I hope the North-South line will be mindful of pedestrians. I just came back from San Jose, and one of their lines was between my Airbnb and the SAP Center, where I was spending most of my time. It forced you to cross the street before crossing the street, and sometimes sidewalks would just dead end into a station. It was also unnerving having to cross tracks right around a bend under an overpass. It just seemed messy.
Is the North Jefferson resurfacing/reconfiguration project considering the future addition of light rail? Or will it all just have to be redone like the brand new 44 bridge over Jefferson that is too short for LRT
Is there really not going to be some transit center or connection where it crosses over the existing line? I know the trains and track will be completely different but I am not seeing one in this map?
I watched the CMT presentation today…actually very informative. About both N/S and the BLV extension. They’ve already let some contracts for that one.
Anyway, according to Taulby Roach, a “significant” transfer facility will be built at Jefferson and the existing lines. He did mention the Ewing Yard, but seemed to indicate it would be closer to the alignment. I could potentially see a Grand like station here.
Edit: One other thing I will add…Ewing and Jefferson do not cross, they’re both north/south streets. The Ewing Yard is at Jefferson (technically Jefferson and Scott)…but Ewing and Jefferson don’t actually intersect.
I watched the CMT presentation today…actually very informative. About both N/S and the BLV extension. They’ve already let some contracts for that one.
Anyway, according to Taulby Roach, a “significant” transfer facility will be built at Jefferson and the existing lines. He did mention the Ewing Yard, but seemed to indicate it would be closer to the alignment. I could potentially see a Grand like station here.
Edit: One other thing I will add…Ewing and Jefferson do not cross, they’re both north/south streets. The Ewing Yard is at Jefferson (technically Jefferson and Scott)…but Ewing and Jefferson don’t actually intersect.
Isn't there a Metro maintenance building at Ewing Yard? Would there be a reconfiguration/combination of a multi-line station/maintenance hub there?
If so, that could be pretty sizeable (multi-level) building/station.
I doubt this would happen, but I hope they find a way to use the same rolling stock. Especially if they could find a way to link the lines together. It would be great to take a one seat ride from the Cherokee Street to Busch Stadium for a game, even if it's not a line they run all the time.
There is plenty of room between the Ewing Yard and UPS overflow parking lot.
In another thread another person posted the new Siemens trains that can accommodate both platform and street level stations with a drop down stair. I see this as the best flex option.
Doesn't sound like they'll have a switch allowing the n/s trains to access the e/w line, but you are right, that would be the dream.
Is the North Jefferson resurfacing/reconfiguration project considering the future addition of light rail? Or will it all just have to be redone like the brand new 44 bridge over Jefferson that is too short for LRT
Yes, the portion between Cass and Natural Bridge will have a 27' median that will accommodate a future transit line. Should make construction in this section relatively easy. See page 12: https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/d ... -FINAL.pdf
Northside-Southside Light Rail Expansion: This future transit line project has completed initial studies and has a recommended local preferred alternative that would travel on Jefferson Avenue beginning at Cass Avenue and serving the NGA site via an adjacent station before continuing north toward Natural Bridge Avenue. The Jefferson Avenue corridor is planning for this project by way of a 27-foot-wide center median, which will accommodate the dedicated right-of-way necessary for high capacity transit. This project is undergoing additional analysis to ensure cost-effectiveness to increase the probability of a successful New Starts or Small Starts funding application.
Something that these plans have been pretty mum about is if they use the low floor trains, they would need to construct a new maintenance facility. I have no idea where along Jefferson they would do so, would be good if they could make a rail connection so that the low floor trains could use the Ewing yard instead of building a new one. They could expand the rail yard they have in Illinois for the existing Metrolink trains.
^^^ Yep, that was me. Siemens' replacement for our SD-400/460s, the S200, has a movable stair option that allows for level boarding at high level platforms and step up boarding at low level platforms. This option is in use on SF Muni lines. Whether or not Bi-State is replacing our SD-400s with those S200s is another question...
^ I like your idea the best I think. There's plenty of room to expand the 29th Street Yard in East St. Louis and it wouldn't be an issue to run a small branch line down Scott and Ewing into the Ewing Yard. I imagine it could be retrofitted to maintain both types of rolling stock. IF Bi-State does end up going with something like the S200 where they could use the same rolling stock on all three lines then they could use 29th Street to maintain the remaining SD-460s and Ewing to maintain the new cars.
