East St. Louis High Speed Rail
Multimodal Station
East St. Louis, Illinois
TIGER Discretionary Planning Grant
St. Clair County, Illinois
Local Government Agency
TIGER Planning Grant Requested: $2.4 Million
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0
Executive Summary............................................................................................... 2
2.0
Project Description ................................................................................................ 3
2.1
Project Location ................................................................................................. 3
2.2
History ................................................................................................................ 6
2.3
Future Development........................................................................................... 8
2.4
Project Status ..................................................................................................... 9
2.4
Connections with Existing Transportation Infrastructure .................................. 10
2.5
Proposed Improvements .................................................................................. 11
3.0
Project Partnerships ............................................................................................ 12
4.0
Project Funding ................................................................................................... 13
5.0
Primary Selection Criteria .................................................................................... 14
5.1
Long Term Outcomes ...................................................................................... 14
5.1.1
State of Good Repair ................................................................................. 14
5.1.2
Economic Competitiveness ....................................................................... 14
5.1.3
Quality of Life............................................................................................. 16
5.1.4
Environmental Sustainability...................................................................... 17
5.1.5
Safety ........................................................................................................ 18
5.2
6.0
Job Creation & Economic Stimulus .................................................................. 19
Secondary Selection Criteria ............................................................................... 19
6.1
Innovation ........................................................................................................ 19
6.2
Partnership ....................................................................................................... 20
6.2.1
Jurisdictional & Stakeholder Collaboration ................................................ 21
6.2.2
Disciplinary Integration .............................................................................. 21
7.0
Benefit-Cost Analysis .......................................................................................... 23
8.0
Project Schedule ................................................................................................. 26
9.0
Federal Wage Rate Requirement ........................................................................ 27
10.0 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Requirement .................................... 27
11.0 Environmentally Related Federal, State & Local Actions .................................... 28
12.0 Confidential Business Information ....................................................................... 28
13.0 Letters of Support & Supplemental Information ................................................... 28
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
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1.0
Executive Summary
St. Clair County respectfully submits this
application for TIGER Discretionary Grant
funding in the amount of $3 million for a
Planning Grant for the East St. Louis High
Speed Rail (HSR) Multimodal Station. The
proposed station is located along the Chicago to
St. Louis HSR (CHISL HSR) project currently in
design and construction. The CHISL HSR
project is being managed and developed by the
Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT),
Union Pacific Railroad (UP), Terminal Railroad
Association (TRRA), and other supporting
project team members and stakeholders. The
CHISL HSR completion date is projected to be
in early 2017. The CHISL HSR project will pass
through East St. Louis to cross into Missouri via
the MacArthur Bridge. The proposed East St.
Louis HSR Multimodal Station site is
conveniently located at the intersection of the
HSR alignment and the MetroLink tracks in
Downtown East St. Louis. MetroLink is the
Metropolitan St. Louis region’s light-rail
passenger system that connects communities,
employment
centers,
medical
facilities,
educational
institutions,
recreational
and
entertainment venues in St. Clair County, Illinois
and St. Louis County, Missouri. MetroLink 2013
system ridership exceeds 17 million boardings.
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station will
connect all modes of transportation – passenger
train, MetroLink, bus, air, passenger vehicle,
pedestrians, and bicycles – in one convenient
location.
East St. Louis HSR Multimodal
Station
•
TIGER Planning Grant
•
$2.4 Million Requested
•
Applicant – St. Clair County
•
Project Website –
www.co.st-clair.il.us/departments/econDev/HSR
•
Creates a truly multimodal station
in Metropolitan St. Louis region
•
Continues FHWA and IDOT $710
million investment in transportation
investments in MetroEast region
•
Creates new jobs in an
economically distressed area
•
Spurs economic redevelopment
•
Reduces vehicle congestion,
emissions, and dependence on oil
•
Enhances IDOT’s Chicago to St.
Louis High Speed Rail Project
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station restores passenger train service to East St.
Louis that enhances transportation choices and provides an affordable transportation
connection to the Metropolitan St. Louis region to Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles via
Amtrak for the residents of East St. Louis, St. Clair County, and Southwestern Illinois.
This narrative shows that the proposed East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station will
satisfy the requirements for both the long term outcomes and the secondary selection
criteria for the TIGER Discretionary Grant.
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
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2.0
Project Description
As part of the CHISL HSR project, the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal passenger station
links East St. Louis, St. Clair County and the greater metropolitan St. Louis region with
the greater Chicago region. These valuable connections increase job opportunities,
foster economic development, strengthen the East St. Louis community, and provide a
new transportation alternative for the greater St. Louis metropolitan region. The
proposed station enhances the intermodal connectivity of Downtown East St. Louis
including the surrounding St. Clair County and St. Louis region. The station connects
existing modes of transportation (passenger vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians,
MetroBuses, and MetroLink – the St. Louis region light-rail system) to Amtrak HSR
passenger service.
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station works in conjunction with existing
infrastructure, including the Casino Queen development, the roadway network,
MetroLink facilities, and the Eads Bridge. The addition of the HSR station strengthens
existing partnerships between St. Clair Country, the City of East St. Louis, IDOT, the
Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Metro, and private businesses.
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station will work with the City of East St. Louis and
the Mid-America Medial District (MAMD) as well as private businesses and developers
to redevelop vacant parcels of land in Downtown East St. Louis and surrounding the
station to create a transit-orientated development (TOD). TOD is not in itself a type of
development or real estate product. Rather, it is a method of creating neighborhoods or
districts that are anchored by transit stations and are specifically designed to encourage
transit accessibility and reduced automobile usage. TOD typically contains a mix of
land uses and interconnected circulation systems to emphasize multiple modes of
transportation and integrated within the community to enhance livability thus
contributing to a sustainable urban land use and development pattern. East St. Louis
has successfully been utilizing MetroLink for the past two decades and has a successful
TOD at Parsons Place at the Emerson Park MetroLink station. The proposed station
will enhance and expand the transportation options as well as the educational, retail,
medical, tourist, and employment opportunities.
