Green Line advances with route approval 

Regional leaders have approved the route for a proposed Green Line bus rapid transit system, clearing the way for the project to move into engineering and environmental review as it competes for federal funding.

The East-West Gateway Council of Governments board voted 19-2 to designate an 11.5-mile route through North and South St. Louis as the project’s preferred alignment. According to KSDK, the two dissenting votes came from St. Louis County Executive Sam Page and Municipal League of Metro St. Louis President David Dimmitt.

If built, the Green Line would create the city’s first new high-capacity north-south transit corridor in decades, linking neighborhoods in North and South St. Louis with downtown, MetroLink and major employment centers.

The route would begin near the city-county line at Goodfellow Boulevard and Natural Bridge Avenue, follow Florissant Avenue into downtown, then continue south along Jefferson Avenue to Meramec Street in South St. Louis. It would include about 23 stations and connect with MetroLink at the Civic Center Transit Center.

Mayor Cara Spencer said the route would expand access to public transportation while reaching more residents than the previous light-rail proposal.

“This BRT route will connect thousands more St. Louisans and provide a dozen more stations than the previously proposed light rail option would have, all at a lower cost and while coming downtown,” Spencer said.

“By choosing this route, we ensure high-quality transit access with frequent service for historically underserved communities, opening new doors to opportunity, enhancing safety and supporting residential and commercial growth.”

The board’s action adopts what transportation planners call the “locally preferred alternative,” the route regional leaders have selected to pursue. That designation allows the project to move into more detailed engineering, environmental review and the next stage of seeking federal funding.

Earlier plans called for a 5.6-mile MetroLink light-rail line running primarily along Jefferson Avenue. But after additional engineering studies and rising construction costs, city officials and Bi-State Development concluded that the rail project was no longer financially feasible.

They instead proposed bus rapid transit, which they say can provide many of the benefits of light rail at substantially lower cost while serving a much larger area.

The new proposal nearly doubles the corridor’s length. Project officials estimate construction would cost between $360 million and $590 million.

Unlike traditional bus service, bus rapid transit uses features intended to improve speed and reliability, including enhanced stations, faster boarding, dedicated lanes where feasible and traffic signals that give buses priority at intersections. The Green Line would operate seven days a week.

Project planners said the North Florissant alignment was selected over another option because it serves more residents who depend on public transportation, better connects downtown and reaches more neighborhoods than the previous proposal. More than 70% of participants in public outreach conducted during the winter and spring supported the recommended route, according to project officials.

Current plans call for environmental review and preliminary engineering through 2027, followed by advanced engineering before construction could begin as early as 2029. Under the current schedule, Green Line service could begin in 2031, although the timeline depends on securing federal funding and completing additional approvals.

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