Even More Park-Ride Spaces in Illinois

Even More Park-Ride Spaces in Illinois

From a recent Citizens for Modern Transit email announcement:

"Fifth & Missouri Station
The St. Clair County Transit District will begin construction on an additional parking lot adjacent to the existing lot located at the 5th and Missouri MetroLink station. The new facility will feature 161 paved parking spaces with appropriate lighting and a code blue emergency telephone. The new lot should be available by the end of November and will replace the gravel lot that exists nearby.

Memorial Hospital Station
Design and engineering has begun for an additional 168 parking spaces to be provided in a new lot located at the Memorial Hospital MetroLink station. Bids for construction of this facility should be advertised this winter with construction beginning in the Spring of 2006. The new lot should be available for MetroLink customers during the summer of 2006. The existing parking lot is frequently overflowing.

Swansea Station
The St. Clair County Transit District expects to begin design and engineering for additional parking at the Swansea MetroLink station this fall. Construction should be completed in mid-2006, providing an estimated 200 or more parking spaces for this lot that frequently reaches capacity."

Too bad they're not thinking of also taking advantage of the available property and customer volume by adding retail space to these sites. I sure hope somebody comes up with a plan for the area near Fifth & Missouri Station. Among other great buildings, the old Broadview Hotel has been sitting empty (albeit well-secured) since 2003, since SIUE moved their East St. Louis Center several blocks south to the former State Community College campus. (See details about that renovation)

It will take a lot of money to fix up massive buildings like that one, and the Spivey Building, in downtown ESL. But, maybe, someday, someone will do it. We can only hope.