Few more details from the PD. City/County are currently sitting on $233 million in unspent sales tax funds that can be used for expansion. According to Bi-State's financials, estimated sales tax receipts in FY23 and FY24 are roughly $199 million and $207 million, respectively. Obviously, not all of that can be used for expansion though.
Few more details from the PD. City/County are currently sitting on $233 million in unspent sales tax funds that can be used for expansion. According to Bi-State's financials, estimated sales tax receipts in FY23 and FY24 are roughly $199 million and $207 million, respectively. Obviously, not all of that can be used for expansion though.
I think the city and county are better off going at this expansion together. Use some of the Rams settlement money, other grants, and bond out the sales tax money for a local match.
I guess it's good that the project is still moving but it is so crazy to me that they are spending $17 million on a consultant to do work for another 14 months before they even get the federal grant required to complete the project. Like can some of that huge paycheck at least be contingent on STL receiving the federal grant? Jesus.
I guess it's good that the project is still moving but it is so crazy to me that they are spending $17 million on a consultant to do work for another 14 months of work before they even get the federal grant required to complete the project. Like can some of that huge paycheck at least be contingent on STL receiving the federal grant? Jesus.
The program management consultant hired to oversee the project is expected to draw up designs for an application to the federal New Starts funding program, which would provide 60% of funding for construction. That application could be submitted as early as the coming summer, Roach said.
“I'm very optimistic. I met with our Federal Transit [Administration] partners on Monday. They reviewed this alignment. The administrator was impressed. We feel that this will be a very competitive alignment,” Roach said.
They are now estimating that the 5.6 Mile North-South Metrolink will now cost $850M. That's crazy how much costs have inflated in the last decade or so. I remember it being about that much when it was first proposed for a project that would go to Natural Bridge and Kingshighway. At this cost it would be about $146M/mile. Why is street running light rail so damn expensive? Also, I noticed that the FTA would cover 60% now, has the rule changed recently? I always thought it was reduced to 50%. I long for the days when 80% of the costs were covered by the Feds, but we know that will never happen again. Either way the local match for the N-S Metrolink would be around $340M, which is doable and Roach claims that FTA officials were impressed with the plans. So, I guess at this point it's really up to local officials if this project fails. Fortunately, Mayor Jones and Crongresswoman Bush are in big support of the project. Page also seems to be moving forward in the County, but who knows how that will go forward. What is really pathetic is how Slay and Stenger really held this project back, this thing would probably be opening this year if not for them.
goat314 wrote:They are now estimating that the 5.6 Mile North-South Metrolink will now cost $850M. That's crazy how much costs have inflated in the last decade or so. I remember it being about that much when it was first proposed for a project that would go to Natural Bridge and Kingshighway. At this cost it would be about $146M/mile. Why is street running light rail so damn expensive? Also, I noticed that the FTA would cover 60% now, has the rule changed recently? I always thought it was reduced to 50%. I long for the days when 80% of the costs were covered by the Feds, but we know that will never happen again. Either way the local match for the N-S Metrolink would be around $340M, which is doable and Roach claims that FTA officials were impressed with the plans. So, I guess at this point it's really up to local officials if this project fails. Fortunately, Mayor Jones and Crongresswoman Bush are in big support of the project. Page also seems to be moving forward in the County, but who knows how that will go forward. What is really pathetic is how Slay and Stenger really held this project back, this thing would probably be opening this year if not for them.
$340M isn’t a completely impossible number for St. Louis right now thanks to 2017 voters. $60-70M already saved. The N/S tax should continue to generate ~$10M a year which could cover a 20yr bond of $140M or 30 for $210M.
Additionally, Mayor seems willing to spend some of the Rams settlement (up to $220M) and the City’s finances have improved that a GO bond isn’t unreasonable either.
Here’s my math.
Econ Dev Tax: $65M
Econ Dev Tax 30yr Bond: $210M
Rams Settlement: $47.5M
Additional GO Bond: $17.5M ($1M annual for 20yr)
Feds: $510M
