With any luck 2030 could be one heck of a transportation year for St. Louis between North-South MetroLink and Airport.
anyone want to conjecture on the ribbon cutting opening day what the final cost will be at/around?
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This project isnt getting new starts money, it just isnt going to unless the the wheels get greased by federal delegation and i dont see either MO senators going to bat for this. also if Biden loses in nov, none of this is happening,
While I unfortunately agree with you, I think it is great that this project has gotten even this far. Maybe if this fails we could go for a modern streetcar instead like KC. It's only 5 miles, that's nothing.dbInSouthCity wrote: ↑Jan 19, 2024This project isnt getting new starts money, it just isnt going to unless the the wheels get greased by federal delegation and i dont see either MO senators going to bat for this. also if Biden loses in nov, none of this is happening,
The materials posted on EWG agenda for next week say this is the furthest N/S MetroLink has ever gotten.
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Regional board votes to OK north-south MetroLink expansion route
https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2024/02/28/metrolink-expansion-route-north-south-board.htmlThe St. Louis region's planning agency voted Wednesday to approve a north-south MetroLink expansion route, though the project still faces future hurdles, including procuring important federal grants.
Members of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments voted 14-5 to adopt the light rail route, running in the street from Jefferson Avenue at Chippewa Street north to Natural Bridge Avenue in the city of St. Louis, and connecting with the current MetroLink system via a transfer station. The organization made the route its locally preferred alternative, allowing transit agency Bi-State Development to work with the city to start project development and apply for federal funds.
Bi-State anticipates completing environmental assessment work for the project in 2025 and design work in late 2026. Construction could come from 2027 to 2030, it said. The agency in January revealed that the extension, which was shifted west in 2022 amid changes in work patterns after the Covid-19 pandemic, could now cost $1.1 billion. That's up from prior estimates, though officials said Wednesday they hoped to get the figure down to $800 million to $850 million, perhaps by utilizing a current maintenance facility instead of building a new one.
The expansion, which would have 10 stations, could attract 5,000 riders a day, Bi-State said.
Bi-State envisions getting $658.9 million in U.S. Federal Transit Administration grants, $218.9 million from U.S. Department of Transportation loans, $132.2 million from bonds it would issue, and $90 million from city of St. Louis Proposition 1 and other funds.
Bi-State President and CEO Taulby Roach cited Prop 1, passed by voters in 2017, as reason to add light rail, as opposed to alternatives like bus rapid transit. Operating costs for the expansion, to be covered by city taxes, would run $8 million to $9 million annually, Roach said.
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I apologize if this question is obvious, but I have not followed the
N-S line story in a while. I assume this will be a streetcar line?
While this line may not be the best of the best option for a new line, this could lead to further expansion, especially if this is a streetcar line.
N-S line story in a while. I assume this will be a streetcar line?
While this line may not be the best of the best option for a new line, this could lead to further expansion, especially if this is a streetcar line.
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Street running light rail. Much higher quality than your typical 2010's streetcar, stops also much further apart. Check out what they have in Minneapolis, I am assuming it will be pretty similar to the segment that runs on University Ave between Minneapolis and Saint Paul.
Edit: When are we applying for these grants? When are they being awarded? Hopefully before the end of the year, I could see a potential new/old administration completely gutting new transit funding...
Edit: When are we applying for these grants? When are they being awarded? Hopefully before the end of the year, I could see a potential new/old administration completely gutting new transit funding...
Missed opportunity, it obviously should be the Gold Line, to stick with the colors of the St. Louis flag. Really commit to the bit--cars painted shiny gold, conductors and security guards wearing elaborate gold lamé outfits, gold lettering on the stops, etc. Though I share the skepticism of others that this is likely to get done soon, I'd be happy to be proved wrong.Chris Stritzel wrote: ↑Feb 29, 2024Apparently this will now be known as the Green Line
Source? It should definitely be yellow.Chris Stritzel wrote:Apparently this will now be known as the Green Line
5,000 riders a day is really low, I'd be pessimistic about getting federal funds even with a dem administration. It also seems like an underestimate to me, I think the South Jefferson portion could attract a lot more riders than that. Though of course, without good connecting bus service Metrolink ridership has a lower ceiling than it should have.