2.1
Project Location
While the proposed East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station is in the early conceptual
planning stages, the IDOT CHISL HSR project prepared an Alternatives Screening draft
report. This report evaluated six locations within the St. Clair County area that could be
developed into a HSR passenger station. The screening criteria included an evaluation
of each site for the following: Location within the Community, Accessibility and Parking,
Site Assessment, and Railroad Characteristics.
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
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The site that ranked the highest in the screening criteria is located in the City of East St.
Louis, west of Interstate 55/64, along Riverpark Drive. This site is located at the
intersection of the CHISL HSR tracks and the MetroLink light-rail tracks. The East St.
Louis HSR Multimodal Station is located at the nexus of roadway, rail, and river access.
The site is conveniently accessible from Interstate 55/64, which has a current average
daily traffic (ADT) volume of 57,400 vehicles per day (vpd), Illinois Route 15, which has
a current ADT of 12,000 vpd, and Illinois Route 3, which has a current ADT of 27,300
vpd. The site also has direct access from the Eads Bridge, which accommodates
vehicular, MetroLink, pedestrian, and bicycle traffic. The Eads Bridge currently carries
over 11,400 vpd. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and IDOT have
invested over $710 million for the construction of the Stan Musial Veterans’ Memorial
Bridge and the relocation of Illinois Route 3. St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD),
IDOT, Distressed Communities Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Southwestern Illinois
Development Authority (SWIDA), Bunge-SCF, and the Casino Queen Hotel and Casino
have joined together to fund and construction roadway, sidewalk, and other
transportation infrastructure projects in the River Bridge District in East St. Louis to
improve access within the area. The public-private partnership project totals over $5.3
million.
The site is located approximately
0.3 miles from the Casino Queen
Hotel and Casino. The Casino
Queen is a 40,000 square feet
casino which features games such
as slots, video poker, blackjack,
craps, poker, and baccarat. In
addition to being featured as one
of the top five casinos in Casino
Player’s Magazine’s annual list of
the loosest slots for more than ten
years.
The Casino Queen
development also offers four restaurants as well as over 150 hotel rooms and a 140space RV park.
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
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The site is also located approximately
0.75 miles from the Malcom W. Martin
Memorial Park.
The 34.1 acre park
completed the vision of the Jefferson
National Expansion Memorial, home of
the St. Louis Gateway Arch. The original
layout of the Arch included parks on both
sides of the Mississippi River.
The
Malcom W. Martin Memorial Park is home
to the Gateway Geyser and the
Mississippi River Overlook. The Gateway
Geyser is a fountain that erupts three times a day during the spring and summer
months. The geyser erupts to a height of 630 feet, the same height as the Gateway
Arch. The lake surrounding the fountain includes four smaller fountains. The
Mississippi River Overlook is a tiered structure that is 40 feet high and offers visitors
views of the park, the Mississippi River, and the St. Louis City skyline.
A location map of the proposed project site is included in Figure 2.1.
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
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Figure 2.1
2.2
History
The East St. Louis area has a well-developed infrastructure and transportation system
due to its rich history in development, economic trade, and the Industrial Revolution.
The settlement and development of the area took advantage of its prime location to
connect residents and businesses to transportation facilities – beginning with ferries
crossing the Mississippi River. During the late 1800s, railroads supported industries like
the meat packing plants and the stockyards as well as transporting Illinois coal to other
parts of the nation. All of the major railroad companies had tracks that passed through
East St. Louis. After World War I and the Industrial Revolution, additional industries in
the East St. Louis region included steel mills which also relied upon the railroads for
transportation of their products.
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
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In addition to the utilization of the railroad infrastructure for industrial and commercial
use, the railroads were utilized extensively to connect East St. Louis to communities
throughout Southwestern Illinois, the state of Illinois, and throughout the United States.
Rail passenger service provided an economical transportation alternative option to
connect people with employment opportunities, educational opportunities, and medical
and well-being opportunities.
East St. Louis was home to the East
St. Louis Relay Station, located at the
intersection of East Missouri Avenue
and North 1st Street which is
approximately 0.25 miles north of the
proposed East St. Louis HSR
Multimodal Station. The Relay Station
provided passenger services such as
restaurants, newsstands, and a ticket
office. Passenger rail service in East
St. Louis dominated the transportation
alternatives until the mid-1960s, when
the interstate system and passenger
vehicles provided new transportation
alternatives.
The East St. Louis community and economy has
struggled since the 1950s due to corporate restructuring,
diminishing employment opportunities, residential
relocations, and decreasing municipal tax revenue.
However, beginning in the 1990s, new developments
such as the Casino Queen Hotel and Casino provided
new employment opportunities and tax revenue for the
City of East St. Louis. During the early 2000s, the City
of East St. Louis successfully completed the design and construction of a new public
library and a new city hall. Beginning in the early 2000s and continuing to the present,
there have been several successful public-private partnerships for new retail
developments and housing developments. The most notable successful public-private
partnership was the development and expansion of the MetroLink light-rail system in
East St. Louis and throughout St. Clair County to Scott Air Force Base. Beginning in
2010, partnerships between community associations, nonprofit groups, and universities
have joined together to develop plots for urban farming to create community gardens
and greenspace on vacant tracks of land to enhance the community and provide
additional resources to the community.
Another successful private-public partnership resulted in the TOD, anchored by
MetroLink, in the Emerson Park neighborhood of East St. Louis. Before the St. Clair
County extension of MetroLink, the residents of the Emerson Park neighborhood did not
own private automobiles and had extreme difficulty in obtaining affordable transportation
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 7
to secure jobs that provided decent wages for living
in other parts of St. Clair County, Scott Air Force
Base, Downtown St. Louis, and the St. Louis
Metropolitan region. The extension of MetroLink
service to Emerson Park resulted in the successful
public-private partnership for the TOD development
of Parsons Place. Parsons Place included the
development of modern infrastructure, including highquality housing, cultural centers, and access to
affordable transportation to connect residents to jobs. The partnership included the
Emerson Park Development Corporation (EPDC), the Lessie Bates Davis Settlement
Hours, the State Community College, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
(UIUC) School of Architecture, and the Carpenters and Joiners Union of the ALF-CIO
and the project team secured a $1 million YouthBuild Grant from Housing and Urban
Development (HUD). The grant trained long-term unemployed adults in the community
in the construction trades on the Parsons Place construction site. Between 2000 and
2001, nearly 225 units of new, affordable housing were constructed in Emerson Park
and achieved full occupancy in record time. The MetroLink extension was constructed
during the same time and the extension included a passenger station in Emerson Park,
which connected the Parsons Place and Emerson Park residents with both MetroLink
and MetroBus. The surge in housing and transportation development in Emerson Park
also resulted in a $13 million state-of-the-art youth recreational, educational, and
cultural center on land adjacent to the Parson
Place development. This facility was developed
by the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation. In
2002, the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, in
cooperation with the EPDC, the City of East St.
