Progress continues to be made around the potential for MetroLink expansion in the northside-southside corridor through the proposed St. Louis MetroLink Green Line project. At the same time, the 5.2-mile MetroLink extension to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in St. Clair County, Ill., continues to take shape.
The available space in close proximity to light rail offers a unique opportunity to help preserve and revitalize economically underinvested neighborhoods, increase the supply of affordable housing, add community amenities, pave the way for transit ridership and encourage investment. The St. Louis MetroLink Green Line has more than 400 acres of vacant property – comprised of both land and buildings – within a half-mile radius of the proposed route. This provides fertile ground for “transit-oriented developments” – which are known as compact, mixed-use developments located in high density areas that are within walking distance of public transit.
As part of its most recent Talking Transit event, held on Wednesday, June 26 at 8:30 a.m. via Zoom, Citizens for Modern Transit convened experts from across the country to highlight the advantages of these types of developments and the opportunities they present locally, as well as point to success stories specific to Kansas City, Charlotte, Denver, Austin and Minneapolis.
To view the discussion in its entirety, click here or view below:
David Johnson, the Chair of the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance, Senior Project Leader at TransPro Consulting and Missouri Public Transit Association board member first discussed the success of transit-oriented development in Kansas City. John Lewis, a Principal at TransPro Consulting and former CEO of Charlotte Area Transit Service then highlighted the success around light rail expansion in Charlotte. Mark Gander, the Program Director at Parsons, an infrastructure engineering firm with transit-oriented development experience across the country rounded out the conversation by providing insights from projects in Austin, Denver and Minneapolis.
Several of the key takeaways applicable to furthering transit-oriented development in the St. Louis region included making zoning a priority, cultivating leadership to advocate for developments, maximizing engagement with stakeholders and ensuring that the “why” behind efforts is always effectively communicated.
CMT hosts “Talking Transit” events on a quarterly basis to keep members, transit riders and advocates, stakeholders, elected officials and others in the loop on issues and efforts influencing the region’s transit system. These educational gatherings feature expert guest speakers and panel discussions addressing a wide range of topics, including transit access, safety and security, transit-oriented development, best practices, service changes and more. Visit CMT’s YouTube channel to explore previous “Talking Transit” events.