With a stunning view of both sides of the river more than 125 St. Louis dignitaries, CMT members and MetroLink friends gathered at the Three Sixty in Downtown St. Louis to celebrate twenty years of MetroLink and its successes.
City of St. Louis Mayor Slay welcomed attendees to downtown St. Louis and congratulated Metro and Citizens for Modern Transit for the success of MetroLink to date.
“MetroLink provides a critical connection between the region’s communities. It is a link for job growth, a link for you to become a tourist in your own town, and a link between our neighborhoods. Not only has MetroLink helped the region grow over the past 20 years, but it will continue to do so as more young people become less car-dependent and more focused on sustainable transportation. MetroLink ridership has topped 300 million rides since its opening on July 31, 1993. It’s a great way to go, and I am happy to be here tonight to celebrate its successes and look forward to its expansion in the future,” said Mayor Slay.
CMT Board Chair Don C. Musick presented Metro’s Board Chair Dave Dietzel with a framed picture including quotes from St. Louis leaders on the importance of MetroLink to the region. “From the moment MetroLink hit the rails in 1993, ridership far exceeded forecasted expectations. And, that momentum shows no sign of slowing. Just last year, MetroLink’s ridership increases landed the system among the Top 10 light rail systems across the country. Voters have also done their part. Those living in St. Louis City rallied behind transit in 1997, as did those in St. Louis County in 2010, making national headlines for passing a sales tax by 63 percent to fund transit, despite a bleak economy. With such support, the original system continued to expand, and today, consists of 37 MetroLink stations along 46 miles of light rail in Missouri and Illinois that connect with MetroBus for an integrated system. Since MetroLink’s opening, CMT has tracked more than $16 billion in new development within a ½ mile radius of the system. Congratulations goes to Metro , its board of commissioners, and employees for a job well done.”
Special thanks goes to the sponsors of last evening’s event including:
- Fred Weber, Inc.
- Siemens]
- Musick Construction Company
- Parsons Brinckerhoff
- URS
- EFK Moen
- Central States Bus Sales, Inc.
- St. Louis Regional Chamber
- Polsinelli
- UMSL
- Webster University
- Washington University.
All those in attendance received replica MetroLink trains to commemorate the event on behalf of Siemens.
See Pictures from the event here.