Louis, and the UICU, held their first regional
conference on community-based planning and
development at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Youth
Development Center.
2.3
Future Development
The East St. Louis region has a history rich which successfully utilized transportation
infrastructure, such as rail, river, and roadways, to connect people to well-paying jobs
and to export raw materials and manufactured goods to other parts of the nation and
world for consumption. East St. Louis is now transitioning from an industrial-based
economy to a distribution-based economy. The East St. Louis River District is home to
Bunge-North America and Cargill, which are high-speed grain transfer facilities. These
facilities connect grain brought by trucks and freight trains to the barges along the
Mississippi River for distribution and processing in other parts of the country and the
world. A public-private partnership including SCCTD, IDOT, the Casino Queen Hotel
and Casino, and Bungee-SCF resulted in $7 million of funding for roadway, bicycle trail,
sidewalk, and other infrastructure improvements in the River Bridge District. Existing
businesses in East St. Louis are not only investing in improvements internally for their
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 8
businesses but in transportation infrastructure that directly benefits the businesses,
residents, and visitors to the area.
East St. Louis has a history rich in
transportation and a well-developed urban
infrastructure.
East St. Louis grew and
developed their community during the height of
the railroad age and utilized the passenger rail
station to connect people with jobs, retail and
commercial
services,
and
educational
opportunities. By 2017, with the CHISL HSR
project, passenger rail service along the
corridor
will
revolutionize
transportation
between Chicago and St. Louis. East St. Louis
has shown the successful operation of a
passenger rail station and with the established
partnerships for the project and the conceptual
ideas for the proposed East St. Louis HSR
Multimodal Station, St. Clair County envisions a
passenger station that will provide passenger
amenities including food and retail, and will
enhance existing developments, such as the
Casino Queen Casino and Hotel and Downtown
St. Louis. A passenger station will spur additional developments surrounding the
station, and will connect all transportation modes in one convenient location to create a
true multimodal, transit-oriented development station in East St. Louis to serve East St.
Louis, St. Clair County, the Metropolitan St. Louis area, and Southwestern Illinois
region.
The East St. Louis region has successfully proven that investments in transportation
infrastructure leads to improvements in affordable transportation choices for its
residents, which leads to well-paying employment opportunities, which leads to
residential development and redevelopment, which leads to retail and cultural
development, which brings visitors and tourists to the area. Existing businesses partner
with government agencies to further implement projects that stimulate economic
opportunities. With a TIGER Discretionary Grant investment in the East St. Louis HSR
Multimodal Station, business retention and development continues, affordable
transportation choices connect residents with jobs, educational, medical, and cultural
opportunities, and provides a vital link between the CHISL HSR and Downtown St.
Louis and Lambert International St. Louis Airport via MetroLink.
2.4
Project Status
This request for TIGER Discretionary Grant funding is for a Planning Grant, so detailed
design layouts, plans, environmental assessments, and construction bidding documents
will be prepared with the award of this grant. However, St. Clair County has been
assembling a project team and project partners for the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 9
Station. The County has already committed funds to the planning and design phase of
the project and has been actively meeting with various project partners, including IDOT
and their project management consultant for the CHISL HSR project, as well as local
communities to show local support for a station in St. Clair County.
Additionally, as part of the IDOT CHISL HSR project, various
station site locations were selected for an evaluation against
evaluation criteria for site location, accessibility, existing support
services, potential for development, and railroad track geometry
and characteristics. From this draft station location analysis report,
the station site located along Riverpark Drive, east of the Casino
Queen Hotel and Casino and Eads Bridge, was ranked the highest
of the potential HSR station sites in the East St. Louis area.
With a station site selected, St. Clair County has been meeting with the CHISL HSR
team, including IDOT and their project
management consultant.
Public informational
meetings have been held as well as briefings for
local governmental agencies. The most recent
CHISL HSR public information meeting, held at
the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center in East St.
Louis, had the largest attendance of a CHISL
HSR public informational meeting to date.
Meeting attendees showed overwhelming positive
support for a station in East St. Louis at this
meeting.
St. Clair County is committed to moving forward with the conceptual station and site
layouts, environmental documents, construction plans and documents for the East St.
Louis HSR Multimodal Station. St. Clair County will work jointly with the IDOT CHISL
HSR team to design the station platform and facilities to accommodate the Amtrak
CHISL HSR trains that will ultimately connect St. Louis to Chicago and will provide new
opportunities for employment, education, and development for East St. Louis, the St.
Clair County area, and the Southwestern Illinois region.
2.5
Connections with Existing Transportation Infrastructure
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station promotes and enhances local, regional, and
international connections to the existing transportation infrastructure. The station’s
primary function is to serve as a passenger train station for Amtrak CHISL HSR
passenger trains from East St. Louis to Chicago as well as to connect other modes of
transportation together in one centralized location. Due to its connection with
MetroLink, St. Louis residents will also access CHISL HSR at this station.
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 10
Amtrak and
Passengers
CHISL
HSR
Connect East St. Louis, the
Metropolitan St. Louis Region,
and Southwestern Illinois with
Chicago, Little Rock, Dallas,
Tucson, and Los Angeles.
MetroLink
The multimodal station will be
home to stations for both Amtrak
CHISL HSR and MetroLink – the
St. Louis region’s light-rail
system which connects Lambert
International Airport to Scott Air
Force Base and communities,
jobs, retail, and entertainment
venues.
