The St. Louis Transit Report

[Arch City]

Opened in December 2009, it took 2 years to tear down and rebuild over 12 miles of I-64 through St. Louis. The project cost over $600-million dollars and at the time was one of the largest freeway/highway projects in the Midwest. New bridges, sound walls, landscape, signage, lighting, bike/pedestrian paths, flyovers, single-point interchange @ Kingshighway Blvd, etc.

Click a link for an image.

Deconstruction of I-64
The whole freeway was torn up and built anew. View west towards Mid St. Louis County.

Reconstruction of I-64
The whole freeway was torn up and built anew. View east towards Downtown St. Louis.

Aerial near the Washington University Medical Center #1
Aerial near the Washington University Medical Center #2
Aerial near the Washington University Medical Center #3
Aerial near the Washington University Medical Center #4

The Kings Highway better known as Kingshighway Boulevard #1
The Kings Highway better known as Kingshighway Boulevard #2
The Kings Highway better known as Kingshighway Boulevard #3
The Kings Highway better known as Kingshighway Boulevard #4
The Kings Highway better known as Kingshighway Boulevard #5
The Kings Highway better known as Kingshighway Boulevard #6
The Kings Highway better known as Kingshighway Boulevard #7

St. Louis Science Center complex in Forest Park stretches across the freeway into the Highlands area.

The Highlands @ Forest Park and St. Louis Community College @ Forest Park #1
The Highlands @ Forest Park and St. Louis Community College @ Forest Park #2
The Highlands @ Forest Park and St. Louis Community College @ Forest Park #3
*Oakland Avenue -parallel to I-64 is the Highlands service road.*

Views toward Clayton, Skinker Blvd. and Hanley highrises #1
Views toward Clayton, Skinker Blvd. and Hanley highrises #2

Flyovers near the St. Louis Galleria area #1 (Winter 2009)
Flyovers near the St. Louis Galleria area #2 (Winter 2009)
Flyovers near the St. Louis Galleria area #3 (Winter 2009)
Flyovers near the St. Louis Galleria area #4 (Winter 2009)
Flyovers near the St. Louis Galleria area #5 (Winter 2009)
Flyovers near the St. Louis Galleria area #6

Brentwood Boulevard, St. Louis Galleria area


The massive Mid St. Louis County Shopping area. #1
The massive Mid St. Louis County Shopping area. #2
MetroLink Station - near Meridian TOD.
Frontenac area. Plaza Frontenac is St. Louis most exclusive upscale mall. (Winter 2009)

[Arch City]

Just in time as more flights are scheduled to take off from St. Louis.

Friday, September 17, 2010, 12:30pm
Lambert airport gets $42M for baggage screening

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport has been awarded more than $42 million in federal funding, more than half of it from the stimulus package, for a new baggage screening system.

The new system will streamline the ticketing process by eliminating the need for passengers to carry their luggage from ticket counters to current baggage screening areas in the ticket lobby, Lambert officials said. The operations will also be centralized, and the technology will reduce the number of re-scans and physical bag searches, according to airport officials.

Lambert will receive $29 million in stimulus money for the construction of a new screening system in Terminal 1 and an additional $13.6 million from the fiscal 2010 appropriations for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for a new screening system in Terminal 2, which services Southwest Airlines, the airport’s largest carrier.

The funding will total the single largest investment at Lambert focused on enhanced airport security measures.

“This funding gives Lambert and the Transportation Security Administration tremendous technological advances to ensure the safety of our passengers and improves the passenger experience to the same level as many other airports in the country,” Lambert Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge said in a statement Friday.

In July, the Department of Homeland Security also awarded $3.1 million in stimulus funding to Lambert for an upgraded baggage screening system. That smaller award paved the way for the release of the funding announced Friday.

Source

[Arch City]

St. Louis Downtown Airport gets $4M for runway upgrade
ST. LOUIS BUSINESS JOURNAL - BY Kelsey Volkmann

The St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia, Ill., has received more than $4.1 million in federal funding for runway improvements.

The U.S. Department of Transportation grant will be used to widen a runway and install high intensity runway lights and cable, U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., said Friday.

