St. Louis City Mayor Tishaura O. Jones committed to light rail expansion in her State of the City Address on May 14 at the Sun Theater in Grand Center. Mayor Jones announced as a part of her remarks last evening that this week the Greenline Light Rail project will formally begin the project development phase, and if funded, construction could be complete by 2031.
“We aren’t just making it safer to get around in your car. Everyone deserves to feel safe when getting around St. Louis, whether they’re driving, biking, walking or riding public transit,” said Mayor Jones. “The Green Line, which will also connect to the Red and Blue lines, will give more St. Louisans the ability to move around the city – for jobs, education and entertainment – reducing the need for a car.”
In 2017, St. Louis voters approved an economic sales tax increase to help fund the Metrolink expansion, and as result, more than $90 million dollars for a new light rail line extension has been saved to date. The Green Line project would include 10 stations and 5.6 miles of in-street light rail running from Jefferson Avenue at Chippewa Street north to Natural Bridge Avenue in the City of St. Louis, while connecting with the current MetroLink system via a transfer station.