urbanSTL

Wonderful maps!!



What program did you use for the schematic map?



The only thing missing from the Mac is a basic drawing program.

I initially started making these maps as an exercise to learn about bezier curves and the like. Obviously it grew from there.



TIABstl: I use a Mac and used Inkscape to create the schematic. On a Mac, you'll have to install Apple's X11 app to run Inkscape.



Little Egyptian: The Green Line out to Edwardsville is the only one I did not finish and thus the reason it's more transparent than all the other lines in the aerial view. I don't want it to run exclusively along highway right of ways, but I can't see how to plot it any other way. The possible MLS development in Collinsville only befuddled me further. The highway reasoning, along with its closeness to the Mississippi river, is why I diverted the southside line towards the UPRR at Meramec St. It would probably do just as good to follow I-55 the entire way, but hey, this is a fantasy map.



Chris: In case it wasn't clear, the light blue segments are subway alignments. In my fantasy network, the whole of MetroLink maintains its mini-metro characteristics. The main reason I added the northern Red Line alignment from Forest Park to Old North St. Louis was so that I wouldn't have 4 lines running on the southern Red Line alignment which I originally had terminating at ONSL.



I've imagined at Forest Park that trains from Skinker and Delmar Loop would arrive simultaneously, loop around and through downtown in differenent directions, only to meet up at the same time again at Forest Park before diverging on their separate ways. Biggest problem is this would require 6 parallel tracks to accomplish.



Lastly, does anybody have any ideas of where they would want to add a complementary streetcar (MetroTram?) system? Anheuser-Busch has got to get connected to my network somehow.

awesome! if this were in place or under construction, I would have moved to STL yesterday!!

Why do all of the maps so far try to serve the ends of the earth? Some people get upset when suggested routes stop short of 270. We shouldn't be worried about going anywhere near that far at present. Having grown up in New York and ridden on some of the worlds best transportation systems, I can tell you that the sure bet to a successful system is to focus on your core.



Now, whenever I've had this discussion with others inevitably someone makes a statement to the effect of "no one actually lives in the city anymore". Of course, this is getting less true by the day and doesn't change the fact that, infrastructure wise, we must focus on the most densely *built* parts of our city to make the economics of such projects work. The businesses and residents will return quickly when presented with a coherent reliable transportation system, especially given the current volatility of gas prices.



At some point, as in other cities, the transportation system becomes so attractive that outlying communities will bend over backwards to help foot the bill for expansion. Again, this can only be achieved by focusing on core and immediately outlying areas and establishing a reputation for safety and reliability. To that latter point, it disturbs me that I'm still fairly often solicited w/ stolen/bogus license plate stickers and the like while on the train. Compared to many other lines I've ridden, the metro-link security olks seem, for the most part, thoroughly disinterested in their jobs.

Mill I think that is an awesome fantasy map for Metrolink. Out of the maps that I have seen before I like this one the best. I hope it was sent to Metro.

^ maybe $2K (x 2.5M = $5B)

^^ Well, the system as I've drawn it is 185 miles with 37 miles of possible subway, excluding the Edwardsville line; so $8-10B might be a better guesstimate.

^^^ A different type of train all together would be needed (imagine being on our metro trains with no bathroom or anything for 8 - 9 hours to chicago with stops in the middle) but the general idea of a regional train system could be a very good idea... if integrated into each cities greater transit systems at multi-modal junctions.

anniewarbucks wrote:It would be neat if a line that would use 4 cars be ran from an area around Lambert over to KC. Make a transit system that would stretch across Missouri and spill over into the surrounding states (Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Arkansas). A transit system that Kansas City, St. Louis, Columbia, Springfield, and all other towns and cities in this general area would be proud of. The current configuration stretches to Shilo Scott Air Force Base. The configuration that I have in mind would extend to cities like Topeka KS, Independence KS, Bentonville AK and other cities that would benefit to a full Missouri regional transportation system.

Amtrak??

^ If Amtrak does what you say and it's "too expensive", what makes you think that a duplicitous effort would be cheaper? I guess I don't understand how this at all would differentiate from Amtrak which already serves as regional and national train transit.

anniewarbucks wrote: with the system that I am thinking of, it would have a much tighter grid and serve All of Missouri unlike the current Amtrak system.