Last summer, the airport received $4.6 million in federal stimulus money to build a new fire and rescue station.

Also on Friday, Lambert-St. Louis International Airport said it landed more than $42 million in federal funding, more than half of it from the stimulus package, for a new baggage screening system.

Source

[Arch City]

Many people don't know Downtown St. Louis has an airport near it.
_________________________
Monday, September 27, 2010, 3:23pm CDT | Modified: Monday, September 27, 2010, 3:23pm

St. Louis Downtown Airport projects to create 178 jobs
ST. LOUIS BUSINESS JOURNAL



St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia, Ill., opened a $2.7 million runway extension Monday.

This project, along with a new $4.4 million investment to widen the primary runway, will create 178 construction jobs, Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn said.

Both projects were primarily funded through federal grants. The Federal Aviation Administration requires a small matching investment from the state and the airport. Matching funds from the $31 billion Illinois Jobs Now! capital program allowed the airport to receive nearly $7 million in federal funds for these two runway expansions, Quinn said.

The airport, which is the busiest general aviation facility in Illinois, generates an annual economic impact of $300 million and has nearly 1,900 full-time employees.

Source

[Arch City]

Southwest Announces Initial Newark Service
October 28, 2010 5:45 pm by Carl Unger


Southwest revealed its initial routes from Newark Liberty International Airport today, announcing eight daily nonstops starting March 27. The airline will fly six daily nonstops to Chicago (Midway) and two daily nonstops to St. Louis.

CEO Gary Kelly told reporters assembled at Southwest Headquarters in Dallas that more routes will be coming in the near future. He explained that the new routes account for less than half the take-off and landing slots it has at Newark, and said travelers "should expect to hear more service announcements from us on Newark before the end of the year." Kelly added, "What this does for us, in combination with LaGuardia, is give us 11 daily departures to New York City from Chicago Midway, and for the first time ever, we'll have service from St. Louis to the New York area."

Southwest leased 36 slots at Newark from Continental this summer. The Department of Justice forced Continental and United to give the slots up as part of their merger approval process. Shortly after Southwest announced the lease, JetBlue announced plans to add service between Newark and Boston, one of its primary focus cities.

Source

[Xing]

Originally Posted by Arch City

Tuesday, August 10, 2010, 10:17am CDT
Scott Air Force Base to open $130M U.S. Transportation Command facility
ST. LOUIS BUSINESS JOURNAL

Gen. Duncan McNabb, commander of U.S. Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM) at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois, will preside at a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday to officially open a new $130 million facility that streamlines several operations and business functions.

The project will result in the eventual relocation of about 1,100 personnel to Scott from Fort Belvoir, Va., as called for by the Base Closure and Realignment Commission.

The new building houses USTRANSCOM’s new Fusion Center, the Army’s Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, and the Joint Intelligence Operations Center for Transportation.

The Transportation Command facility is a three-story, 180,000-square-foot structure, and the intelligence operations center is a two-story, 29,000-square-foot facility. The general contractor is River City Construction of Benton, Ill.

USTRANSCOM provides air, land and sea transportation, terminal management and aerial refueling to support the global and deployment and employment of U.S. military forces.

Ha! That's funny. I lived on Fort Belvoir, Va. for a few weeks when my family just moved to D.C. . It's a beautiful base. They'll fill up the job loss in no time.

[Arch City]

MoDot was the first State Department of Transportation to build a Diverging Diamond Interchange (DDI) in North America. MoDot's first was in Springfield, Missouri. It second is in suburban St. Louis (Maryland Heights), which recently opened.

• Video Link

• Video Link

Source

[Arch City]

St. Louis is always adding art near its MetroLink stations. Arts organizations are playing key role in elevating the appearance of stations along the system. This artwork was added earlier this year.

Keys, MetroLink Artwork at Hanley Station





Source

[Arch City]

I'm a little late with this one, but better late than never.

Downtown bike center announced
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
St. Louis Globe-Democrat



Mayor Francis G. Slay, the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis, the Downtown CID and Loftworks today announced that the funding is finalized to create the region’s first public commuter bike center.

