Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) and AARP in St. Louis– in partnership with Metro Transit, the City of St. Louis, St. Louis REALTORS®, and Ameren Missouri – today unveiled the Transit Stop Transformation Project at the MetroBus Stop, located at 13th Street and Gravois Avenue near Soulard. Key representatives of the project and elected officials made formal remarks, cut the ribbon and invited those in attendance to explore the new, revitalized space. The opening comes after a 14 month-long process of site selection; getting input from transit riders, area residents, elected officials and stakeholders through a series of design workshops, surveys and community events; and starting and completing construction.
“This is our seventh project to date – and the first one completed in the City of St. Louis,” commented Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit, who helped spearhead the transformation. “Each has taken space individuals simply pass through in route to their next destination and turned that space into a community amenity that improves safety and security, builds ridership and increases engagement around transit. There has been more than $33 million in further investment planned or completed at or near the transformed stations. These are small infrastructure projects helping to make a big difference in the respective communities, because transit matters.”
A total of $115,000 was invested in the conversion of the forgotten MetroBus Stop into a vibrant and engaging, ADA-compliant space including an investment of more than $35,000 to replace the sidewalk and ADA ramps along Gravois by the City of St. Louis. It features pedestrian infrastructure, green space, seating, wayfinding, art, lighting and a new bus shelter designed with a nod to the history of Soulard. The Transit Stop Transformation Project was led by Citizens for Modern Transit and AARP in St. Louis– in partnership with the Metro Transit, City of St. Louis and St. Louis REALTORS®. Acernus Architecture performed the planning and design, in partnership with Design Lab 443. Other contractors and vendors involved in the project included Lake Contracting, St. Clair County Transit District and Stika Brothers Cement Contractor. This project was funded by way of a national AARP Challenge Grant and through the support of AARP in St. Louis, the City of St. Louis, Citizens for Modern Transit and Ameren Missouri. Construction commenced in September and was completed in March 2025.
“Due to the success of previous Transit Stop Transformations, this project was selected out of thousands of applications to receive a national AARP Challenge Grant,” commented Sheila Holm, Community Outreach Director for AARP in St. Louis. “The goal of AARP in St. Louis is to ensure more livable and viable communities for all ages, so we would like to extend a special thank you to the national AARP office for recognizing our work right here in St. Louis.”
City of St. Louis Mayor Tishaura O. Jones added, “Making public transit accessible and attractive benefits all of us. It gets cars off the roads, making streets safer and less congested while cutting down on harmful emissions. And it helps our community thrive by enabling more people to move around our city for jobs, leisure, and vital everyday errands. This project will elevate the experience of taking the bus to or from Soulard and make this small part of the neighborhood a more interesting place.”
Other transformations completed in recent years include the Maplewood MetroBus Stop and the Emerson Park, Belleville, North Hanley, 5th & Missouri and Fairview Heights transit centers. Each project showcases a deep understanding of and commitment to equitable development around transit, the ability for creative interventions to produce a long-term impact for residents of all ages and the need for collaboration to succeed. The partners work with stakeholders to build consensus and policies to move permanent development forward – and ultimately establish lasting developments at transit stops that are helping to improve safety and security, build ridership and increase activity around transit. Each project also reinforces the element of fun that comes with activating a space and will be maintained via partner commitments to ensure sustainability for years to come.
“Metro Transit is an integral part of the fabric of the community – connecting residents in our region to jobs and opportunity. When bus stops and transit centers are beautified, neighborhoods and transit customers both win by sharing a more welcoming transit environment,” said Taulby Roach, Bi-State Development President and CEO.