transit in st.louis
Public transit, what can make a city the urbanist dream or the pedestrian's nightmare. With a number of good examples in the US such as New York city & Chicago, why has St. Louis fell so far behind? To start, many cities began construction on these projects when costs were low including Chicago; they introduced the first “L” train in 1892. This project was the first of many elevated trains that would build the now very recognizable transit system that is the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority). In comparison St. Louis didn’t begin to introduce a rail system to the region until the 90’s when costs per mile were much higher.
The current cost of LRT (light rail transit) ranges from ~$15 million to ~$100 million per mile, making expansion projects exorbitantly costly without State or Federal funding. Recently Rep. Cori Bush has introduced plans to provide federal grants for LRT projects, with this potential on the horizon expansion may be possible for the region. The BSDA (Bi-State Development Agency) has earlier in 2022 announced plans for a MetroLink alignment along the Jefferson corridor, adding a much deserved and needed north-south line. The proposed yellow line alignment connects a number of communities that have a history of low economic status to areas of higher growth, providing a much needed opportunity for development within such communities.
Of course LRT isn’t the only option needed or available to expand transit in the St. Louis region; buses and trams also have their moments. With BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) offering another line of transit without the huge costs, the average cost per mile being just ~$20 million in the lowest range to only about ~$80 million per mile. A BRT corridor is defined as “roadway infrastructure — at least 1.9 miles long with dedicated lanes.”(Institute for Transportation and Development Policy). St.Louis has a number of suitable corridors that would benefit from these developments, including:
Market St, which travels the central corridor of downtown St.Louis passing many city government buildings & the new soccer stadium
Kingshighway Blvd, a large corridor stretching a length of the city from south city through the Central West End neighborhood and into north city ending at W Florissant Blvd.
The length of Kingshighway through the Central went end is a massive 8 lane “strode” which is highly hostile to pedestrians.
Broadway, a lengthy corridor as well stretching from north city to south city along the city edge against the Mississippi river
A major investment in pedestrian infrastructure and transit systems is long overdue within our city. With a need to establish reliable, safe, and expansive systems, important conversations are needed to take place amongst our elected officials and our region's agencies; including the SLDC (St.Louis Development Corporation) & BSDA. There is a longer conversation we can have about pedestrian safety, we will save that for another time.
Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. “FAQ- Getting to BRT: An Implementation Guide for U.S. Cities - Institute for Transportation and Development Policy.” Institute for Transportation and Development Policy - Promoting Sustainable and Equitable Transportation Worldwide, 20 Nov. 2019, https://www.itdp.org/2019/10/04/faq-getting-to-brt-for-u-s-cities/.