The public Downtown Bike Center will offer cyclists a place to secure their bike, store their bike gear, and shower before coming to work. The City anticipates these services will be available late this Fall for a monthly fee.

The public Downtown Bike Center will use 1300 square feet of the ground floor of the 1011 Locust Street building, which is owned by Loftworks. The building that will house the bike station is right downtown – located on the northwest corner of Locust and Tenth Streets – and is within two blocks of a Metrolink station. The building has been restored using Historic Tax Credits, and is on track to obtain LEED Gold certification from the US Green Building Council.

The City of St. Louis applied for a Federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant from the Department of Energy to specifically fund this project. These funds were designated for energy-saving projects, and had to be approved by the Department of Energy. From the grant the City received, $181,600 will cover the costs to buy the lockers, interior bike racks, and fund the operational costs of the Downtown Bike Center’s first two years. The Downtown Community Improvement District and other partners will provide additional funding.

“We are building a City that provides an attractive way of life. After World War II, the car was a symbol of freedom. For some people today, it is just the opposite,” said Mayor Slay. “We look forward to working with the Downtown St. Louis CID and Loftworks to ensure the long-term success of this public bike center and the City’s cycling initiative.”

“This project will help cement Downtown as a walkable, livable neighborhood where you can rely on alternatives to the car,” said Maggie Campbell, Partnership President and CEO. “We are thrilled to be working with the community to realize this sustainable investment.”

“Since vehicle emissions contribute about a third of the Greenhouse Gasses into the environment, we wanted to use these ARRA Stimulus funds to promote an alternative mode of transportation,” said Catherine Werner, the City’s Sustainability Director. “By enabling St. Louis commuters to choose cycling as an affordable and attractive option, the City is demonstrating its commitment to being a healthy and sustainable community.”

Source

Read more and see renderings......here and here.

[Arch City]

Great Places in America recently came out with its list of "Great Streets" and Wydown Boulevard in Clayton made the cut.







Designated Area

The entire 1.6-mile length of the street, from Skinker Boulevard at the east end to Hanley Road at the west end.

Summary

Known as much for its scenery and attractiveness for walking, jogging, and biking as its dignified historic neighborhoods, Wydown Boulevard serves both public and private users equally well.

The street's origins date back to the early 1900s when wealthy St. Louis businessmen sought to escape urban congestion. Four subdivisions were built along the street that reflected the garden city concepts and sensitivity to the natural environment advocated by Henry Wright, Lewis Mumford, and the Regional Planning Association of America.

View Wydown Boulevard

The gentle curves of Wydown Boulevard are lined with more than 100 architecturally prominent single-family houses. The residences, in turn, form a visually harmonious backdrop to the Gothic buildings of Washington University. Moorlands Addition, a historic apartment district bordering the avenue's western-most block, offers multi-family housing. Remnants from the boulevard's history as a streetcar line and host of the 1904 World's Fair are also evident.

The wide and verdant median, defined by its lush tree canopy and footpath, acts as an extension of Forest Park, the eastern terminus of the boulevard. Wydown Boulevard's reputation as a safe right-of-way attracts pedestrians of all sorts throughout the day and evening, from elementary, middle school, and college students

Source/Read More

[Arch City]

In 2008, St. Louis opened the new St. Louis Gateway Transportation Center. Greyhound, MetroLink, Metro, Amtrak, cabbies and others connect at the Center, so the new facility gets the job done and is much, much better than what used to be there, however it is still underwhelming in my opinion. It certainly gets the job done in terms of moving people and is functional, but it is so modest and underwhelming in design that it more than slightly disappoints. Perhaps with the new HSR line some funding will be given to enhance the center.

The main terminal sits next to the MetroLink Civic Center station.

















Source

Read more and see more photos here and here.

[Busy Bee]

What is and what should be...

[Arch City]

Jazz @ Walter Circle, East St. Louis (Illinois)







Source: NextstopSTL, Today marked the groundbreaking of a $17 million development in East St. Louis adjacent to the Emerson Park MetroLink Station, Jazz @ Walter Circle. The $17 million development is a public-private partnership between the East St. Louis Housing Authority (ESLHA), Hampton Roads Ventures and Dudley Ventures, and is the first in the nation to combine public housing development funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development with New Market Tax Credits.

