cyclists to use the elevator to bring their bikes down? Really cyclists using the elevator?


DISLIKES:
-shelter areas look like a hybrid of ghetto soccer team shelters from the 80's and solar panels. Definitely an eyesore. I would suggest a field stone or natural brick frame with plants, trees, and ivy growing around it or on it. The current design is a huge disappointment as these shelters are the most important part of the bridge and station's design. They are what everyone will be looking at.
-wind and rain protection on stairs looks too industrial and far from aesthetically pleasing or artistic. Looks like they are trying to create a curved metallic mesh fence covered in ivy to protect people from the rain and wind. Really? Ivy on a mesh fence? for wind and rain protection? Bad idea. I would suggest translucent plastic (ie plexi glass) panels with blue lights illuminating them from the sides to create a blue "glow" with an actual legitimate barrier from wind and rain.

SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT:
-Have Barbara Grygutis incorporate some of her artistic work into the design of the bus shelter and stair protection. The artistic beauty and glamour shouldn't be completely hidden underneath the bridge.
-Take a lot of the metal out of the design especially from the stair protection. It looks like its going to be a rust bucket in 10 years.
- I think instead of winding stairs, a long diagonal ramp going directly over to the tracks might work well.

Regarding the freight track, no, Metro did not just purchase it for this project. We've owned it for a long time but have discontinued service on this segment. So that little section is no longer needed, and we decided to do parking there because there seems to be a demand for it.

One more thing: The structure will be stainless steel, so it's not going to rust.