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St. Louis Metrolink

MetroLink is a light rail train system in Saint Louis, Missouri. The system currently consists of a single 38-mile-long line connecting Lambert-St. Louis International Airport in Bridgeton, MO with Scott Air Force Base near Shiloh, IL. An 5.3 mile eastward extension of this line to Mid-America Airport (a currently vacant civilian airport sharing runways with Scott AFB) remains unfunded. The system currently features 28 stations, and carries an average of 44,539 people each weekday (FY 2003).

A second line, the "Cross-County Extension," has been under construction since spring 2003. This 8-mile-long, 9-station line will connnect Washington University, downtown Clayton, the popular St. Louis Galleria shopping center and Shrewsbury to the system. It is expected to be complete by fall 2006. Further extensions are under study, but no alignments have yet been chosen, let alone engineered or funded.

MetroLink is operated by the Metro agency. Officially known as the Bi-State Development Agency, Metro operates St. Louis' MetroBus system and MetroLink. It also operates Call-A-Ride (custom point-to-point public transit for the disabled), St. Louis Downtown Airport (formerly Parks) and the adjoining industrial business park, paddlewheel-style river excursion boats, the tram system leading to the top of the Gateway Arch, and the Arch's parking garage.

History

Construction on the initial MetroLink alignment from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport to the 5th & Missouri station in East St. Louis, IL began in 1990. The initial alignment opened in July 1993. The capital cost to build the initial phase of MetroLink was $464 million. Of that amount, $348 million was supplied by the Federal Transit Administration.

MetroLink spectacularly exceeded pre-opening estimates of its ridership. However, its popularity did not translate into quick expansion. Construction has been greatly slowed by the increasing scarcity of Federal light rail construction funds. As time has passed, an ever-greater share of the costs has been borne by state and local governments. The most recent work has been entirely funded by local dollars.

Construction on the St. Clair County MetroLink extension from the 5th & Missouri station to the College station in Belleville, Illinois began in 1998. The St. Clair County MetroLink extension opened in May 2001. Eight new stations and seven park-ride lots were added to the extension. The total project cost was $339.2 million, with the Federal Government and St. Clair County Transit District sharing the burden at 72% ($243.9 million) and 28% ($95.2 million), respectively. Local funding was provided by the St. Clair County Transit District as a result of a 1/2 cent sales tax passed in November 1993.

In June 2003, a 3.5-mile extension from Southwestern Illinois College to Shiloh-Scott station opened. This $75 million project was funded by a $60 million grant from the Illinois FIRST (Fund for Infrastructure, Roads, Schools, and Transit) Program and $15 million from the St. Clair County Transit District.

The current Cross-County Extension project (see above) is being funded by a $430 million Metro bond issue. Metro cited repeated delays and cost overruns as its reasons for firing its general contractor in summer 2004. The contractor, itself a coalition of four general contractors, in turn cited excessive change orders by Metro as the cause of the problems. Metro vowed to act as its own general contractor and aimed for a fall 2006 opening.

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Last updated: 05-10-2005 07:29:39
Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04