St. Louis mayor: No more MetroLink expansion cash without proof it can be built

By Austin Huguelet | St. Louis Post-Dispatch (TNS)

ST. LOUIS, MO. — The city’s newly elected mayor said Tuesday she wants to see proof that a proposed north-south MetroLink line will win the federal support it needs before the city commits to spending more money on it.

Mayor Cara Spencer said recent changes shortening the new route’s length, plus shifts in federal priorities have raised doubts that the effort can garner the federal grants needed to complete the billion-dollar line. And she said if the line isn’t going to draw federal money, the city and Bi-State Development, which runs MetroLink, need to come up with a project that will.

“It’s important that we get this right,” Spencer said. “I want to make sure we have a viable, competitive project.”

Bi-State CEO Taulby Roach said he welcomed Spencer’s request. He said Spencer did not ask him to stop or kill the project. And he said he believes the Green Line remains a viable and competitive endeavor. But he said he understood the new mayor’s need for more information.

“This is a normal thing in this business, especially with a project of this size and scope,” he said.

Spencer’s demand, however, marked another challenge for one of the highest-profile public projects in recent memory, and at a critical time.

The Green Line, running down the Jefferson Avenue corridor from Fairground Park on the north side to Chippewa Street on the south side, is supposed to be a way to connect long-struggling city neighborhoods with opportunities in the thriving central corridor.

Extra sales taxes have been collected for nearly a decade to cover the city’s portion of the costs. Under Mayor Tishaura O. Jones, a staunch supporter, the city sent Bi-State $10 million last year to keep the project moving. And after more than a decade of debate and preparation, Bi-State has been planning to apply for federal cash this summer.

But there have long been doubts about the plan. It is not the 17-mile route connecting north St. Louis County to downtown to south St. Louis County envisioned years ago. Officials in outlying counties have questioned whether the St. Louis line can draw as many riders as promised. And Spencer herself repeatedly questioned the viability of the project during her campaign for mayor.

“I have had unanswered questions on this for far too long,” she said Tuesday. “And it’s time we get to the bottom of where we are, so we can be honest with ourselves about how we can best move forward.”

Roach acknowledged that the request could delay the application for federal funding for the new line. But he said he needs city officials to be on board to get that money anyway.

“I need the stamp and endorsement of this mayor,” he said.

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