The key to a successful mass transit system is density- massive amounts of origins and destinations concentrated around stops... I could see a "similar-to-metrolink" system in towns of certain size (50,000 or more) then connect them via a regional system... but there just isn't enough demand for regional travel at smaller towns to justify connecting them all via a mass transit grid... And if every town was linked - it would take many times longer to use the train than riding in a car... imagine stopping at every town along I-70 and numerous times in larger towns... I count at least 24 cities / towns between Wentzville and Blue springs including Columbia and Booneville that could justify multiple stops in them. It would take 10 or more hours to get to Kansas City with all those stops and a top speed of 50 miles an hour. There is a huge distinction between regional, sub-regional and local mass transit... and for this application metrolink just doesn't make much sense.

Let’s serve All of Missouri (most) with Amtrak, and small towns (like where I live in Rolla) could justify two or three boardings a day. But if every person here were to exclusively use this new mass transit system, there still aren’t enough people here to justify the implementation of it within town, much less town to town.





I could see this as a possibility where every town with a big dot has a light rail system and those systems are linked via a regional system with larger faster more comfortable trains… the small dots show towns large enough to justify stops but not light rail systems (IMHO)

just look at places that currently have great rail service that works (Europe), and they have nothing like this.

Germany for example, has 4 different modes / scales of rail travel in the largest cities: National / Intercity (DB trains), Regional (S-Bahn commuter rail), Intracity (U-bahn), and local (trams). There is some overlap, for instance station frequency for S-bahn increases in the city centers, so it offers a similar service as U-bahn in denser areas.

STL and other cities are beginning to match this European model (again), though there's obviously got a long ways to go in most cities.

National / Intercity= Amtrak

Commuter rail / Metro hybrid = MetroLink

Local = future streetcars (Delmar Loop)

I'm alright being packed like sardines on a bus or train for 10-20 minutes. But, imagine being on a packed MetroLink train from St. Louis to Kansas City

The s/u-bahns are good examples of regional commuter rail, some with double decker sections. The s-bahn from Zurich to Winterthur is like a glorified metrolink. Or metrolink is like a scaled back s-bahn. It was a great way to go intermediate distances.



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My hopes/dreams of St. louis City Metrolink

2 Lines that would transform St. Louis







Interactive Map



The "Blue Line" is 13 miles of new track, 7 miles along Union Pacific Right of Way, and 6 miles along Kingshighway, Delmar, Wash. Ave, and 14th St. It would have 12 new stations from Bayless to 14th St. Washington Ave. and have complete separation from traffic.

The "Blue Line" would dip below Newstead and Pendleton (along Delmar) to facilitate a future station and to maintain connectivity between North and South of Delmar. Stations would be underground between CWE/Medical Center and 14th & Washington. It would be entirely underground starting at Jefferson.

The "Purple Line" is simply the current preferred North/South Alignment that would run in street. One amendment of mine is that it follow current metrolink alignment between UMSL South and North Hanley. I realize the cars would have lower door heights than the current rolling stock. I'm sure this could be resolved.

The idea is that the east and west ends of the southside would have a line, and the north and south ends of the northside would have a line, while strengthening the central corridor.

I think CWE/Medical Center is a great place to have a "Central Station": It's the midpoint between downtown and Clayton, BJC is the area's largest employer, and it avoids the hub and spoke frustration of having to go downtown to go back out again (ie Chicago). I think the Delmar station would help frame the CWE and hopefully get a transit oriented tower on that empty Schnuck's lot.

Should the County want to, the Blue line could be extended to Reavis-Barracks and South County Transit Center @ 270.

I could go on and on about how greatly St. Louis City would benefit from these two lines, but I'm sure you'll see it for yourselves.



Finally: Does anyone have $3.5-5 billion they don't need?



Edit: For the record I'm also a strong believer in the virtues of a Grand Blvd. streetcar, but i figure a proposal of 2 lines is somewhat realistic and possible. Or perhaps I'm just delusional.

Wabash, I love your thinking. It kind of seems like St. Louis should have built the el lines for this 100 years ago and maybe we would have been what Chicago is today. Either this is going to take another 100 years to get done or we will never see it! The only way this could happen with in the next 20 years is if the city/county merged and shared the same vision. Thats what kills me about this town. We are always complaining about what we dont got, but neither the leaders or citizen have any vision. Looks like BJC is being smart and building as close to Metrolink as possible, even on top of it!

All,



If you have a google account, you can go and access this map.



http://tinyurl.com/MakeyourownMetroLine



You can view it without a google account, but you can not edit it.



Once you Log into your google account, go to the above link.



1. Press "edit" on the middle/top LEFT hand side.

1b. Please dont edit someone elses Metro Line.



2. Once you press edit, the top left of the MAP screen will have some icons you can use.



3. Click on the Zig Zag Line looking icon and that will make a line, you can change the color of the line by clicking the line itself.





Also, once you are done, you can comment on other people's idea.



So Lets see who has the best idea!