Green Line (St. Louis MetroLink)

Green Line
Overview
Other name(s)	Jefferson Alignment Northside/Southside
Status	Planned
Owner	Bi-State Development Agency
Locale	St. Louis, Missouri
Termini	Grand Boulevard/Fairground Park Chippewa Street
Stations	10
Website	metrolinkgreenline.com
Service
Type	Light rail
System	St. Louis MetroLink
Operator(s)	Metro Transit
Depot(s)	Ewing Yard and Shops
Technical
Line length	5.8 mi (9.3 km)
Character	At-grade street running
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Electrification	Overhead line,  750 V DC
Route map Legend potential future extension Grand Boulevard/Fairground Park Palm Street/Salisbury Street (option) St. Louis Avenue Cass Avenue Martin Luther King Drive Market Street I-64 Scott Avenue spur to Ewing Yard Scott Avenue/Ewing Yard Red Blue Terminal Railroad Union Pacific Railroad Park Avenue Russell Boulevard (option) I-44 Gravois/Sidney Street Arsenal Street (option) Cherokee Street Chippewa Street Red and Blue lines All stations will be accessible This diagram: view talk edit

The Green Line is a planned expansion of the MetroLink light rail system in St. Louis, Missouri. The north/south running line will be at-grade street running with a dedicated lane and will be the system's third line.

History

The need for a north/south MetroLink line was first identified during the East-West Gateway Council of Governments three corridor study in the year 2000. ^[1] Officials identified a northern locally perfered alternative (LPA) that would have connected downtown St. Louis to St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley that would have cost $485.5 million. ^[2] Additionally, a southern LPA was recommended to connect downtown St. Louis with Cross County Segment 2 via Union Pacific Railroad right-of-way and a new busway between Chouteau and Loughborough avenues. ^[2] Despite recommending alternatives, local officials never moved these routes beyond the study phase. However, these suggestions would become the basis for future north/south transit planning in the St. Louis region.

In 2008, staff at East-West Gateway recommended three new LPAs for a north/south MetroLink line. The northern LPA would have run from 14th Street to a park-and-ride lot at Goodfellow Boulevard near Interstate 70. ^[3] The central LPA would have connected the northern and southern sections with a couplet on 9th and 10th streets in downtown St. Louis. ^[3] The southern LPA would have run from 14th Street to a park-and-ride lot at Bayless via Jefferson Avenue and Interstate 55. ^[3] After St. Louis County voters defeated Proposition M in November 2008, all MetroLink expansion plans were shelved. ^[4]

In 2017, St. Louis City voters passed Proposition 1, a half-cent sales tax estimated to generate about $12 million per year for MetroLink expansion. ^[5] The following year, East-West Gateway staff recommended an updated north/south LPA that would shorten the route to run between North Grand Boulevard and Chippewa Street via a couplet on 9th and 10th streets in downtown St. Louis. This route would have added 19 stations and cost approximately $667 million. ^[6]

In 2022, Bi-State Development approved an intergovernmental agreement with St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis allowing the parties to move forward on an expanded Northside-Southside MetroLink corridor study. ^[7]

In September 2023, Bi-State's board approved a 4-year, $18.9 million contract with the joint venture Northside-Southside Transit Partners to provide consulting services for the design phase of the project. ^[8] In February 2024, the East-West Gateway Council of Governments approved the updated locally preferred alternative along Jefferson thereby allowing the region to apply for federal funding. ^{[9] [10]}

The 5.8-mile (9.3 km) route would serve about 10 stations between Chippewa Street in South St. Louis and Grand Boulevard in North St. Louis running primarily on Jefferson Avenue. It would provide a fixed rail upgrade to Metro's #11 (Chippewa) and #4 (Natural Bridge) bus routes. ^[11] The 2023 design study estimates 5,000 daily boardings, $8-9 million in annual operating costs, and $1.1 billion in capital costs. ^[9]

Metro will expand the Ewing Yard and Shops to maintain light rail vehicles for the proposed expansion. ^{[12] [13]}

Route

The proposed Green Line and existing rail lines in St. Louis

The 5.8-mile (9.3 km) route would begin at the intersection of Natural Bridge Avenue and Grand Boulevard with a station at Fairground Park. It then continues east along Natural Bridge and then south on Parnell Street with a station at St. Louis Avenue. Continuing south as Parnell turns into Jefferson Avenue the line has stations at Cass Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive before entering downtown St. Louis. Downtown stations include Market Street and Scott Avenue/Ewing Yard where a transfer between the Red and Blue lines can be made. Continuing south on Jefferson the line has four more stations at Park Avenue, Gravois/Sidney Street, Cherokee Street and terminates at Chippewa Street.