MetroBus
The multimodal station will
include a MetroBus station and
will connect residents and
visitors to routes and stations
throughout St. Clair County and
the Metropolitan St. Louis region
without the need for an
automobile to enjoy the region.
Downtown East St. Louis
Enhanced walking and biking as
well as MetroLink and MetroBus
service will connect the station to
retail, employment, health care,
and human resource services.
2.6
Air Travelers
Direct connectivity via MetroLink
to St. Louis Lambert International
Airport. CHISL HSR service will
provide a convenient link to
Chicago
and
O’Hare
International Airport and Midway
International Airport and expand
air travel options.
Interstate
Access
&
Highway
Direct access from Interstates
55/64 and from Illinois Route 3
and Illinois Route 15 make the
station site conveniently located
for residents of St. Clair County,
Metropolitan St. Louis region,
and Southwestern Illinois.
Eads Bridge Pedestrian &
Bicycle Facilities
The station is conveniently
located less than 0.3 miles from
the Eads Bridge – the only
bridge in the St. Louis region that
has pedestrian/bicycle facilities.
River Bridge District
The station is located in the
River
Bridge
District
development area that is also
home to several successful
and
expanding
private
businesses.
Proposed Improvements
This TIGER Discretionary Planning Grant will
complete the funding package for the planning and
design activities for the East St. Louis HSR
Multimodal Station located in the economically
disadvantaged East St. Louis community in St.
Clair County, Illinois. The proposed station site
location is located adjacent to Downtown East St.
Louis, the River Bridge District, and the Casino
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 11
Queen Hotel and Casino development. The proposed station connects all modes of
transportation, including MetroLink, Amtrak CHISL HSR, buses, vehicular traffic, taxis,
pedestrian, and bicycles, and creates a truly multimodal station to serve the East St.
Louis community, the St. Clair County area, the surrounding Metropolitan St. Louis
area, and the Southwestern Illinois region. The proposed East St. Louis HSR
Multimodal Station connects residents of the East St. Louis and St. Clair County
communities with Chicago by providing an economically feasible transportation
alternative. Additionally, the proposed station promotes tourism to the Metropolitan St.
Louis region and enhances the development opportunities in the East St. Louis area to
support the station through public-private partnerships like the River Bridge District.
3.0
Project Partnerships
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station project brings together a diverse group of
project partners for the successful development, construction, and operation of the
station.
St. Clair County, Illinois
• TIGER
Planning
Grant
applicant.
• Financially
committed
$600,000 of engineering and
design costs.
Illinois
Department
Transportation
of
• Project Partner – Lead
agency for the development
of the CHISL HSR corridor
project.
Federal
Administration
Railroad
• Federal-agency responsible
for review and approval of
improvements to railroad
tracks for proposed station.
• Project partner for IDOT
CHISL HSR project.
St. Clair County Transit
District
•
Provides
transportation
services such as MetroBus,
MetroLink,
and
MetroBikeLink.
Illinois
Department
Transportation
of
• Project partner – Has
jurisdictional
agency
responsible for interstates
and state router highways.
Amtrak
•
Project Partner – Provides
passenger rail services,
including HSR, for the
proposed station.
City of East St. Louis
Metro
• Project Partner to help
design and development of
station, site services and
access,
and
roadway
improvements, as needed.
• Project Partner – Will
provide
MetroLink
and
MetroBus services to the
proposed station.
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 12
4.0
Project Funding
Partnership for the development of the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station also
includes cooperation in project funding, not only for construction of the improvements
but for design of the station and required improvements. The capital for the
construction of the station would be accomplished by a diverse funding package that
includes local, state, and federal funding.
St. Clair County has already committed funds to the design of the station and has the
support of the IDOT CHISL HSR project as well.
St. Clair County, on behalf of the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station project
partners, respectfully requests $2.4 million in TIGER Discretionary Grant funding for the
planning and design of the station and supporting infrastructure. The project
partnership will provide the required matching funds for the planning and design of the
project. St. Clair County has already committed $600,000 for the design and
engineering costs for the project. The project design can begin immediately upon
receipt of the TIGER Discretionary Grant funding and will easily be able to meet the
September 2016 funding obligation deadline. Figure 4.1 includes a summary of the
financial plan for the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station.
Figure 4.1
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
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5.0
Primary Selection Criteria
5.1
Long Term Outcomes
This project will have a significant positive impact for the City of East St. Louis and the
metropolitan St. Louis area as a whole. The success of the project can be established
and measured by the following criteria.
5.1.1 State of Good Repair
This project is part of the effort to enhance the regional passenger transportation
network, increase rail capacity, and improve reliability for HSR service between Chicago
and St. Louis. The facility would be located in Downtown East St. Louis, Illinois, along
the existing Amtrak and MetroLink alignment that offers the potential to develop a
station that services both HSR and MetroLink and be a true multimodal station.
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station will be a newly constructed facility and
consequently does not need to be brought into a state of good repair. As identified
above, the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station Project is supported by St. Clair
County, St. Clair County Transit District, the City of East St. Louis, MetroLink, IDOT, the
Casino Queen Hotel and Casino, and other private businesses, all of which have a
vested interest in the long-term operation and maintenance of the facility. However,
long-term operations and maintenance will be overseen and managed by St. Clair
County working closely with Amtrak and MetroLink.
The station design will incorporate the relative tenets of green
building design and use the American Society of Civil Engineers
(ASCE) EnvisionTM rating system as a guidance tool for
sustainable infrastructure design. Studies by the United States
Green Building Council conclude that an upfront investment of 2%
in green building design, on average results in a life cycle savings
of 20% of the total construction costs.
5.1.2 Economic Competitiveness
The nation fully recognizes the need for an efficient and balanced transportation
infrastructure. Implementation of HSR projects serve as a catalyst for growth in regional
economic productivity and expansion by stimulating domestic manufacturing, promoting
local tourism, and driving commercial and residential development. Implementation of
HSR service in the Chicago to St. Louis corridor promotes economic vitality throughout
the corridor.