I think they will present this as a way to redevelop distressed neighborhoods and the connection to NGA (a federal facility) will be a plus.PeterXCV wrote: ↑Feb 29, 20245,000 riders a day is really low, I'd be pessimistic about getting federal funds even with a dem administration. It also seems like an underestimate to me, I think the South Jefferson portion could attract a lot more riders than that. Though of course, without good connecting bus service Metrolink ridership has a lower ceiling than it should have.
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Direct from Bi-State’s Facebook. Only way I knew about it was someone shared this post in my Facebook Group.
https://www.facebook.com/share/dybeHNQv ... tid=WC7FNe
Yeesh. No opportunity for feedback!? Should’ve been yellow and it’s name should be “Fleur-de-link”
I’m not sure where I stand on NS MetroLink right now. My opinion changes every month. I’m pro-expansion but I really think the north half of this project is going to have *ugly* ridership numbers until development catches up.
For this amount of money we could make Grand and Jefferson BRT, add a transfer stop at Jefferson, and build the Olive Streetcar from Downtown to Kingshighway.
I’m not sure where I stand on NS MetroLink right now. My opinion changes every month. I’m pro-expansion but I really think the north half of this project is going to have *ugly* ridership numbers until development catches up.
For this amount of money we could make Grand and Jefferson BRT, add a transfer stop at Jefferson, and build the Olive Streetcar from Downtown to Kingshighway.
Since there is interest in sharing maintenance facility, my proposal from 2022 doesn’t feel so far off now...addxb2 wrote:Here is my wild, likely infeasible, pitch.
Connect N/S with existing MetroLink via Scott and Ewing Yards property. Utilize the existing rolling stock and build high-floor stations throughout.
Skip adding a new station at Jefferson (saving $)
Skip buying new rolling stock, focus of refurbishment (saving $)
I added a sandbox route map in the corner to show how this opens the system up to more combinations of routes.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Looks like they are cutting the stations at arsenal, Salisbury, and Russell. Looks like Hyde park, Benton park, fox park, and McKinley heights will have no easy way to get on the train. There is a new map in the post dispatch article. Apparently this is all 1.1 billion dollars gets you now.
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Sorry for asking newbie question but when is the anticipated completion date if all the approvals are in place?
If this is true I like, actually am not even sure I care if this gets built.Shdks wrote: ↑Feb 29, 2024Looks like they are cutting the stations at arsenal, Salisbury, and Russell. Looks like Hyde park, Benton park, fox park, and McKinley heights will have no easy way to get on the train. There is a new map in the post dispatch article. Apparently this is all 1.1 billion dollars gets you now.
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Most important is get the line built since those stations can be added later. Ideally get some good TOD along the corridor.
Wow. They cut four stops, that's huge.
Arsenal, Olive, Russel, Parnell & Natural Bridge
That's unbelievable.
South City and Downtown are (were) going to carry this line's ridership and they just made it a lot harder for those people to use.
Arsenal, Olive, Russel, Parnell & Natural Bridge
That's unbelievable.
South City and Downtown are (were) going to carry this line's ridership and they just made it a lot harder for those people to use.
This might be a dumb question but something I wondered. Does this have to be on a track or could it be on wheels? If it wheels would that cut a decent chunk of price? In my mind it would make a big difference but I really have no clue
Cutting Olive makes absolutely no sense at all, but I imagine that the final station locations haven't been completely decided yet. What I would like to know is if this gets denied at the federal level, what would be the alternative? Are we looking at streetcar or BRT at that point? I wouldn't necessarily be dismissive of a streetcar with a BRT overlay.addxb2 wrote: ↑Mar 01, 2024Wow. They cut four stops, that's huge.
Arsenal, Olive, Russel, Parnell & Natural Bridge
That's unbelievable.
South City and Downtown are (were) going to carry this line's ridership and they just made it a lot harder for those people to use.
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This is not a transportation project. It's an "equity" project.