Downtown St Louis Streetcar : Proposal (St. Louis, Benton: how much, transfer, neighborhoods)

[DarkWolf]

nextSTL | Olive/Lindell Streetcar or Bust: Why a New St. Louis Line Must Build On Success

Streetcar headed to downtown St. Louis? - Citizens For Modern Transit

What are your thoughts on this proposal?

[billiken]

I don't really get it...MetroLink already essentially serves all these areas. I used to live on Lindell by SLU where the proposed streetcar runs, and I used the MetroLink all the time. One step at a time, IMO--get the North/South MetroLink line built.

[BoomBoxing]

Streetcars, hell yes. That route, not really because as pointed out already, it duplicates metrolink. How about a north-south line? Kingshighway, Grand, Jefferson, broadway would all work. Run two connectors on each the north side (Mlk, natural bridge) and the south side (Chippewa, Arsenal?) and you have an awesome, thorough system. In the meantime, I'd love to see something similar to DC's Circulator bus. Basically, two to four routes that are separate from
Metro buses that have one dollar fares and run just in between the hot spots with no stops in between. I know there's a downtown one but how about connecting to the spots on the south side? Run one that goes from DT to Soulard to Benton Park, to South Grand, to the Grove, etc.

Make it happen, Metro!

[1greatcity]

St. Louis had a vast streetcar system for decades (it quickly disappeared with the construction of the interstate highway system.) It's interesting to see all of these proposals for street cars returning to STL. Funny how some things come full circle.

[flynavyj]

I think it has a couple allures, one being that we used to have a very extensive street car system so it's kind of "retro"...also, it'd be something that most other metros don't have, we all know that street cars are a staple we think of when thinking of San Francisco...i'm sure someone thinks this would make for a great STL postcard, and god knows the state could use some tourist money.

I agree though, I don't think this should be a duplication effort on Metrolink, it'll simply starve the current metrolink system instead of complimenting it. If you ran several North/South lines, along with southern and northern East/West lines, it could really help fill in some gaps in the current metro link system, help fill the existing metro link, and provide an interesting mode of public transportation that's very different from buses, or trains.

[Dawn10am]

I don't know how much I'd use it. Streetcars are basically just buses on a track, so it would take much longer to get from the CWE to downtown than it does on the MetroLink. I'd much rather see a North-South MetroLink line get built before this.

[aragx6]

It's true, trolleys are mad popular right now and a lot of cities are looking into them as a cheaper solution to building new light rail lines and a more tourist & suburbanite friendly option than buses.

Some of them make sense, and I'll admit to be excited about the Loop trolley, but downtown is compact and already well serviced by metrolink. Not certain this one is a good use of funds.

Some sort of N/S trolley line that connects some of St. Louis' most popular south side neighborhoods would be ideal. The N/S metro line is something I really hope happens, but it's likely not that feasible in the near term: Metro would depend on both state and federal monies to accomplish that, and funds like that are very scarce at the moment.

[mike0421]

I am with the others, and would rather see something that roughly shadows Kingshighway or Skinker, headed N-S. Lindell parallels the existing Metrolink and comes off as somewhat of a redundancy.

[glamatomic]

I love Street Cars or 'Trams' as we call them in Australia. There is something overwhelmingly dull about Buses- that diesel smell and the fact that they are affected by traffic conditions just as much as the regular commuter.

Melbourne (in Australia's south) still has an all out Tram System (unlike the other Australian state capitals they never got rid of it) with a mix of vintage/ retro and modern / shiny trams. Whenever I was in Melbourne, trams were always my premier choice of public transportation. They don't have that awful smell, the ride always seems 'smoother' and more comfortable than a bus, and they are less affected by traffic as they have their own central lanes in the streets, and always have the right of way.

If the Street Car was brought back to St. Louis, I may actually use public transportation more often. With the route proposed in the OP's thread, in addition to a North-South route, I think a lot of people may consider it an alternative to the Buses and Metrolink.

Now, just for fun: An Old and a New tram in Melbourne, Australia.

[Sundaydrive00]

Originally Posted by glamatomic

I love Street Cars or 'Trams' as we call them in Australia. There is something overwhelmingly dull about Buses- that diesel smell and the fact that they are affected by traffic conditions just as much as the regular commuter.

Melbourne (in Australia's south) still has an all out Tram System (unlike the other Australian state capitals they never got rid of it) with a mix of vintage/ retro and modern / shiny trams. Whenever I was in Melbourne, trams were always my premier choice of public transportation. They don't have that awful smell, the ride always seems 'smoother' and more comfortable than a bus, and they are less affected by traffic as they have their own central lanes in the streets, and always have the right of way.

If the Street Car was brought back to St. Louis, I may actually use public transportation more often. With the route proposed in the OP's thread, in addition to a North-South route, I think a lot of people may consider it an alternative to the Buses and Metrolink.

Now, just for fun: An Old and a New tram in Melbourne, Australia.

Looks like San Francisco's Muni bus system. They have old vintage streetcars and new hybrid trollybuses, along with the famous cable cars.

I also think the proposed route would be fine, along with a North-South route. Yes, we already have the metrolink and buses downtown, but there is nothing wrong with giving people another option. A North-South along Kingshighway would be great. It would not only be given South City a better option of public transportation into Downtown, but would connect up North St. Louis with CWE, Forest Park, Tower Grove, Botanical Gardens, and South City. It would be better if there was a metrolink stop on Kingshighway that could create a transfer station from the N/S Streetcar line to metrolink and the E/W Streetcar line.

I would think for the E/W line to work with the existing Metrolink, there needs to be a transfer station there as well. Anyone using public transportation west of Kingshighway isn't going to use the streetcar, since any Metro stop is at least a few blocks from the streetcar. Going down Lindell/Olive is a great location since it will service the Fox Theatre and Powell Hall, two of the downtown venues that are not convenient to Metrolink. But not a lot of people are going to want to get off the metrolink and either catch a bus to the streetcar, or walk a few blocks to the streetcar.