urbanSTL

That trend is not very reassuring.  Nowhere near 2019 levels and continuing to drop.  With work from home being such a big thing that is to be expected I guess, but hopefully with large scale events coming back into full swing we see those numbers go up over the next quarter.  Baseball season starting won't hurt either.

npav wrote: ↑

Mar 15, 2022

That trend is not very reassuring.  Nowhere near 2019 levels and continuing to drop.  With work from home being such a big thing that is to be expected I guess, but hopefully with large scale events coming back into full swing we see those numbers go up over the next quarter.  Baseball season starting won't hurt either.

It’s not continuing to drop, it’s clearly running ahead of FY2021 and metrolink specifically by 15%.

On the MetroLink right now and it’s one of the single car trains.

I’m shocked how much my perspective changed in basically just a moment.

It’s positively packed, and it is rather nice seeing that and I can completely understand how it can potentially have a positive impact on peoples’ perspectives or feelings on safety.

With one change, it just feels a million times more active and utilized. It’s very interesting.


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I also rode one today. I'm still against the idea, I thought it was absurd to see how the eastbound train pulled into the Skinker station so that passengers have to walk much further down the platform for a train from the entrance. But I was glad to see they are finally opening the front door of the trains, which had been shut for sometime now. 

brianadler6545 wrote: ↑

Mar 16, 2022

On the MetroLink right now and it’s one of the single car trains.

I’m shocked how much my perspective changed in basically just a moment.

It’s positively packed, and it is rather nice seeing that and I can completely understand how it can potentially have a positive impact on peoples’ perspectives or feelings on safety.

With one change, it just feels a million times more active and utilized. It’s very interesting.


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This is the main reason why I think this may be a good idea: more density --> greater perception of safety

This is the main reason why I think this may be a good idea: more density --> greater perception of safety

Unfortunately since COVID Metro (and other similar systems across the country) has been caught in the low ridership trap. Low ridership = empty cars = people feel unsafe = less ridership = greater car dependency in STL. 

Make Metrolink (Metro Bus too if you can swing it) free and we can see the effect start to snowball in the other direction. Free transit = more riders for more trips = better perception of safety = better perception of public transit = Metro actually becomes a competitive replacement for driving = city becomes less car dependent and builds itself as such.

Want to see high quality TOD spring up alongside every Metro station instead of just a rare few? Free transit would make those sites (even in North County) extremely valuable overnight. If it was free this whole time we could have had real TOD built by the Sunnen Station instead car dealerships.

Charles Stewart Appointed Executive Director of Metro Transit

https://www.metrostlouis.org/nextstop/c ... o-transit/

Surprising how slow the recovery as been, even with driver shortages I’d thought by now it would be way over 2m maybe even 2.5. Going to make new line a tough sell

Deflating, honestly.

Where do we go from here?

Do we chant 'Kill the Trolley' and ask for more federal money?

I can't believe Metro was ever paying their drivers minimum wage. Maybe not enough, but you don't get a class B with a passenger endorsement and an air brake rating for minimum wage. Your basic point, however, is probably correct. Lots of people doing lots of work from home for better money.

^Ah, derp! Of course. Sorry. That should have been obvious.

Here's an idea for boosting ridership, lemme know what you think*: handsome shirtless conductors. We could call them Trippendales.

*Constructive criticism only

My only concern is that you've been holding onto this idea for potentially years now and are just now sharing it.

The Blue Line gets back to normal service on Nov. 28.

https://www.metrostlouis.org/upcoming-schedule-changes/

Good timing with the discounted metro passes.

Now through December 31, get a regular-price November or December monthly Metro Pass for just $50 (regularly $78) wherever Metro Transit tickets are sold. Or buy any non-discounted weekly Metro Pass for only $15 ($12 savings).

eee123 wrote:The Blue Line gets back to normal service on Nov. 28.

https://www.metrostlouis.org/upcoming-schedule-changes/

Good timing with the discounted metro passes.

Now through December 31, get a regular-price November or December monthly Metro Pass for just $50 (regularly $78) wherever Metro Transit tickets are sold. Or buy any non-discounted weekly Metro Pass for only $15 ($12 savings).

I know it wont happen but I’ve really appreciated the discounted prices and it would be awesome if they were continued. Mostly due to I only ride 3 or 4 days a week so when prices go back to normal it’s just an inconvenience to buy a pass everyday to “save money” when I’m nearly a monthly user in a sense.

Something I was pleasantly shocked to see was that Metro finally has the escalators working at the Convention Center again. They had been boarded up with no visible construction work going on for years. 

PeterXCV wrote:Something I was pleasantly shocked to see was that Metro finally has the escalators working at the Convention Center again. They had been boarded up with no visible construction work going on for years. 

Now if only they could get the forest park elevators working….