Article: St. Louis' light rail excites public but hasn't sparked development Series: Transportation at the Crossroads

Wealth and poverty ride together on the rails over the Mississippi River.

The St. Louis area's three-year-old MetroLink light rail system spans racial, economic and political gaps far wider than the mighty river it crosses. But it hasn't been able yet to create wealth in the midst of poverty.

A ride on MetroLink shows the diversity of the people it serves. It runs from the affluent suburbs of Missouri's St. Louis County, to a desolate industrial area on the edge of the city, through a variety of St. Louis neighborhoods, into downtown, then across the river to poverty-stricken, crime-ridden East St. Louis, Ill.

Along the way, it stops at or near the airport, sports stadiums, ...

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