Realigning MetroLink to Better Serve St. Louis

In the post I wrote last week comparing the Grand and Central West End MetroLink stations, I concluded with a question: "Would additional stations or even a different alignment have better served the neighborhoods MetroLink passes?"

As the map at the top shows, I believe that a MetroLink alignment along Market St and Forest Park Ave would more effectively served the city's central corridor, the city's spine, than the existing alignment. The wide right-of-ways and long intersection spacings of both Forest Park Ave and Market St could easily accommodate MetroLink at-grade without significantly slowing the line's speed down. In a way, it's a shame St. Louis didn't have any money of it's own to invest in bettering MetroLink's route when it was built. But, then again, who can resist free [right-of-way]?