New study shows millions in economic impact from expanded MetroLink system

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - What could an expanded MetroLink system mean for St Louis, beyond just transportation? How about an influx of dollars into the local economy?

Professor Robert Lewis, an assistant professor of urban planning and development at Saint Louis University, says that a planned additional line of MetroLink, the Green Line, could generate nearly $60 million in activity over the course of it's first five years in operation.

"Broadly speaking I think we all know that when money gets spent, it becomes income for somebody else," said Lewis on Total Information AM Wednesday. "That money flows around through the economy and sometimes it leaks out when we buy stuff from Illinois or France, but once you spend some money bi-state, that generate dollars being spent in the economy and start to circulate around, parading jobs in a multiplier effect."

Lewis says the region hasn't always been the best at leveraging our light rail lines as strongly as the region could, but yet he says we have seen benefits.

"SLU University has expanded and it includes a medical center. The university has included a ridership for it's employees and it's students," said Lewis. "We've seen apartments being built, certainly along the RED and BLUE lines at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Station and on East Side as well. Those kind of numbers are good, but they could be greater."

The planned GREEN Line, running along Jefferson from Chippewa to the new National Geospatial headquarters near Cass Avenue and then west to North Grand.

As part of this project, there will be 12 new light rail vehicles, a new transfer station for connection to existing MetroLink, and a dedicated maintenance facility at the existing Ewing Yard.