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 14
In addition to enhancing access to HSR, the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station
enhances mobility by creating alternate choices for travelers, which reduces national
dependence on oil and fosters livable communities.
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station benefits an
Economically Distressed Area. According to the US Bureau of
Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate in East St. Louis was
approximately 17% in August 2013, as compared to nearly 7%
for the nation as a whole. Per the US Census, 43% of
residents with income below the poverty level from 2008-2012,
as compared to the state as a whole during this period where
the persons with income below the poverty level was reported as 14%.
Lastly, East
St. Louis has a low per capita income of $11,802, well below the national average of
$42,693.
The economic competitiveness and viability of East St. Louis is dependent upon its
ability to connect with the surrounding region. To that end, primary economic benefits
of the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station are as follows:
The project will provide jobs and activities in close proximity to the station. As most
of the underemployed and transit-dependent live in the urban core, the proposed
location of the station will have a direct benefit for those who need it most.
The project will provide regional rail service, supported by regional and local bus
service, taxi, pedestrian, and bicycle facilities, enabling people to reach major
employment and education centers.
The project will facilitate employee mobility throughout the region, resulting in travel
time savings and travel cost savings for train riders.
The project will spur new economic development opportunities due to the
increased flow of commuters and visitors through the station.
The project will enhance and support future development of currently vacant and
underutilized land as well as expansion of existing areas such as the Casino Queen
Hotel and Casino, Downtown East St. Louis, and the Mid-America Medical District
(MAMD).
The East St. Louis Multimodal Passenger
Station will facilitate access to the Malcolm
W. Martin Memorial Park and Gateway
Geyser, bringing additional visitors that will
promote economic development.
The project will reduce vehicle congestion
and promote increased public transit usage,
walking, and biking; making the area more
attractive to businesses, employees, and
residents.
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 15
5.1.3 Quality of Life
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station will provide a variety of reasonably priced
transportation options that will be available in a central location. Increased access to a
variety of transportation choices helps to foster livable communities and will benefit a
diverse group of people in the region including:
Economically Disadvantaged Citizens – According to the Bureau of Labor Statics’
new release in September 2013, transportation costs are the second most significant
expenditure, outranked by housing costs, by the average US citizen. The project’s
proposed location will provide ample area for free parking so people can leave
automobiles at the station and access their destinations via a variety of affordable
transportation alternatives.
Disabled Citizens – Access to transportation that will enhance mobility and
independence.
Senior Citizens – Transportation choices for the driving averse.
Tourists – Transportation choices for weekend trips to destinations in the region
including the Casino Queen Hotel and Casino, Springfield, Chicago, and St. Louis. In
addition, Lambert St. Louis International Airport and sporting events in the City of St.
Louis can be accessed by the various modes of transportation available at the station.
Students – Southern Illinois University
Edwardsville (SIUE), Southwestern Illinois
College
(SWIC),
and
Lindenwood
University
Belleville
have
each
established a satellite campus in East St.
Louis. In addition, students attending the
University of Missouri St. Louis (UMSL) can
utilize the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal
Station via MetroLink to gain access to
various modes of transportation.
Employees – Access to employment centers in St. Clair County and destinations in
the St. Louis Metropolitan area and supports several State and St. Clair County
initiatives aimed at creating high-quality employment opportunities for the surrounding
lower-income communities.
Trail Enthusiasts – St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Clair Counties in Illinois
have all developed extensive bicycle and pedestrian trail systems within their
jurisdictions. Similar to the interstates and railroads, all of these trails are accessible
from the project site. The multimodal station will provide facilities to accommodate
trail enthusiasts and will enhance local economic prosperity.
In addition to the quality of life benefits
achieved
through
strengthening
transportation interconnectivity, the East
St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station will
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 16
contribute to the surrounding resident’s quality of life as the station will serve as a
catalyst for creation of TOD. TOD is about creating sustainable communities that
include a mixture of housing, office, retail, and other amenities integrated into a
walkable neighborhood proximate to high quality public transportation. TOD can have
significant benefits to individuals, communities, regions, states, the economy, and the
natural environment. The current East St. Louis TOD, Emerson Park, has had a
tremendous impact on the quality of life of its residents and the entire community.
5.1.4 Environmental Sustainability
Decisions that support environmental sustainability will be incorporated
into design, construction, and operation of the East St. Louis HSR
Multimodal Station. The significant long-term benefits in sustainability
provided by the project include:
The project design incorporates reduced reliance of both commuters and residents
of the City of East St. Louis on single-occupancy vehicle transportation by
providing enhanced transportation mode choices, ease of use, and connectivity to
other modes of transportation in a convenient location.
Appropriate green street design and Low Impact Development best management
practices are intended to be standard components of the station’s building and
surrounding parking and streetscape design. This will yield significant benefits of
reducing environmental impacts through more permeable surfaces, context-sensitive
stormwater capture, retention and distribution methods, and enhanced landscaping
elements. While difficult to quantify and monetize these potential benefits at the
planning stage of the proposed project, the fact that such benefits will be ultimately
realized must be considered as part of the benefit-cost analysis.
The project will be designed to be LEED certified
and will incorporate the ASCE Envision TM rating
system as a guidance tool for sustainable
infrastructure design.
The project design improves utilization of public transit by reducing the number of
modes of transportation necessary to access regional and local transit thereby
helping to reduce the region’s reliance on the automobile and crude oil and reduce
fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions.
Streetscaping and connectivity improvements
throughout the project encourages bike and
pedestrian usage through enhanced accessibility
while promoting new business opportunities.
The
project
design
encourages
the
redevelopment and reuse of deteriorated and
underutilized land parcels, rather than the
development of open land.
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 17
The project is located in an area that can be served by the existing infrastructure
(roads, utilities, rail tracks); therefore, major construction would not be required
since additional road or transit infrastructure is not necessary.
5.1.5 Safety
A fundamental objective of the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station is to enhance
safety for all modes of transportation. This entails removing barriers for certain modes
to achieve access, such as creating sidewalks where none exist and providing bicycle
infrastructure to highlight the presence of bicycles in the roadway. Additionally, this
includes separating modes reducing congestion conflicts and potentially saving lives.
