The Northside-Southside MetroLink expansion is an entirely new line that would stretch up to 17 miles across North St. Louis, South St. Louis and downtown, providing residents with improved access to public transportation. Originally approved back in 2008 by the East-West Gateway Council of Governments’ Board of Directors, the time has come to see the Northside-Southside project realized.

The MetroLink extension is the culmination of the Northside-Southside Transit Improvements Study that began back in 2005 to identify the best solution for expanding St. Louis' transit options. The preferred route for the Northside portion would run right through the heart of Ferguson on its way to Florissant Valley Community College. The Southside alignment would run through the burgeoning neighborhoods along Jefferson to the I-55 corridor. 

The Northside-Southside Study spanned two years and involved input from city and transit officials, engineers, neighborhood and community leaders, and area residents. The Northside-Southside expansion was the most highly favored corridor in the Moving Transit Forward public meetings held throughout the region. It is also the only MetroLink likely to be eligible for federal funding.

The research has been done, a plan has been approved and it’s now time to move forward. Several business executives have joined an ad hoc committee, Friends for the Northside-Southside MetroLink Expansion, with the immediate goal of taking the expansion study to the next level, which includes engineering and construction.

A project like the Northside-Southside expansion doesn’t just mean additional travel options for local residents – it also means improving their quality of life. The study estimated a ridership of nearly 15,000 trips per day. That’s thousands of opportunities for the men, women and children of St. Louis to access education and jobs that previously were out of reach. Public transportation also opens the door for new development, often revitalizing distressed neighborhoods.

The existing MetroLink Red and Blue lines have supported over $15 billion in development since 1993. The Northside-Southside expansion will enhance the economy of the St. Louis area and position our community with a vision towards the future. I wholeheartedly support this project and will do whatever I can to see it come to fruition.