Stations

From Grand/Fairground Park to Chippewa (north to south)

Station	Transfer
Grand/Fairground Park	__
Palm/Salisbury (Option)
St. Louis Avenue
Cass
Dr. Martin Luther King Drive
Market
Scott Avenue/Ewing Yard	Red Blue
Park	__
Russell (Option)
Gravois/Sidney
Arsenal (Option)
Cherokee
Chippewa

Future extension

An extension of the Green Line into North St. Louis County had been explored. In 2023, four alternatives were proposed that would have continued the line from the Grand/Fairground station along Natural Bridge Avenue toward the county. ^[14] By 2024, County leadership had rejected all four routes primarily due to the unfunded 3-mile (4.8 km) gap between the Grand/Fairground station and the county line. ^[15] Additionally, concerns were raised about federal funding, ridership, right-of-way constraints and other factors. ^[15] Instead, county leaders are exploring alternatives for North County such as light rail branching off the existing Red Line near the University of Missouri–St. Louis, rapid bus service or a hybrid of the four 2023 alternatives. ^[15]

Those 2023 alternatives were: ^[16]

1. Goodfellow/West Florissant. This route would continue along Natural Bridge Avenue, turn north on Goodfellow Boulevard and then head northwest along West Florissant Avenue ending at the North County Transit Center.
2. Jennings Stations/Halls Ferry. This route would continue along Natural Bridge Avenue, turn north on Jennings Station Road and then head northwest along Halls Ferry Road ending at the North County Transit Center.
3. Lucas-Hunt/Halls Ferry. This route would continue along Natural Bridge Avenue, turn north on Lucas-Hunt Road and then head northwest along Halls Ferry Road ending at the North County Transit Center.
4. Natural Bridge/Florissant. This route would continue along Natural Bridge Avenue with a transfer to the existing Red Line at the UMSL–North station. The route would then continue north through Ferguson on Florissant Road ending at Hereford Avenue.

See also

• Bi-State Development Agency
• Blue Line (MetroLink)
• Red Line (MetroLink)
• Metro Transit
• List of St. Louis MetroLink stations

References

1. "Major Transportation Investment Analyses; Daniel Boone, Northside and Southside Study Areas" (PDF). East-West Gateway Council of Governments. May 31, 2000. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
2. "Major Transportation Investment Analyses/ Daniel Boone, Northside and Southside Study Areas" (PDF). East-West Gateway Council of Governments. May 31, 2000. p. 33. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
3. "Northside Study Final Report: Volume 1". East-West Gateway Council of Governments. October 10, 2008. pp. 405–407. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
4. "How Prop M went off the track -- and what Metro plans to do about it". STLPR. November 26, 2008. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
5. Faulk, Mike (April 4, 2017). "MetroLink yes, soccer stadium no, and a win for St. Louis County police". STLtoday.com. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
6. "Northside-Southside Executive Summary" (PDF). East-West Gateway Council of Governments. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
7. Vallely, Jerry (June 10, 2022). "Northside-Southside MetroLink Corridor Study Agreement Approved". BSD. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
8. "Board of Commissioners 9/22/23" (PDF). Bi-State Development Agency. pp. 196–197. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 26, 2023. Retrieved September 26, 2023.
9. Cella, Kim (February 28, 2024). "East-West Board Adopts Jefferson Ave. Alignment as the Locally Preferred Alternative for Light Rail Expansion in Northside-Southside Corridor". Citizens For Modern Transit. Retrieved February 28, 2024.
10. "EWG Gateway Board Approves North-South MetroLink Green Route – East-West Gateway Council of Governments (EWGCOG)". March 7, 2024. Retrieved March 24, 2024.
11. "Northside-Southside TAA" (PDF). East-West Gateway Council of Governments. Aecom. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
12. Schlinkmann, Mark (January 18, 2024). "Cost of MetroLink expansion in St. Louis now predicted to be $1.1 billion". STLtoday.com. Archived from the original on February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
13. "About". MetroLink Green Line. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
14. Schlinkmann, Mark (February 18, 2023). "Bi-State reveals possible North County MetroLink routes". STLtoday.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.
15. Schlinkmann, Mark (June 6, 2024). "New St. Louis MetroLink line connecting to North County may not happen". STLtoday.com. Retrieved November 18, 2024.
16. Schlinkmann, Mark (February 18, 2023). "Bi-State reveals possible North County MetroLink routes". STLtoday.com. Archived from the original on September 29, 2023. Retrieved September 12, 2023.