The Bi-State Development Board of Commissioners will consider whether to modify the Northside-Southside contract at its Board meeting on Friday, Sept. 26 and support a study to determine the benefits of a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system instead of light rail. The proposed 15-month, $11 million effort would cover program management, alternative analysis and preliminary design.
The design for the St. Louis MetroLink Green Line had progressed to 30 percent design for the 5.6 mile, 10-station line, which would have run along Jefferson Avenue from Cherokee Street to Natural Bridge Road and then west to Grand Avenue in St. Louis City. The project was estimated to cost about $1.1 billion. Based on the information developed through 30 percent design and the state of federal funding for transit, Metro Transit determined this project was not the best fit for this corridor. However, under the leadership of Mayor Cara Spencer, the City of St. Louis is still committed to transit investment in this corridor. To that end, Bi-State Development was directed to initiate a new study for BRT.
In February 2024, the East-West Gateway Council of Governments Board approved the St. Louis MetroLink Green Line as the locally preferred alternative in the Northside-Southside corridor. Bi-State Development served as the Project Owner and Operator and was charged with the responsibility of managing design, land acquisition and construction for the project.
In June 2024, the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) formally approved the St. Louis MetroLink Green Line application submitted by Bi-State Development in partnership with the City of St. Louis to enter into project development as part of the Capital Investment Grant program. This was the first time in more than 20 years that Bi-State Development had advanced a major transit project through the FTA’s rigorous New Starts Program, which serves as the next step towards the request for federal funding through a Capital Investment Grant (CIG). CIG funding could cover up to 60 percent of the total project costs.
“Transit investment matters and is critical in this corridor,” said Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit. “As we have seen over the last 9 months, the transit industry and funding opportunities are changing. This pivot could position both the City of St. Louis and the region for a major federal investment in a large-scale transit capital project – one that not only improves access, but also delivers economic opportunity, strengthens regional connections and supports preservation and enhancement of existing neighborhoods. What matters most isn’t the mode, but the outcome: enhanced access to jobs, healthcare and education through transit investment.”
