Daron, I think you have some good thoughts and comments on Grand BRT. The passing of Prop A helped immensely and put the region back on the list. No doubt it takes money on the local end to get federal money.

As far as the Loop Trolley, I just don't see the support from anybody outside of Joe Edwards. Don't see any local, regional, or state politicians making any noise about it nor do I see it as a priority to Metro at all. Personally, I think their is some good projects that should get priority over the Loop Trolley, starting with Grand BRT.

I think the Northside getting a nod from HUD director the other day spoke volumes. Somehow I see the wheels turning on how to get some grants going for this project as the city is willing to put some backing behind it. Even throwing some grants towards McCormack Baron to get a couple St. Louis projects going, especially their TOD proposal next to Forest Park Metrolink station, would be beneficial. Completely clueless on how KC got that grant of $50 million when every other urban area probably made a similiar request.

Right, now that's an interesting point. The TOD at Forest Park Station and the Loop Trolley both applied for TIGER grants last time, but the grants were awarded to groups that had more holistic ideas with a more broad range of support. Clearly the TOD would be along the planned trolley line as well as next to the Metrolink station. If Edwards and McCormack Baron submitted a joint application, it might be a more attractive item. Edwards should see his streetcar isn't all that popular, but by adding his weight to the TOD, maybe some money and friends would be found for the project. Tie that to the St. Vincent Greenway and maybe a little local money from Metro, Great Rivers Greenway, and something from the history museum. Again, think Indy Cultural Trail but more awesome.

The TOD would be the main thing but the trolley and greenway leading into it would lend weight. For those not familiar, St. Vincent's Greenway looks like this,



KC got their big grant because the Green Impact Zone combined a lot of interesting elements with a lot of different supporters. TIGER isn't the only federal stimulus playing there. KC's TIGER grant gets rolled into other grants to make a bigger, greener impact. Clever, so what can NorthSide learn from that?


Was the Chouteau Greenway part of the last round of applicants? Could it be combined with the Centennial Greenway and Katy Trail? That could be the type of ambition to win a few dollars.

This is what I could find on the TIGER II wish list assembled by East West Gateway Council. It comes from their June 30th agenda/meeting notes as posted on the Councils website. I like the grouping first of the three groupings that combine trail, Bus rapid transit and downtown access.

http://www.ewgateway.org/pdffiles/board ... ne2010.pdf

Proposed TIGER II Project Collaborations - - June 24, 2010
TIGER II
Cost (in millions)
Total Cost (in millions)

Connecting Communities through Trails and Transit

Mississippi River Trail Collaborative - - Rehabilitate and connect an abandoned
rail trestle in Missouri to existing bike and pedestrian facilities from the McKinley
Bridge to its terminus. Construct a 3.2 mile trail from the McKinley Bridge
Bikeway south to E. St. Louis and Cahokia along the Mississippi River and
provide access between E. St. Louis and Downtown St. Louis via the Eads Bridge.
Great Rivers Greenway, Metro East Parks and Recreation District
$12.8 $16.0

Enhanced Access and Economic Development Downtown - - Access downtown
St. Louis at the interchange of I-64 and 22nd Street, and access to downtown from
the foot of the new Mississippi River Bridge.
MoDOT $25.6 $32.0

Transit System Expansion and Integration - - Highway modifications to support
the implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit Planning and Design work.
MoDOT $4.8 $6.0

Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Planning & Design - - Study BRT alternatives (urbanoriented
service stopping only at major intersections and other destinations) within
the St. Louis Region.
Metro $0.8 $1.0

Totals $44.0 $55.0

Here is a pdf on the TIGER II application for the GRG trail proposal for the Trestle. Warning: Contains Excellent Eye Candy!

http://www.ewgateway.org/tigerII/trails ... ive_MO.pdf

Cool stuff. I heard about this a long time ago and I'd wondered what happened with it. If this actually happens and a bike center or whatever is built at the end, how would this compare with the proposed project nearby at the power station?

I think they compliment each other and both encourage biking as both an alternative transit option, which the downtown bike station is aiming at from my understanding, and a quality of life issue for which the trailnet development builds upon the area's strengths of its rivers, history and urban renewal/reuse.