Project design criteria includes separate facilities for bicycles and grade-separated
crossings to enhance non-motorized connections.
The safety features and benefits proposed for the design of the East St. Louis HSR
Multimodal Station include the following:
Protected indoor waiting areas for rail patrons.
Covered platforms with enhanced access and safer boarding conditions for rail
patrons rather than ground-level boarding, requiring a climb up into the rail cars. This
design eliminates the risk of trip-and-fall injuries and from walking on or next to the rail
tracks.
Direct transfer access between modes and access to all platforms, waiting areas,
and sidewalks without having to cross vehicular rights-of-way (streets or rails) or busy
parking lots.
Unobstructed visibility at the rail platform and the passenger concourse for
increased security.
Active building frontage at street level, increasing personal safety by attracting
more people to the area during the daytime and nighttime.
Reduced exposure to auto crashes on the existing roadway system.
Secure, weather-protected bike parking facilities to be located adjacent to the
station entrance to complement the established regional bike system.
Upgrades to crossing geometry and signal timing to Americans with Disability Act
(ADA) standards at roadway intersections in proximity to the station.
Lighting, to provide a safe and secure environment, will be installed on adjacent
roadways, enhancing visibility, safety, and the multi-modal experience. While levels
of lighting may vary, uniform lighting levels will be used to avoid areas of glare.
Pedestrian safety improvements to include, but not limited to, refurbished highvisibility crosswalks, median extensions, curb extensions, and other related
enhancements.
Overall, the safety component of this project enhances mobility and provides active
transportation options for residents living in proximity to the station as well as those
accessing the station from surrounding areas.
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 18
5.2
Job Creation & Economic Stimulus
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station immediately creates engineering and design
work and during construction can produce hundreds of temporary construction jobs.
The station also creates hundreds of new, permanent jobs as well as the retention of
hundreds of permanent jobs resulting in an important positive impact on the
unemployment rate of the East St. Louis area. The construction of the station creates
economic benefits from the construction that can be classified into three categories:
direct impacts, indirect impacts, and induced impacts.
Direct Impacts – Economic impacts due to new spending, hiring, and production by
construction companies to accommodate the demand for resources in order to
complete the project. These jobs will be temporary construction jobs.
Indirect Impacts – Economic impacts due to the increase in production industries
supplying intermediate goods and services to the construction industry. These
businesses should experience increased demand for their products and services and
may hire additional workers, either temporary or permanent, to meet the increased
demand. The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station project increases jobs for
existing establishments like the Casino Queen Hotel and Casino and various other
restaurants near the project area. The project stimulates real estate development and
redevelopment near the station and Downtown East St. Louis. The project increases
the ridership on MetroLink due to construction workers and other workers utilizing
MetroLink to commute to work.
Induced Impacts – Economic impacts due to the re-spending of wages earned by
workers and households benefitting from the direct and indirect construction of the
East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station.
This request for TIGER Discretionary Grant funding is for the planning and engineering
of the design of the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station. At this time, detailed
studies and plans are not available for the construction costs and duration so direct
impacts, indirect impacts, and induced impacts would be speculation and therefore, this
grant request does not contain a detailed analysis of the job creation and economic
stimulus of the construction of the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station.
6.0
Secondary Selection Criteria
6.1
Innovation
Sustainability - Conceptually, sustainable development can be broken into three
parts: environmental sustainability, economic sustainability, and social sustainability.
In other words, is the project good for the environment, affordable over the life-cycle
of the project, and beneficial to the public? Although design of the East St. Louis
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 19
HSR Multimodal Station conforms with industry standards, the overall effort is
innovative in its commitment to sustainability in the following ways:
The building is designed to LEED-certified standards and follows the ASCE
EnvisonTM sustainable infrastructure rating system as a guidance tool for
sustainable infrastructure design.
• The project is supported by a variety of public/private partners all of which have
a vested interest in its success from a national, regional, and local perspective
and therefore the project will be financially viable for the long-term.
• The project is expected to benefit the local and regional market through the
expansion of transportation alternatives, creation of and retention of jobs, and
improvements in the quality of life all of which contribute to a healthy
community.
Transportation Interconnectivity – The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station is
planned to be the only truly multimodal HSR passenger station outside the Chicago
area.
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station connects all modes of
transportation options seamlessly. The station brings together passenger vehicles,
bicycles, taxies, buses, pedestrians, and MetroLink light-rail. Easy automotive access
to the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station is convenient. Direct automotive
connections are provided by Interstates 55/64, Illinois Route 3, Illinois Route 15, and
the Eads Bridge to Downtown St. Louis. The Eads Bridge also carries MetroLink
trains and the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station includes a MetroLink stop as
well. The station will also include accommodations for MetroBuses and taxis.
Mixed-Use Development – The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station not only
serves as a multimodal station but also includes space to serve as a gateway to the
station and welcome travelers from other cities, states, and countries to the
metropolitan area. This space is designed to accommodate civic events and small
public venues. The station includes plans for spaces for station functions, food and
beverage retail areas, and potentially office space.
The East St. Louis HSR
Multimodal Station project serves as an example of mixed-use, public/private
development.
Partnership – The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station exemplifies partnership
and teamwork. Leaders from local, state, and federal government have been working
together expand transportation alternatives and improve the quality of life through the
creation of jobs, the retention of jobs, and the expansion of tourism and development
to the area.
•
6.2
Partnership
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station truly embodies a model of collaboration,
partnership, and teamwork among local, state, and federal stakeholders. IDOT has
received over $1.2 billion in funding from the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) for
the CHISL HSR project. As part of the IDOT CHISL HSR project, project stakeholders
include IDOT, FRA, UP, Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), as well as numerous
municipalities, counties, and townships. As part of the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 20
Station project, the project team will coordinate closely with the
members of the IDOT CHISL HSR project to ensure cohesion between
the two projects. The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station project
includes project team members from St. Clair County Transit District,
the City of East St. Louis, MetroLink, IDOT, the Casino Queen Hotel
and Casino, and other private businesses.
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station project has already gained
the support of local communities. Local governmental agencies such
as the City of Belleville have passed resolutions supporting the East St.
