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I believe the extension is crucial for enhancing St. Louis's capacity for growth. Boeing's substantial investment of $200 million, along with the creation of 150 jobs at Mid America Airport for their unmanned aircraft project, is poised to generate significant economic activity in the area.
The approval of local funding for the North-South streetcar project is noteworthy, not only for its practical utility but also as a means of bolstering the region's image. This becomes even more impactful if the extension reaches the transit center on Pershall Rd.
To truly elevate St. Louis's standing, there is a need to address and refine its public image while implementing strategic promotional efforts. The expansion of public infrastructure is a pivotal component in this endeavor, despite the challenges that the MetroLink project may encounter.
Last edited by mjtinmemphis; 01-15-2024 at 12:13 PM..
Reason: grammar
I'd hope employment within an easy walking radius would be in the thousands, per station. Or residents, hotels, etc., in similar numbers. The Boeing item sounds interesting but it's a drop in the bucket.
I'd hope employment within an easy walking radius would be in the thousands, per station. Or residents, hotels, etc., in similar numbers. The Boeing item sounds interesting but it's a drop in the bucket.
I don't think there's a single location in Metro East that would clear that bar now. And to get to most of the ones that come close — Alton, Edwardsville, Granite City — you'd be running the trains through less dense territory for a longer distance than it takes to get to Scott AFB. (Only Granite City of these is close in.)
Illinois is paying for most of this, so I'll wager the state is placing a bet on Metro East's future.
I'd hope employment within an easy walking radius would be in the thousands, per station. Or residents, hotels, etc., in similar numbers. The Boeing item sounds interesting but it's a drop in the bucket.
The current Illinois stations were designed as park-and-ride stations, so the MetroLink essentially functions as commuter rail in Illinois.
As for the current extension, St. Clair County is one of a handful of blue counties outside of Chicagoland. The funding from the state was a drop in the bucket in Illinois' overall infrastructure bill, so it was essentially an easy way of showing St. Clair County that the state is thinking of them. The county is also hoping to spur economic development in and around the airport, which isn't completely out of the picture as the population continues to sprawl eastward there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MarketStEl
I don't think there's a single location in Metro East that would clear that bar now. And to get to most of the ones that come close — Alton, Edwardsville, Granite City — you'd be running the trains through less dense territory for a longer distance than it takes to get to Scott AFB. (Only Granite City of these is close in.)
Illinois is paying for most of this, so I'll wager the state is placing a bet on Metro East's future.
It would be complicated to expand there as well because the cities I bolded are all in Madison County, IL, which did not want to be part of Metro. They maintain their own independent transit system. Madison County has also been getting redder with each passing year, so I don't foresee them suddenly jumping at the idea of more transit integration.
I believe the extension is crucial for enhancing St. Louis's capacity for growth. Boeing's substantial investment of $200 million, along with the creation of 150 jobs at Mid America Airport for their unmanned aircraft project, is poised to generate significant economic activity in the area.
The approval of local funding for the North-South streetcar project is noteworthy, not only for its practical utility but also as a means of bolstering the region's image. This becomes even more impactful if the extension reaches the transit center on Pershall Rd.
To truly elevate St. Louis's standing, there is a need to address and refine its public image while implementing strategic promotional efforts. The expansion of public infrastructure is a pivotal component in this endeavor, despite the challenges that the MetroLink project may encounter.
The new extension north / south will also still connect to the new NGA, and since it will be going along Jefferson this should mean no park-and-ride stations. If they do the connecting station properly, it should still assist in easy transfer to the red and blue lines to go to downtown.
I am still waiting to see how they do this. It could be busy.
If the dedicated north and south lanes are on their respective outside lanes of Jefferson, then they could mimic what they did with Grand and have the stations on each side with stairs and elevators down to the dedicated blue and redline platform below. https://www.google.com/maps/@38.6297...8192?entry=ttu
Also seems cheaper than drilling through the overpass in order to create a center island station on Jefferson.
The current Illinois stations were designed as park-and-ride stations, so the MetroLink essentially functions as commuter rail in Illinois.
As for the current extension, St. Clair County is one of a handful of blue counties outside of Chicagoland. The funding from the state was a drop in the bucket in Illinois' overall infrastructure bill, so it was essentially an easy way of showing St. Clair County that the state is thinking of them. The county is also hoping to spur economic development in and around the airport, which isn't completely out of the picture as the population continues to sprawl eastward there.
It would be complicated to expand there as well because the cities I bolded are all in Madison County, IL, which did not want to be part of Metro. They maintain their own independent transit system. Madison County has also been getting redder with each passing year, so I don't foresee them suddenly jumping at the idea of more transit integration.
Did Madison County pull out of the Bi-State Development district?
I had an uncle, an artist of some note, who taught at SIUE from 1969 on and whom I visited often; on one visit, I decided I wanted to spend some time in the city and took a Bi-State bus into downtown St. Louis from Edwardsville. Is that no longer possible?
(Edited to add: This sounds an awful lot like Johnson County, Kan., which did eventually bring its bus system back into the KCATA fold.)
If the dedicated north and south lanes are on their respective outside lanes of Jefferson, then they could mimic what they did with Grand and have the stations on each side with stairs and elevators down to the dedicated blue and redline platform below. https://www.google.com/maps/@38.6297...8192?entry=ttu
Also seems cheaper than drilling through the overpass in order to create a center island station on Jefferson.
Make sense. I hope they design with better bike infrastructure. Grand is atrocious.
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