Turning Transit Stops Into Community Spaces- AARP Livable Communities
By Caitlin Hillyard
With 46 miles of light-rail, 37 transit stations and a network of interconnected bus routes, St. Louis, Missouri’s Metro Transit system serves thousands of riders a day. As is true of many transit systems, the infrastructure at most of the train and bus stops is little more than a concrete pad for people to stand on and wait.
As part of an effort to reimagine the transit stations as spaces for bringing people together, the local nonprofit Citizens for Modern Transit — along with AARP Missouri, AARP St. Louis and other regional partners — hosted a pop-up demonstration at the North Hanley MetroLink light rail station in Cansonville, a St. Louis suburb.
Funding from an AARP Community Challenge grant helped turn the station’s large parking lot into a temporary retail, entertainment and dining destination. Doing so enabled commuters and passersby to envision the location’s potential and share their ideas.
