Metrolink Expansion

St. Clair County Extension

Go METRO! to St. Clair County, IL.

MetroLink officially opened for revenue service on May 7, 2001 to St. Clair County, IL. with record ridership. The second leg to Shiloh-Scott opened on June 23 for regular service.

Open for business:

The first phase of the St. Clair County MetroLink extension from the 5th and Missouri station to Southwestern Illinois College opened for revenue service on May 7, 2001. Upon opening of the extension, the MetroBus system was rerouted to feed into the stations along the new alignment thus creating an integrated system. The new MetroBus routes serve closer stations resulting in a shorter bus ride to MetroLink.

Twenty four new vehicles total were purchased for the extension. Throughout the construction process in St. Clair County, officials listened to feed back from residents affected by the construction.

Stations are located at Emerson Park, JJK Center in East St. Louis, Washington Park, Fairview Heights, Memorial Hospital, Swansea, Belleville and College Station. The line links with the existing MetroLink line at 5th & Missouri in East St. Louis. Each station has a park-ride lot with the exception of the JJK station; totaling 3,500 commuter spaces. For those driving to the stations, the St. Clair County Transit District is recommending that commuters use the Emerson Park, Washington Park and Fairview Heights Stations were there is ample parking available.

Wondering how long it will take to travel from the College Station to Downtown St. Louis. Here are some sample service times between the new stations and the original alignment:

College Station	Emerson Park Station	Convention Center Station	Union Station
6:16 a.m.	6:43	6:52	6:58
7:28 a.m.	7:55	8:04	8:10
7:50 a.m.	8:17	8:26	8:32

The 17.4 mile extension utilizes both new right-of-way and abandoned CSX railroad right-of-way. The total cost for the St. Clair County extension is $339.2 million, under budget.

METROLINK to SHILOH-SCOTT Opened in 2003

Phase 2 of the St. Clair County MetroLink extension is scheduled to open for passenger service on June 23, 2003. Phase 2 will extend 3.5 miles from the College MetroLink station at Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville to the Shiloh-Scott station. The Shiloh-Scott station will serve Scott Air Force Base and eastern St. Clair County commuters. Scott Air Force Base is the largest employer in Illinois south of Springfield, and Shiloh is one of the fastest-growing communities in the St. Louis metropolitan area.

The Shiloh-Scott station will have two sections – one open to the general public, and the other open to those with Scott Air Force Base security clearance. The portion of the Shiloh-Scott station open to the general public will have approximately 500 parking spaces. The Scott Air Force Base side of the station will be secure and will have approximately 200 parking spaces. When the Shiloh-Scott station open, it will be accompanied by a MetroBus network inside Scott Air Force Base to shuttle people to and from the Shiloh-Scott station.

The total cost for Phase 2 of the St. Clair County MetroLink Extension is $75 million. Construction of Phase 2 is funded by a $60 million grant from the Illinois FIRST (Fund for Infrastructure, Roads, Schools, and Transit) program. The remaining $15 million is funded by the 1/2-cent sales tax approved by voters in St. Clair County in November 1993.

For more information on the St. Clair County Expansion plans, visit www.scctd.org.