urbanSTL

StlAlex wrote: ↑

9:21 PM - 1 day ago

Chris Stritzel wrote:I think if they brought back the MetroLink itself, the route needs to be on Florrisant rather than Jefferson. Revert it back to the 2017 plan route. Hit up downtown to drive up the score. And while I don’t see the Democrat majorities being permanent (because this country loves to give itself whiplash), I think the talks need to reopen now for MetroLink and perhaps maybe two BRTs that can be built elsewhere in the City. Because if you’re going to benefit from the current environment, you might as well go bigger than initially intended.

So basically what I said to do over a year ago.

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

I guess so. I don’t remember.

I also think there’s an opportunity for the city to explore a streetcar line on Lindell and all of utilizing a similar funding mechanism to what Omaha is using. That will you get another transit line constructed but don’t need to rely on federal dollars being awarded. It’s funded by redirecting the tax revenues generated as a result of the improvements to properties along the streetcar line and from any tax revenue from new development built along the route and within a designated transit development district. In other words, a TIF District linked with bonds. Even though MetroLink serves the same general area, having a line on Lindell and Olive would hit up more residential, entertainment, and restaurant zones along the way. It would be a more “local“ service.

Chris Stritzel wrote: ↑

8:33 PM - 1 day ago

I think if they brought back the MetroLink itself, the route needs to be on Florrisant rather than Jefferson. Revert it back to the 2017 plan route. Hit up downtown to drive up the score. And while I don’t see the Democrat majorities being permanent (because this country loves to give itself whiplash), I think the talks need to reopen now for MetroLink and perhaps maybe two BRTs that can be built elsewhere in the City. Because if you’re going to benefit from the current environment, you might as well go bigger than initially intended.

Dems will control the senate until at least 2030, look at the races in 2028. 

Chris Stritzel wrote:

StlAlex wrote: ↑

9:21 PM - 1 day ago

Chris Stritzel wrote:I think if they brought back the MetroLink itself, the route needs to be on Florrisant rather than Jefferson. Revert it back to the 2017 plan route. Hit up downtown to drive up the score. And while I don’t see the Democrat majorities being permanent (because this country loves to give itself whiplash), I think the talks need to reopen now for MetroLink and perhaps maybe two BRTs that can be built elsewhere in the City. Because if you’re going to benefit from the current environment, you might as well go bigger than initially intended.

So basically what I said to do over a year ago.

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

I guess so. I don’t remember.

I also think there’s an opportunity for the city to explore a streetcar line on Lindell and all of utilizing a similar funding mechanism to what Omaha is using. That will you get another transit line constructed but don’t need to rely on federal dollars being awarded. It’s funded by redirecting the tax revenues generated as a result of the improvements to properties along the streetcar line and from any tax revenue from new development built along the route and within a designated transit development district. In other words, a TIF District linked with bonds. Even though MetroLink serves the same general area, having a line on Lindell and Olive would hit up more residential, entertainment, and restaurant zones along the way. It would be a more “local“ service.

This is what I said more or less. I said that instead of doing BRT, they should use the 4 years of guaranteed down time to re-vamp and improve the plan so it would be ready for a more favorable federal environment. Additionally they should look at other ways to raise revenue for it.

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

JaneJacobsGhost wrote: ↑

9:58 PM - 1 day ago

Chris Stritzel wrote: ↑

8:33 PM - 1 day ago

I think if they brought back the MetroLink itself, the route needs to be on Florrisant rather than Jefferson. Revert it back to the 2017 plan route. Hit up downtown to drive up the score. And while I don’t see the Democrat majorities being permanent (because this country loves to give itself whiplash), I think the talks need to reopen now for MetroLink and perhaps maybe two BRTs that can be built elsewhere in the City. Because if you’re going to benefit from the current environment, you might as well go bigger than initially intended.

Dems will control the senate until at least 2030, look at the races in 2028. 

Correction: Until 2032 at least. 2 years split government and the potential for unified government after 2028.

It's not too late. Nothing is built yet. We could shelve this BRT thing, use ordinary busses on a similar route for a few years, and give it increased frequency to see how it works . . . and then go back to what we voted for in the first place.

StlAlex wrote: ↑

7:03 PM - 1 day ago

addxb2 wrote:

PeterXCV wrote: ↑

6:19 PM - 1 day ago

The cross county metrolink didn't get any federal funding and Metro went broke trying to fund it with local $$. 

This alone permanently altered STL's relationship with investing in transit. I don't know if we'll ever see St. Louis County come back to the table on big money for non-auto transportation. 

St. Louis County would have overwhelmingly approved a sales tax increase for transit funding yesterday had it been on the ballot. This stuff isn't as hard as you like to pretend it is.

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

It's not enough money though. I agree they'd vote for more transit, but an extra half cent sales tax, for example, would not be enough to fund light rail w/o a like 75% federal match (they'd only been giving 50% pre Trump, and only to lines w high ridership projected)

PeterXCV wrote:

StlAlex wrote: ↑

7:03 PM - 1 day ago

addxb2 wrote: This alone permanently altered STL's relationship with investing in transit. I don't know if we'll ever see St. Louis County come back to the table on big money for non-auto transportation. 

St. Louis County would have overwhelmingly approved a sales tax increase for transit funding yesterday had it been on the ballot. This stuff isn't as hard as you like to pretend it is.

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

It's not enough money though. I agree they'd vote for more transit, but an extra half cent sales tax, for example, would not be enough to fund light rail w/o a like 75% federal match (they'd only been giving 50% pre Trump, and only to lines w high ridership projected)

1) Anything is better than nothing.
2) We desperately need more funding from the county to get our bus system back to where it was even 10 years ago. Pretty sure there's a pending city tax increase that was passed like 15+ years ago that won't go into effect until the county passes the same tax. There's no excuse for there never being a push for county voters to approve it.

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

Lol so is the funding for bus services now or metrolink in the future?? 

PeterXCV wrote:Lol so is the funding for bus services now or metrolink in the future?? 

The point is literally that it doesn't matter. The point is the bare minimum would be better than the status quo, whether it's for capital projects or the improve the ever denigrating bus service.

Sent from my SM-S936U using Tapatalk

The State of Missouri is the missing piece in the funding puzzle for transit projects and if you're thinking big/optimistically here, I don't know why we reflexively leave them out of the equation. Metro, the City and County governments, Kansas City, Columbia, etc. government, et al. should be knocking on Kehoe's door right now and saying, "you want a badly needed win?"...

BRT has been a steppingstone to rail in other cities... I think what they're pursuing ultimately is a build-up of demand. Right now, in some stretches of the proposed line alignment, there isn't high demand or high density. It was as proposed initially; a build it and they will come scenario. Instead, it's build a foundation for now and if they/it does come and it fundamentally changes the makeup of the built environment that's currently devoid, then BRT infrastructure can be converted to light rail use. 

I mean St. Louis County politicians, not voters. Zimmerman isn't a visionary. He's twice as moderate as Spencer. I don't see him brining to the council or voters a proposal to spend anything more than what is already committed on public transportation. The council is slightly more progressive but certainly not coordinated enough to execute a large transit vision.

Zimmerman has said he supports BRT expansion throughout the county. He also said that the county should build denser mixed use neigborhoods around transit and redebelop older strip malls into mixed use development to save it's tax base. I think that's fairly progressive for a st louis county official.