Forest Park–DeBaliviere station

Forest Park–DeBaliviere station is a St. Louis MetroLink station.[2] It is located at the northeast corner of Forest Park Parkway and DeBaliviere Avenue in St. Louis, Missouri and is designated as the primary transfer point for riders between the Red and Blue lines.

Forest Park–DeBaliviere
Forest Park–DeBaliviere station platform
General information
Location250 DeBaliviere Avenue
St. Louis, Missouri
Coordinates38.647813°N 90.284689°W / 38.647813; -90.284689
Owned byBi-State Development Agency
Operated byMetro Transit
Platforms1 island platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsBus transport MetroBus Missouri: 1, 3, 90
Loop Trolley
Construction
Structure typeBelow-grade
Parking115 spaces
Bicycle facilitiesRack, St. Vincent Greenway
AccessibleYes
History
OpenedJuly 31, 1993[1]
Rebuilt2006
Passengers
20183,711 daily
Rank2 out of 38
Services
Preceding station MetroLink Following station
Delmar Loop
toward Shrewsbury
 Blue Line Central West End
toward Fairview Heights
Skinker
toward Lambert Airport
 Red Line Central West End
toward Shiloh–Scott

History
Passengers board a train at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere station

The station opened on July 31, 1993, as one of the original stations in the MetroLink system. It was originally constructed with side platforms and a single entrance serving the westbound platform.

Access to the eastbound platform required walking the length of the westbound platform and crossing the tracks at the end. As part of the Cross-County extension of MetroLink from Forest Park–DeBaliviere to Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44, the station was reconstructed with an island platform to allow easy cross platform transfers between the Blue and Red lines and two station entrances, one on either side of DeBaliviere Avenue.[3]

2022 Flooding

On July 26, 2022, the Forest Park-DeBaliviere and Delmar Loop stations were flooded in a catastrophic flash flooding event that shut the system down for close to 72 hours.[4] Damage to the stations, rolling stock, ballast, signaling infrastructure, fiber optics, etc. is estimated to be $40 million.[5]

On September 5, 2022, Metro announced new schedules to accommodate repairs being made to the system. It is estimated repairs could take six months or longer.[6]

Location

This station is located just to the north of Forest Park. Attractions in the park include the St. Louis Art Museum, Saint Louis Zoo, Missouri History Museum and The Muny in addition to athletic fields, biking and running trails, and golf courses.

In 2022, two large developments opened on the former park and ride lot and strip mall adjacent to the station.[7] One of the largest transit oriented developments in St. Louis to date, the two projects brought 437 new residential units and nearly 40,000 square feet of new commercial space to the area surrounding the station.[8] Included in the garage are 115 free park and ride spaces for Metro customers.[9]

The Loop Trolley system, a heritage streetcar service that travels along DeBaliviere Avenue and Delmar Boulevard to the Loop, and operates from about April to October, has a stop adjacent to the entrance of the MetroLink station.[10]

Station layout

The platform is accessed via an elevator or set of stairs on either the east or west side of DeBaliviere Avenue.

G Street level Exit/entrance, parking, buses
P
Platform level		 Westbound ←      Blue Line toward Shrewsbury (Skinker)
←      Red Line toward Lambert Airport (Delmar Loop)
Island platform, doors will open on the left
Eastbound ←      Red Line toward Shiloh–Scott (Central West End) →
←      Blue Line toward Fairview Heights (Central West End) →

Public artwork

In 2016, Metro's Arts in Transit program commissioned the work Vehicle.Destination.Imagination. by Con Christeson and Catharine Magel for this station. The mural, located along the south retaining wall, combines three-dimensional elements with vibrant colors to celebrate the spirit of the St. Louis region.[11]

References
  1. Lindecke, Fred W. (August 1, 1993). "Area Riders Throng to Try MetroLink". The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. pp. 1A, 6A. Retrieved April 15, 2021 – via Newspapers.com. open access
  2. "Forest Park-DeBaliviere Station". metrostlouis.org. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  3. "Cross County MetroLink Extension – Final Project Status Report" (PDF). Metro. December 2006. p. 23. Retrieved August 14, 2008.
  4. Lindsey (August 16, 2022). "MetroLink Flood Damage Update". metrostlouis.org. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  5. Schrappen, Colleen. "MetroLink to resume full service, but cost for flood repairs could double". STLtoday.com. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  6. Lindsey (September 1, 2022). "MetroLink Changes Starting September 5: Blue Line Service to Operate Between Shrewsbury and Forest Park". metrostlouis.org. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  7. Stritzel, Chris (April 9, 2021). "The Scene: DeBaliviere Transit Oriented Developments Begin Making an Impact". CityScene STL. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  8. "Expo at Forest Park". metrostlouis.org. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  9. "Parking Available for Metro Transit Customers at the Expo at Forest Park Garage". Metro Transit – Saint Louis. Retrieved May 16, 2023.
  10. "FAQs". STL Loop Trolley. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  11. "Vehicle.Destination. Imagination". Arts in Transit, Inc. Retrieved October 3, 2022.


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