While Metro will serve the new development through our MetroLink station, the Agency is not a partner in this project. Metro welcomes the new development. “This is a tremendous project and we are glad it is being built near our Emerson Park MetroLink Station. It’s a great example of transit-oriented development projects that could occur nearby other MetroLink stations,” said John Langa, Metro Vice President of Economic Development.

Jazz @ Walter Circle, designed by Farr Associates, will be a mixed-use, four-story facility with 74 affordable housing units for seniors with MetroLink access, a green grocery store, community credit union, a Southern Illinois Health Foundation Wellness Center, a 6,000 foot square-foot community center with a commercial kitchen, and roof and terrace community gardens. The development is located at North 15th Street and Bowman and Exchange Avenues in East St. Louis. This phase of the development is scheduled for 2012 completion and will be going for LEED Gold rating in green building.

[Arch City]

Lots of work still needs to be done, but the New Mississippi River Bridge between the states of Missouri and Illinois near downtown St. Louis is chugging along as demonstrated by the girder work shown in the pics below. The yet-to-be named bridge is projected to be an economic stimulus for Broadway Avenue, which traverses the river. The old warehouse district, which supported industrial and commercial interests as well as the Port of St. Louis, has been discussed as an arts destination, a new loft district, and of course for new and upgraded industrial uses.

[Arch City]

Good job, St. Louis! As a result of the old St. Louis Centre mall in downtown St. Louis being redone and renamed 600 Washington, the transit plaza leading to the **underground Convention Center station** has been been re-landscaped with a new plaza and new sidewalks added.







photo credits, nextstopstl.com

Across the street from the new entrance gateway for 600 Washington and the transit plaza is work underway on the new multi-use rehab that will feature the new Embassy Suites, The Laurel Apartments, National Blues Museum etc.





photo credits, countondowntown.com

[Arch City]

St. Louis is very close to getting a bill passed in the Missouri Legislature to create an Aerotropolis - dedicated to international cargo - around St. Louis-Lambert International Airport and designated "Gateway Zones" and FTZ's (Foreign Trade Zones) within 50 miles of St. Louis-Lambert International Airport.

Nearly $500-million in tax credits will be offered to businesses nestled and to developers of cargo facilities in these "Gateway Zones".

Audio: Aerotropolis: a key to economic growth in eastern Missouri? (May 1, 2011)

St. Louis Attorney at helm of Chinese air Cargo deal (May 1, 2011)

Missouri Senate Gives Green Light To Aerotropolis Incentives (04/28/11)

Aerotropolis China cargo plan (04/27/11)

Unpacking the Aerotropolis Tax Credits (04/14/11)

Mo. House passes Aerotropolis bill (04/11/11)

USA Today: Cities build airport cities 'aerotropolises' for growth

• Video Link

[Arch City]

Chicago lands millions for high speed rail projects to St. Louis and Detroit
Travel times to Detroit could be shaved by 30 minutes
Cityroom and AP Wires May. 09, 2011

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced Monday that it's giving Amtrak $404 million to expand high-speed rail service in the Midwest. The dollars will go toward making upgrades along the Chicago-St. Louis corridor and to constructing new segments of 110 mph track between Chicago and Detroit.

Once completed, the two projects are expected to reduce travel times and improve safety.

The Chicago-to-Detroit enhancements are expected to shave 30 minutes off of passenger travel times between the two destinations, and the government claims the construction phase of the project will create 1,000 jobs.
The money was part of $2 billion originally earmarked for high-speed rail links between Tampa and Orlando, Florida.

But Florida Governor Rick Scott canceled the project earlier this year, making the money available to be used in other parts of the nation.
The Department of Transportation targeted rail projects in 15 states to receive the additional funds. 24 states, the District of Columbia and Amtrak had all applied for the dollars.

The largest share of the money - nearly $800 million - will be used to upgrade train speeds from 135 mph to 160 mph on critical segments of the heavily traveled Northeast corridor.

"The investments we’re making today will help states across the country create jobs, spur economic development and boost manufacturing in their communities,” said Transporation Secretary Ray LaHood.

