Emerson Park station (MetroLink)

Emerson Park
General information
Location929 North 15th Street
East St. Louis, Illinois
Coordinates38°37′44″N 90°08′13″W / 38.628781°N 90.136856°W / 38.628781; -90.136856
Owned byBi-State Development
Operated byMetro Transit
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
Bus stands10[1]
Connections
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Parking841 spaces[4]
Bicycle facilitiesRack
AccessibleYes
History
OpenedMay 5, 2001 (2001-05-05)[5]
Passengers
20181,094 daily
Rank15 out of 38
Services
Preceding station MetroLink Following station
5th & Missouri
toward Shrewsbury–Lansdowne I-44
 Blue Line JJK Center
toward Fairview Heights
5th & Missouri
toward Lambert Airport Terminal 1
 Red Line JJK Center
toward Shiloh–Scott
Location
Map

Emerson Park station is a light rail station on the Red and Blue lines of the St. Louis MetroLink system.[6] This at-grade station is located near 15th Street and Bowman Avenue in East St. Louis, Illinois. It also serves as a transfer for MetroBus and Madison County Transit and features 841 park and ride spaces.

There is a pedestrian bridge across nearby Interstate 64 that connects this station to other parts of East St. Louis.

History

In 2014, a transit-oriented development called Jazz at Walter Circle opened adjacent to this station. The 74-unit mixed-use apartment building offers more than 100,000 square feet of floor space and includes a full-service grocery store.[7]

In 2021, the area between the bus bays and MetroLink entrance was updated into a space with a vibrant-colored jazz theme, spaces to gather, greenery, shaded seating, canopies, and a mural inspired by design concepts that were submitted by East St. Louis High School students. The second "Transit Stop Transformation" project to be completed, it was unveiled on August 23, 2021 by Citizens for Modern Transit, AARP in St. Louis, and Metro Transit in partnership with several local agencies.[8]

In 2022, the St. Clair County Transit District awarded a $13.5 million contract to construct a new public safety center at this station. The new center opened on July 11, 2024[9] and houses space for St. Clair County sheriff’s deputies, a backup Metro Transit control center, the St. Clair County CENCOM West 9-1-1 Emergency Dispatch Center and public restrooms for riders.[10][11]

Station layout

The island platform is accessed via a single ramp on its west end that connects to the bus boarding area and Bowman Avenue. There is a pocket track immediately east of the station allowing some trains to change direction while others continue through the station.

Westbound ←      Blue Line toward Shrewsbury (5th & Missouri)
←      Red Line toward Lambert Airport (5th & Missouri)
Island platform, doors will open on the left
Eastbound      Red Line toward Shiloh–Scott (JJK Center) →
     Blue Line toward Fairview Heights (JJK Center) →
Street Entrance/exit, bus bays, park and ride

References

  1. ^ "Bus Bays" (PDF). Metro Transit. January 2021. p. 12. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  2. ^ "Illinois System Map" (Map). Metro Transit. April 2019. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  3. ^ "System Map" (PDF) (Map). Madison County Transit. August 15, 2021. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  4. ^ "System Addresses". Metro Transit. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
  5. ^ Leiser, Ken (April 30, 2001). "MetroLink Extension Opens This Weekend With Parking to Spare". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. p. A9. Retrieved April 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. Free access icon
  6. ^ "Emerson Park Station". metrostlouis.org. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  7. ^ Hibbard, Matthew (December 22, 2014). "Emerson Park MetroLink Station Development Spurs Economic Success". metrostlouis.org. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  8. ^ Box, Mallory (August 23, 2021). "The "Transit Stop Transformation Project" at Emerson Park Transit Center Opens to The Public". Citizens For Modern Transit. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  9. ^ Schlinkmann, Mark (July 11, 2024). "Pritzker touts new public safety center at MetroLink station in East St. Louis". STLtoday.com. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
  10. ^ Cella, Kim (September 26, 2022). "St. Clair County Transit District Awards $13.5 Million Contract to Poetkker Construction for New Public Safety Center at Emerson Park Transit Center". Citizens For Modern Transit. Retrieved October 11, 2022.
  11. ^ Cella, Kim (July 11, 2024). "Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and Local Officials Celebrate Grand Opening of the New $15 Million Public Safety Building at the Emerson Park Transit Center". Citizens For Modern Transit. Retrieved July 13, 2024.