Louis HSR Multimodal Station. The St. Clair County Board has passed
a resolution to commit $500,000 for the design and planning of the
station.
This project not only enhances the transportation options for the
region but also promotes sustainable travel, creates a more livable
community, and spurs economic development.
6.2.1 Jurisdictional & Stakeholder Collaboration
In addition to the federal partners, the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station has
brought together the State of Illinois, IDOT, St. Clair County, and the City of East St.
Louis. St. Clair County is the lead applicant of this TIGER VI Discretionary Grant
application. Partnership on this project extends well beyond governmental agencies.
St. Clair County is working together with MetroLink, the MAMD, local higher education
institutions, the Casino Queen Hotel and Casino, and the business community. Strong
partnerships have been developed with Amtrak, MetroLink, and IDOT. These
relationships have been carefully crafted as they are critical to meeting the significant
transportation efficiency improvements for this project. Coordination with these
stakeholders ensures the successful completion of the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal
Station and redevelopment of the surrounding area.
6.2.2 Disciplinary Integration
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station has brought together a diverse group of
stakeholders, organizations, and groups within the East St. Louis and St. Clair County
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 21
area. These groups and organizations within the Metropolitan St. Louis area all benefit
from the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station.
Business Community – The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station enhances and
brings together the business community, including the Casino Queen Hotel and
Casino, to incorporate ideas and features into the new station that benefits the users
from the business community.
Educational Institutions – East St. Louis is home to satellite campuses for SIUE and
SWIC. The design team for the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station is working
with these educational institutions in developing ideas and features that encourage
students to utilize the station to connect to all modes of transportation.
MetroLink & MetroBus – The
East St. Louis HSR Multimodal
Station project team is working with
MetroLink and MetroBus to provide
facilities for service to the station
and will create a truly multimodal
station facility.
Mid-America Medical District – MAMD was created in 2007 by the State of Illinois to
create a medical center district within the corporate boundaries of the City of East St.
Louis. MAMD was established to attract and retain academic centers of excellence,
viable healthcare facilities, medical research facilities, emerging high technology
enterprises, and other facilities. The MAMD boundaries encompass a portion of
Downtown East St. Louis. MAMD is included in the development of the East St. Louis
HSR Multimodal Station project to ensure that the station design encourages patrons
of MAMD to utilize the station as well as to encourage development of the MAMD
property near the station.
Tourist Destinations – The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station project team is
coordinating with tourist and entertainment destinations. East St. Louis is home to
several destinations, including the Malcolm W. Martin Memorial Park, Gateway
Geyser, the Casino Queen Hotel and Casino, and the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center.
In addition to the tourist destinations located in East St. Louis, MetroLink connects
tourists and visitors to numerous activities and entertainment venues on both sides of
the Mississippi River including Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals
professional baseball team, Scottrade Center, home of the St. Louis Blues
professional hockey team, and the Edward Jones Dome, home of the St. Louis Rams
professional football team.
Federal Offices – East St. Louis is home to the Melvin Price
U.S. Courthouse and Melvin Price Federal Building. The Melvin
Price U.S. Courthouse is home to the U.S. District and
Bankruptcy Courts as well as offices for U.S. Attorneys,
Magistrate, Marshall Service, Probation, and Public Defender.
The Melvin Price Federal Building includes office space for courtrelated agencies, the Social Security Administrative offices, the
Department of Homeland Security, and U.S. Trustees.
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 22
Connected directly to East St. Louis via MetroLink, Scott Air
Force Base (SAFB) is home to 375th Air Mobility Wing, the Air
Mobility Command, U.S. Transportation Command, five
headquarters, a reserve aeromedical airlift wing, and an Air
National Guard unit. SAFB is also home to over 30 tenants,
including the 18th Air Force, the 126th Air Refueling Wing,
Defense Information Systems Agency/Defense Information and
Contracting Organization, Air Force Network Integration Center,
and Surface Deployment and Distribution Command. The
mission of SAFB is to provide a Total Force team, engaging
globally by providing priority airlift, aeromedical evacuation,
combat support, and medical expertise, while ensuring an
outstanding quality of lift. SAFB is the largest employer and
economic driver in St. Clair County. The East St. Louis HSR
Multimodal project team is involving the various federal offices so
the proposed station is utilized by people from other parts of the
state, the country, and the world doing business with these
organizations.
7.0
Benefit-Cost Analysis
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station is requesting TIGER Discretionary Grant
funding for a planning grant. The station is still in the very early conceptual stages and
information such as capital costs and ridership projections have not been completed at
this time, but to be completed as part of the station design that will be funded, in part,
with the TIGER funds.
Even though the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station is still in the early conceptual
planning stage, the project has already identified the following costs for the project:
PROJECT COSTS
Capital Costs
• Property Acquisition
• Site Design
• Auxiliary infrastructure improvements
• Construction of Station, platform, parking lot, utility services,
etc.
Annual Maintenance & Operation
• Utility costs
• Building and facilities maintenance costs
• Employee salaries
Tickets
• Ticket costs for passengers to ride trains
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 23
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station generates numerous benefits for the local
area, the region, and the state as well. The following list summarizes the benefits of the
development of the station:
PROJECT BENEFITS
Reduction of Vehicle Emissions
Alternative Travel Options
• Reduction of vehicle trips between • Introduce new riders to Amtrak
East St. Louis and Chicago (or
HSR.
intermediate stations) reduces • Provide new transportation option
vehicle emissions.
for Metropolitan St. Louis region.
• Reduction of vehicle trips due to • Provide travel option for those that
partial redistribution of airline trips
do not want to drive in Chicago or
between St. Louis and Chicago.
St. Louis traffic.
Passenger vehicles have a shorter • Provide options for a truly
travel distance to the East St.
multimodal trip.
Louis station as compared to • Economic
travel
option
for
Lambert Airport or to Union Station
students, the elderly, and lowas to O’Hare Airport or Midway
income populations.
Airport.
• Provide bicycle rentals at East St.
• Reduction of vehicle trips to St.
