The new Link Market food kiosks at the North Hanley and Wellston Transit Centers are now open for business, and transit riders and nearby residents can purchase fresh fruits, vegetables and other healthy food staples at these transit locations. The Link Market kiosks are open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and accept cash, credit and EBT payments.
The Link Market food kiosk pilot program is the result of a partnership with the Bi-State Development Research Institute, a non-profit enterprise of Bi-State Development, and the Missouri Foundation for Health, which is funding the program through a nearly $584,000 grant. Bi-State Development, Metro transit and the Missouri Foundation for Health held a ribbon-cutting celebration earlier this fall at the North Hanley Transit Center to introduce the Link Market program to the St. Louis region.
By placing the Link Market food kiosks at the North Hanley and Wellston Transit Centers, thousands of transit riders will be able to conveniently access the kiosks as part of their regular commutes.
The Link Market program is partnering with local farmers and community gardens to offer locally sourced food grown within a 100-mile radius of St. Louis. The program has also partnered with the St. Louis Agency on Employment (SLATE) to fill full and part-time Link Market positions, and with the St. Louis Area Foodbank, which is providing space for food storage and administrative functions, and refrigeration. The St. Louis Area Foodbank has promised that unused food will not go to waste.