City of St. Louis Tishaura O. Jones provided the keynote at the CMT 40th Annual Meeting Luncheon on Friday, September 13. She discussed the future of transportation and mobility in the City of St. Louis including the future of public transit and the MetroLink Green Line. She said the planned 5.6 mile, 10 station MetroLink line would connect residents to jobs, schools, healthcare and more; not to mention critical investment in this corridor.
“The neighborhoods along this corridor need serious investment and the MetroLink Green Line is that investment. Our goal is to not just move the needle. The goal is transformational change through transit investment. There is a time and place for BRT and other transit options, but this is not the time or place. This is the time to think big and to swing for the fences because the returns are so important – to empower, develop and transform our city for many years to come,” said Mayor Jones.
The proposed Green Line rout would be dedicated lane, in-street, light rail which would travel from Fairground Park at Grand Boulevard, along Natural Bridge Avenue, before turning south Jefferson and eventually reaching Chippewa in south St. Louis, picking up passengers at 10 stations along the way. With convenient passenger transfers to the existing MetroLink Red and Blue Lines, the MetroLink Green Line could improve access to economic opportunities for more St. Louisans and will help preserve and grow the City’s unique neighborhoods.
The next steps are to complete an environmental review and 30% of the design before the Green Line can be considered for the FTA’s Capital Investment Grant, which could cover up to 60% of the total project costs. If approved, that would equate to more than a $600 MILLION federal investmetn in the City project.