The plan to expand the Metro North and South is put on hold by Bi-State at the request of Mayor Cara Spencer. She says she wants to make sure the project is viable.
"When you're looking at a billion dollar project, and you've got a funding stream of about 12 million dollars a year for it, you've got to have that federal matching dollar in place to be able to make it be viable," Spencer says.
The expansion was initially pitched to taxpayers as 17 miles of additional track. That has since shrunk to 8 1/2 in the latest proposal from Bi-State. Spencer says she is afraid that might be too small to attract federal funding.
Bi-State Development CEO Taulby Roach tells KMOX he's known Cara Spencer for years as a transit supporter. He thinks she just wants the best, most viable project.
"In a way we kind of have a good problem. I have one community to the south in the Dutchtown neighborhood, they're real disappointed we're not going further south," Roach tells KMOX.
KMOX asked if the north-south Metrolink could become a less expensive bus rapid transit, which functions similar to a train.
"It's really clear the 2017 tax initiative specifically spells out: Metrolink north-south expansion. It's unusual, in fact, that we have something so specific from the taxpayers," he replied.
Spencer suggests the green line expand its reach into south county and north county. Roach says he's in conversations with county officials but hasn't found much grassroots support.
