At a recent 24:1 meeting, St. Louis County released information on the table for a proposed Northside MetroLink extension. Currently, AECOM is leading the St. Louis County study. The four possible routes would all begin at the terminus of the Northside alignment proposed for the City of St. Louis portion at Grand Blvd. and Natural Bridge Ave.
The four proposed routes would provide MetroLink service to North St. Louis County. Options include the following alignments:
- Goodfellow Blvd. to W. Florissant Ave.
- Natural Bridge Ave to Jennings Station Rd. to Halls Ferry Rd.
- Natural Bridge Ave to Lucas- Hunt Road to Halls Ferry Road
- Natural Bridge Ave. to Florissant Rd.
According to the project consultants, the proposed lines were developed based on the following technical factors: equity and demographic factors, existing bus ridership, LRT compatible alignment and a network of transfer opportunities. These lines will then be evaluated further based on the following criteria: public feedback, design requirements, rough cost estimates and the ridership forecast.
At a recent CMT Talking Transit event, Bi-State Development President and CEO Taulby Roach said the Alternatives Analysis for the City of St. Louis portion is currently underway. The goal is to make the alignment as competitive as possible to compete for federal dollars and to fulfill the obligations to the public in both St. Louis City and St. Louis County to successfully develop light rail.
Roach added that a Request for Proposals (RFP) for a Project Management Consultant for the project will be on the street shortly. AECOM is leading the study for both the City of St. Louis and the St. Louis County.
As more information becomes available, CMT will provide updates.