Getting the downtown bike station is a small but much needed step, getting trailnet development off the ground would be another notch on downtown's impressive march back from the dead, a TIGER II grant award, in my opinion, along with the new Mississippi River Bridge and Arch Grounds design competition are the big pieces that recognize downtown as the regions core and resolves the question of whether I-70 can be remvoed downtown or not. The answer is a resounding yes.

The most unique thing in my mind is downtown will become a very well connected urban core by any measure. From its multiple freeway connections, to metrolink/light rail with direct access to the airport, to high speed rail/intercity/commmuter rail, to a well established bike/pedesterian corridor, and offering a signficant array of cultural instutions/events and plazas/entertainment and sporting venues with an iconic landmark known to the world alongside the biggest river in North America.

Got a little pumped with the last paragraph.

We're in a pretty pathetic state in this country when a country of 300 million only has $600 million or $2/citizen to offer for critical transportation infrastructure. At the same time an individual is getting a billion dollar bonuses on Wall St. Somethings definitely out of proportion in this country. $600 million is not even enough for a new light rail line in most US cities.

Are we ever going to address that $2.2 trillion infrastructure deficit we're facing.

I never looked at these plans until today and man that is so awesome! Pretty Please!

For the regions sake, I really hope that they get some funding the transit and connectivity proposal for downtown, funding to rebuild the 22nd street interchange, northside infrastructure and the northside trestle will only fuel the progress being made downtown.

Any thoughts on this question? Did the Northside squabble have any impact in why East West Gateway's TIGER II transit and connectivity grant app got turned down?

McKee case inches toward settlement as plaintiffs' lawyers bicker

http://www.stlbeacon.org/issues-politic ... settlement

I brought up the question becuause the grant app requested some serious money to improve west downtown and foot of new MRB infrastructure on top of some great trail investments. Both of these areas fall into the first two phases of McKee's plans. It would have certainly have been beneficial for a federal grant to help pay for streets and a new 22nd street interchange instead of solely relying on a TIF.

Its a moot point in some respects or a loaded question depending on how you want to look at it. However, I do think it is relevant discussion in terms of what needs to happen on the local level or why we couldn't get past the application process.



My fear is that TIF is becoming the only alternative as stimulus funds have ran their course and floating a lcoal bond measure or receiving state funds is pretty much dead on the political front.

Daron, better hope the steel hasn't rusted away by the time they find funding.

Like Metrolink in a way, it would be nice to see the dedicated greenway tax increased from its paltry amount of 1/10 of a cent (correct me if I got the number wrong). They have accomplished a lot but really need to increase funding to get over the design/engineer hump into a significant construction rush. Personnally, I think the greenway plan truly provides the region a major quality of life improvement by embracing the muliple rivers, natural terrain and creeks of the area. At the same time it provides a true transit alternative for St. Louis for far less what it cost to rebuild a portion of Hwy 40/I-64.

Dredger wrote:DOT posted TIGER II Grant awards. Not good for the city or the metro region. Still baffled how the metro region came out to be a big loser in the TIGER grants.

Simply put, there was too much competition. We did receive TIGER grant for the Tri-City port and the rest of our submission just weren't well planned. Our regional TIGER II grants were excellent, imo, but there was just too much competition for an extremely small pot of money. And we can kiss more stimulus and more TIGER good bye with last night's election results.

TIGER III Time

http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/06/30/ti ... -projects/

DaronDierkes wrote:capital improvements only, no money for planning? That leaves us with limited options. The planning and engineering for the trestle is still mostly conceptual. Nothing on the arch grounds is detailed yet. What about Metro's various TOD plans? Any Amtrak projects?

New 22nd street interchange downtown as stand alone application. I believe it was part of the downtown connect Tiger II application (Grant app including trestle, additional trail Metro East). I believe the city and state's partnering agreement to cost share the burden as well as bury the 22nd street parkway once in for all is pretty much in place and both entities would be glad to only have to pick up 20%, or 10% each, vs the fifty fifty split.

Forest Park Station TOD, but not sure if Metro and McCormick Baron have gotten beyond a simple discussion

Finally, I believe MoDOT could bundle some of their River Runner corridor improvements together including the third track, or Amtrack lead track around UP's Jeff City yard.