Green Line
Overview
Other names	Jefferson Alignment Northside/Southside
Status	Planned
Owner	Bi-State Development Agency
Locale	St. Louis,Missouri
Termini	Grand Boulevard/Fairground Park Chippewa Street
Stations	10
Website	metrolinkgreenline.com
Service
Type	Bus rapid transit (initially proposed asLight rail)
System	St. Louis MetroLink
Operator(s)	Metro Transit
Depot(s)	Ewing Yard and Shops
Technical
Line length	5.8 mi (9.3 km)
Character	At-grade street running
Route map Legend potential future extension Grand Boulevard/Fairground Park Palm Street/Salisbury Street (option) St. Louis Avenue Cass Avenue Martin Luther King Drive Market Street I-64 Scott Avenue spur toEwing Yard Scott Avenue/Ewing YardRedBlue Terminal Railroad Union Pacific Railroad Park Avenue Russell Boulevard (option) I-44 Gravois/Sidney Street Arsenal Street (option) Cherokee Street Chippewa Street Red and Blue lines All stations will be accessible This diagram: view talk edit

TheGreen Line was a planned expansion of theMetroLinklight rail system inSt. Louis,Missouri. The north–south line is currently being studied as an at-gradeBus rapid transit line after initially being proposed as astreet running light rail line. It would be the third line in the MetroLink system.

The need for a north/southMetroLink line was first identified during theEast-West Gateway Council of Governments three corridor study in the year 2000.^[1] Officials identified a northern locally perfered alternative (LPA) that would have connected downtown St. Louis toSt. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley that would have cost $485.5 million.^[2] Additionally, a southern LPA was recommended to connect downtown St. Louis withCross County Segment 2 viaUnion Pacific's right-of-way and a new busway between Chouteau and Loughborough avenues.^[2] Despite recommending alternatives, local officials never moved these routes beyond the study phase. However, these suggestions would become the basis for future north/south transit planning in the St. Louis region.

In 2008, staff at East-West Gateway recommended three new LPAs for a north/south MetroLink line. The northern LPA would have run from 14th Street to a park-and-ride lot at Goodfellow Boulevard nearInterstate 70.^[3] The central LPA would have connected the northern and southern sections with a couplet on 9th and 10th streets in downtown St. Louis.^[3] The southern LPA would have run from 14th Street to a park-and-ride lot at Bayless via Jefferson Avenue andInterstate 55.^[3] AfterSt. Louis County voters defeated Proposition M in November 2008, all MetroLink expansion plans were shelved.^[4]

In 2017, St. Louis City voters passed Proposition 1, a half-cent sales tax estimated to generate about $12 million per year for MetroLink expansion.^[5] The following year, East-West Gateway staff recommended an updated north/south LPA that would shorten the route to run between NorthGrand Boulevard and Chippewa Street via a couplet on 9th and 10th streets in downtown St. Louis. This route would have added 19 stations and cost approximately $667 million.^[6]

In 2022, Bi-State Development approved an intergovernmental agreement with St. Louis County and the City of St. Louis allowing the parties to move forward on an expanded Northside-Southside MetroLink corridor study.^[7]

In September 2023, Bi-State's board approved a four-year, $18.9 million contract with the joint venture Northside-Southside Transit Partners to provide consulting services for the design phase of the project.^[8] In February 2024, the East-West Gateway Council of Governments approved the updated locally preferred alternative along Jefferson thereby allowing the region to apply for federal funding.^[9][10]

The 5.8-mile (9.3 km) route would serve about 10 stations between Chippewa Street in South St. Louis and Grand Boulevard in North St. Louis running primarily on Jefferson Avenue. It would provide a fixed rail upgrade to Metro's #11 (Chippewa) and #4 (Natural Bridge) bus routes.^[11] The 2023 design study estimates 5,000 daily boardings, $8-9 million in annual operating costs, and $1.1 billion in capital costs.^[9] Metro planned to expand theEwing Yard and Shops to maintain light rail vehicles for the proposed expansion.^[12][13]

In April 2025, Bi-State announced that St. Louis mayorCara Spencer had requested a pause in further planning for the Green Line project until a review of viability and competitiveness was completed.^[14]

In September 2025, the proposal for building a new light rail line was scrapped due to budgetary constraints. However, planning for the line itself has not been terminated, and a new study is underway that would review the feasibility ofbus rapid transit.^[15][16]

The 5.8-mile (9.3 km) route would begin at the intersection of Natural Bridge Avenue and Grand Boulevard with a station atFairground Park. It then continues east along Natural Bridge and then south on Parnell Street with a station at St. Louis Avenue. Continuing south as Parnell turns into Jefferson Avenue the line has stations at Cass Avenue and Martin Luther King Drive before enteringdowntown St. Louis. Downtown stations include Market Street and Scott Avenue/Ewing Yard where a transfer between theRed andBlue lines can be made. Continuing south on Jefferson the line has four more stations at Park Avenue, Gravois/Sidney Street, Cherokee Street and terminates at Chippewa Street.

From Grand/Fairground Park to Chippewa (north to south)

An extension of the Green Line into North St. Louis County had been explored. In 2023, four alternatives were proposed that would have continued the line from the Grand/Fairground station along Natural Bridge Avenue toward the county.^[17] By 2024, County leadership had rejected all four routes primarily due to the unfunded 3-mile (4.8 km) gap between the Grand/Fairground station and the county line.^[18] Additionally, concerns were raised about federal funding, ridership, right-of-way constraints and other factors.^[18] Instead, county leaders are exploring alternatives for North County such as light rail branching off the existing Red Line near theUniversity of Missouri–St. Louis, rapid bus service or a hybrid of the four 2023 alternatives.^[18]

Those 2023 alternatives were:^[19]

1. Goodfellow/West Florissant. This route would continue along Natural Bridge Avenue, turn north on Goodfellow Boulevard and then head northwest along West Florissant Avenue ending at theNorth County Transit Center.
2. Jennings Stations/Halls Ferry. This route would continue along Natural Bridge Avenue, turn north on Jennings Station Road and then head northwest along Halls Ferry Road ending at the North County Transit Center.
3. Lucas-Hunt/Halls Ferry. This route would continue along Natural Bridge Avenue, turn north on Lucas-Hunt Road and then head northwest along Halls Ferry Road ending at the North County Transit Center.
4. Natural Bridge/Florissant. This route would continue along Natural Bridge Avenue with a transfer to the existingRed Line at theUMSL–North station. The route would then continue north throughFerguson on Florissant Road ending at Hereford Avenue.

• Proposed rail infrastructure in the United States
• MetroLink (St. Louis)
• Metro Transit (St. Louis)
• Light rail in Missouri
• Rail in St. Louis
• Proposed railway lines in Missouri
• Passenger rail transportation in Missouri
• Public transportation in Greater St. Louis
• Public transportation in St. Louis

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