Louis HSR Multimodal Station so
Louis and Alton Amtrak Stations.
that travelers can bike across the
• Reduction of vehicle trips due
Eads Bridge into St. Louis. The
multimodal
connectivity
in
Eads Bridge is the only bridge
Metropolitan St. Louis region.
across the Mississippi River that
accommodates pedestrians and
bicyclists.
Time Savings
• Improved
Amtrak
on-time
performance as part of CHISL
HSR project.
• Travel-time savings for reduced
time for HSR train trip as
compared to passenger vehicle
trip.
• Time savings due to less time
spent in traffic congestion.
Travel Fee Savings
• No parking fees in Chicago.
• Free parking at East St. Louis
station.
• No toll road fees in Chicago.
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
Reduction
of
Vehicle
Fuel
Consumption
• Reduction of vehicle trips between
East St. Louis and Chicago (or
intermediate stations).
• Reduction of vehicle trips from St.
Louis and St. Clair County region
due to multimodal connectivity.
• Reduction of vehicle trips to St.
Louis and Alton Amtrak Stations.
Additional Tax Revenue
• Additional sales tax revenue from
tourists and visitors.
• Additional hotel tax revenue from
visitors.
PAGE | 24
Tourism
• Increase visitors to existing tourism
market of great Metropolitan St.
Louis area.
• Increase
visitors
to
greater
Chicago region.
• Increase
number
of
day
trips/weekend trips to Chicago and
St. Louis regions.
• Create a link for Chicago visitors to
see Mississippi River.
• Create a link between the
Mississippi River and the Great
Lakes.
Business Expenses Savings
• Reduction of rental car expenses.
• Reduction of parking fees.
• Gain business productivity due to
ability to work on HSR train while
traveling.
• Gain business productivity due to
free Wi-Fi on HSR train.
Economic Development
• Creation of new employment
opportunities
due
to
the
construction of the station and site
infrastructure.
• Creation of jobs to operate and
maintain the station and services
at the station.
• Creation of construction jobs due
to
increased
development
surrounding the station.
• Creation of permanent jobs due to
new developments near the
station.
Public Transit
• Increase in ridership in public
transit in greater Chicago area.
• Increase in ridership of MetroLink
and MetroBus in greater St. Louis
Metropolitan region.
• Provide a truly multimodal station
to bring all modes of transportation
together in one location.
Redevelopment of East St. Louis
Expansion
• Anchor for TOD.
• Ability to add cars or trains to
schedule to meet increasing
• Spur redevelopment to support
ridership demands.
station and passengers.
• Adaptive re-use of brownfield sites.
Safety
● Reduction of crashes on roadways
due to trips being redistributed to
Amtrak HSR trains.
As shown in the preceding lists of Project Costs and Project Benefits, the proposed East
St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station clearly generates benefits that have a positive impact
on both great St. Louis Metropolitan area and the Chicago region. Project benefits
impact social, economic, environmental, and safety aspects and clearly provide more
benefits than the costs for construction, operation, and maintenance of the station. As
conceptual plans and studies, which includes ridership projections for the station, are
prepared, a detailed Benefit-Cost (B/C) Analysis will be prepared. However, due to the
extensive list of benefits shown, it is clear that the project’s benefits outweigh the
project’s costs and will result in a very high B/C ratio.
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 25
8.0
Project Schedule
St. Clair County plans on beginning the project immediately upon award of the TIGER
Discretionary Grant funding. The County process begins by advertising and selecting
an engineering/architectural team to develop preliminary and final plans as well as the
preparing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents. The County
expects to have a design team under contract during the third quarter of 2014. It is
expected the NEPA process be completed within 1.5 years. Table 8.1 includes the
project schedule for the design and construction of the East St. Louis HSR Multimodal
Station project.
Table 8.1
Project Schedule
East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station
2014
2015
2016
Task
TIGER Grant
Application
TIGER Grant Funding
Awarded
Selection/Award of
Project Design Team
East St. Louis HSR
Station Design
2017
2018
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4
NEPA Process
Project Bid/Awarded for
Construction
Construction of
Improvements
East St. Louis HSR
Station Open
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 26
9.0
Federal Wage Rate Requirement
St. Clair County has signed the federal wage rate certification that it complies with
Subchapter 31 of Title 40 of the United States code.
10.0
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Requirement
A full environmental analysis is required to be prepared as part of the project planning
process. A preliminary environmental analysis of potential environmental impacts was
conducted for the proposed site as part of the initial site screening effort by the IDOT
CHISL HSR project. Potential wetland areas were identified on the site, however, these
wetland areas could be avoided during site design. Potential impacts to natural,
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
PAGE | 27
cultural, and socio-economic resources are anticipated to be minor and it is expected
the project meets the criteria standards for a Categorical Exclusion.
11.0
Environmentally Related Federal, State & Local Actions
The project will comply with all applicable Federal, State, and local permitting
requirements during project construction and operation.
12.0
Confidential Business Information
There is no confidential information related to this project’s application.
13.0
Letters of Support & Supplemental Information
The East St. Louis HSR Multimodal Station project has gained project support from
several communities as well as legislatures.
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
U.S. Representative William Enyart, 12th District of Illinois
U.S. Senator Richard J. Durbin
Illinois State Senator James F. Clayborne, Jr., 57th District
Illinois State Senator Frank C. Watson, 51st District
Illinois State Representative Eddie Lee Jackson, Sr., 114th District
East West Gateway Council of Governments
St. Clair County Health Department
City of East St. Louis, Illinois
City of Belleville, Illinois
“The East St. Louis Station is
an opportunity to provide
easy, low-cost access to a
community
that
has
traditionally suffered from disinvestment and lack of
opportunity. St. Clair County,
in partnership with East St.
Louis, is working to reverse
this trend and provide great
opportunities to the citizens of
East St. Louis.”
The letters of support, municipal ordinances, and
resolutions can be viewed along with additional
supplemental application materials at the East St. Louis
HSR Multimodal Station TIGER Discretionary Grant
website (www.co.st-clair.il.us/departments/econDev/HSR).
East-West Gateway Council
of Governments
EAST ST. LOUIS HSR MULTIMODAL STATION – TIGER 2014
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