Advocates of high-speed rail are scheduled to go to the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield on May 19th to lobby state officials to support enhanced passenger rail service in the state.

[Arch City]

Electric vehicle maker plans plant in Hazelwood
BY TIM LOGAN • tlogan@post-dispatch.com > STLtoday.com | Posted: Wednesday, July 27, 2011 4:48 pm |





HAZELWOOD • Boosting hopes for the St. Louis region's beleaguered auto industry, a British company is planning to launch a line of hybrid electric vans that would be made in Hazelwood.

A two-year-old startup called Emerald Automotive tonight will unveil plans for a factory that could employ nearly 600 people here. The company says it will make lightweight delivery vans for European commercial fleets, and eventually for sale in the U.S. and potentially Asia.

To get things rolling, Emerald still needs to nail down state and local incentives to help with development costs and, crucially, line up financing for its plant. But after a year of talking with local officials, the company is taking the wraps off its plan.

“We're ready to make a commitment to Missouri and to Hazelwood,” said Sharon Heaton, Emerald's general counsel. “We are absolutely committed to being there.”

Emerald has been working on its vehicle – the T100 – for about two years, Heaton said, with a design team made up of veterans of other alternative-car companies such as Lotus, Tesla and Fisker. It will use a battery, recharged by either a diesel or gas engine, and have a range estimated at 475 miles.

The target market is delivery, utility and other companies that buy vehicles in bulk and do a lot of driving. The British Royal Mail has been consulting on design, Heaton said, and has a preliminary deal to be an early customer. Indeed, Emerald expects most of its first buyers will be in Europe. But it chose to build the vehicles in the U.S., in part to tap the skilled labor market and in part because many suppliers are here, she said.

“Also we think over time the U.S. is going to be an extremely strong market for us,” she said.

Emerald looked at locations in 25 states, Heaton said. It chose the St. Louis area because of its central location, its pool of experienced auto workers here and “an incredibly business-like” approach by state and local governments, she said.

[Arch City]

First China cargo flight lands at Lambert airport By Ken Leiser • | STLtoday.com | Posted: Saturday, September 24, 2011 12:00 am







See more photos here.

A China Cargo flight carrying 80 tons of manufactured products touched down at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport on Friday afternoon.

The Boeing 777 marked the inaugural cargo flight between St. Louis and Shanghai, China. In the future, weekly cargo flights will arrive in the form of larger 747 jets, said Lambert Director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge.

"This is the start of what could be a big thing for St. Louis and a big thing for Shanghai," St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay told a group of dignitaries who gathered near the airport cargo facilities to welcome the first flight.

The plane will return to Shanghai with a fairly large shipment of components from 3M and a large shipment of compressors manufactured by St. Louis-based Emerson, Hamm-Niebruegge said.

Emerson President Edward Monsor told a group of business leaders earlier in the day that the region could turn the weakness of an underutilized airport into a potential strength — an international cargo hub.

But St. Louis, he said, must seize the opportunity and "act decisively to make this happen now."

Regional leaders stressed that the initial China Cargo flight was just a first step toward opening the door to international cargo. Missouri lawmakers still hadn't reached agreement on a proposed package of tax breaks to help develop a cargo hub at Lambert.

Officials from the Chinese government also attended Friday's event. "This symbolizes the friendship between our two countries with the arrival of an airplane in the heartland of the United States from the east coast of China," said Xia Xinghua, vice minister, Civil Aviation Administration of China.

Read More/Source

[Arch City]

Lambert-St. Louis International, Main Terminal

After only two or three Chinese cargo into St. Louis-Lambert, at this time, cargo flights from China are temporarily suspended.

It is speculated air cargo flights from China have been cancelled because the State of Missouri nixed the tax credit program proposed for freight-forwarders and facilities for St. Louis Aerotropolis. It is also speculated that cargo traffic is down worldwide and "soft air freight volume" is down from China, which is why the Chinese cancelled flights that haven't proven themselves (alas St. Louis).

Local St. Louis leaders promise to keep fighting for Aerotropolis St. Louis tax credit funding during the next session of the tired Missouri legislature.