What’s the potential for economic development around the 37 existing MetroLink light rail stations?
Creating walkable and bikeable communities takes more than a well-planned, well-designed transportation network. While connected sidewalks, on-street bicycle facilities, off-street trails, and public transit can support walking and bicycling, another equally important piece is that neighborhoods, business districts, employment centers, and other land uses be conveniently located and accessible to walkers, bicyclists, and public transit users.
Too often, the places we visit on a daily basis – school, our workplace, the grocery store, restaurants, and shops – are too far to walk or bike to, even from the nearest transit stop. The result is increased automobile trips, longer driving distances, and more stress on public roadways, all of which increase transportation costs to both individuals and to local, state, and federal governments. Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) is a potential solution to this dilemma, and a regional study about it is now underway.
Transit-Oriented Development is the concept of locating a mixture of land uses like retail, residential, and professional office space in close proximity to transit stations. By locating new development adjacent to transit stations and providing safe, accessible connections for walking and bicycling, TOD has an enormous potential to affect regional transportation and development patterns and encourage walking, bicycling, and public transit as smarter, more convenient transportation choices. To learn more about TOD and its many benefits, visit the Center for Transit-Oriented Development.
East West Gateway Council of Governments and its consultant team will be hosting a series of upcoming public meetings to talk about the potential for TOD in the St. Louis Metro Area and get feedback from residents throughout the region. Trailnet encourages you to get out to one of these public meetings, learn more about Transit-Oriented Development, and show your support for a more walkable and bikeable St. Louis Region. Here’s all the important info for the meetings:
The project team will hold each meeting from 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday, July 16-19. Public presentations, including the opportunity to provide input via keypad polling, will be held from 4:30 to 5:30 each evening, with a repeat of the same session from 6:30 to 7:30.
Monday, July 16, 2012
Southwestern Illinois College-Belleville Campus
The Garden Room near the Cafeteria
2500 Carlyle Ave.
Belleville, IL 62221
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Crossroads School Cafeteria
500 DeBaliviere Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63112
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Maplewood Richmond Heights
High School Cafeteria
7539 Manchester Rd.
Maplewood, MO 63143
Thursday, July 19, 2012
East St. Louis City Hall Rotunda
301 River Park Dr.
East St. Louis, IL 62201
You can learn more about the St. Louis Regional Transit-Oriented Development Study here.
Thanks and recognition go to both Citizens for Modern Transit (whose tagline is “Working to Expand Metrolink) and Metro for helping raise people’s awareness of TOD.
We hope to see you next week!
Kevin Neill
Community Planning Manager