Public Open Houses Scheduled for St. Louis MetroLink Green Line

The City of St. Louis with Bi-State Development and Metro Transit will host a series of public open houses in late April to learn from residents what potential environmental impacts they think should be studied during the next phase of the St. Louis MetroLink Green Line – environmental analysis and 30% design. The environmental analysis is a requirement of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) when seeking federal funding. During NEPA, the Green Line project team will assess potential project impacts on the human and natural environment then examine ways to avoid, minimize or mitigate adverse effects where feasible. This process ensures that the project will not significantly impact key environmental resources, such as air and water quality, or adversely impact low-income individuals or communities of color. During 30% design, major design elements, the project timeline and project costs will be fine-tuned.

The public is welcome to attend an in-person open house or the virtual meeting. The same information will be presented at each of the events outlined below.

*to request a disability accommodation or an ASL interpreter to participate in an open house, please call 314-982-1525 at least 48 hours prior to one of the meetings.   

The purpose of the MetroLink Green Line is to provide new access to growing and established job centers for residents with limited transportation options and to invest in historically underserved neighborhoods. Recently, the project passed a major milestone when East-West Gateway Council of Governments, the St. Louis region’s metropolitan planning organization, approved the revised light rail line as the locally preferred alternative (LPA). The revised alignment includes ten stations and three design options. Approval of the LPA paved the way for the project to advance to the current environmental analysis and 30% design as well as seek entry into the Federal Transit Administration’s  Capital Investment Grants pipeline, a multi-year process.

The Green Line will utilize low-floor MetroLink vehicles in the street operating within a dedicated right-of-way area (no cars allowed) separated from traffic by a curb. This will enhance safety and improve train travel times.

Following the open houses, the public will have 30 days – until Friday, May 31, 2024 – to submit their comments on potential environmental impacts and have them documented as part of the formal record. Comments can be submitted to email hidden; JavaScript is required

The environmental analysis will take about one year to complete. The project team will capture what it hears from the public, evaluate the potential environmental impacts, identify mitigation measures and prepare an environmental document with its findings. The document is anticipated to be released in spring 2025. Then public hearings will be held followed by a mandatory 30-day public comment period.

About Bi-State Development

Bi-State Development (BSD) owns and operates St. Louis Downtown Airport and the Gateway Arch Riverboats, as well as operates the Gateway Arch Revenue Collections Center and Gateway Arch trams. BSD is the operator of Metro Transit, the St. Louis region’s main public transportation system in eastern Missouri and southwestern Illinois, which includes the 87 vehicle, 46-mile MetroLink light rail system; a MetroBus vehicle fleet of approximately 260 zero-emission battery-electric and clean-burning diesel buses; and Metro Call-A-Ride, a paratransit fleet of 123 vans. BSD also operates the St. Louis Regional Freightway, the region’s freight district.