urbanSTL

Does it say what those 58 people are doing? Not cleaning up the CWE bus transfer center, I know that.

They're probably hiring "public safety" officers instead of getting the police officers they're already paying for.

29 in Bus operations
20 security
Looks like they've created some VP positions
And it appears that they have decided to become their own health insurance provider

It sort of seems like Metro is in a bit of an agonizingly slow death spiral.

I'd like to see a big legislative push by Slay, Stenger, and Sly James to get police control on transit systems. Why has Missouri regulated that?
Get the signature of every mayor and police chief, from metrolink communities, supporting the idea.


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Metro is paying for over forty full time police officers and getting almost nothing in return. We don't need Slay or Stenger or "more money." We need answers as to why metro is getting nothing for our money.

^ I agree Metros biggest problem is mismanagement and inept leadership. They have no vision and blame everything on lack of State funds but there are cities doing much more in a similar situation. Maybe they would have a chance getting more financial help if they actually laid out a clear vision for expansion and dates of completion if finances were secured. Putting every major project on the back burner until the state has a change of mind on transit funding is a recipe for disaster.

bprop wrote:Metro is paying for over forty full time police officers and getting almost nothing in return. We don't need Slay or Stenger or "more money." We need answers as to why metro is getting nothing for our money.

Maybe you should ask the PDs. Good luck with that.

urban_dilettante wrote:

bprop wrote:Metro is paying for over forty full time police officers and getting almost nothing in return. We don't need Slay or Stenger or "more money." We need answers as to why metro is getting nothing for our money.

Maybe you should ask the PDs. Good luck with that.

I pay Metro to be a wise steward of my money. They've apparently been flushing this part of it down the proverbial toilet for two decades now. If they had actually raised awareness of it then all eyes would be on the PDs for an explanation. As it is, Metro says absolutely nothing and goes completely tight-lipped when asked about where all this money has been going. And then they go hire 20 more useless, obese "public safety" officers to fill the gap that shouldn't exist. Pathetic.

^ You also pay the police, yet you seem to be less bothered by their conduct than Metro's. Look, I'm not saying Metro doesn't share some of the blame but—and we've been over this before—the PD's are at least equally deserving of your contempt here. I think Metro deserves a little leeway since, thanks to state law, they don't have any other options for policing.

As far as I know, nobody knew about the exact numbers specified in the policing contract and just how bad the disparity was. Metro has said nothing for decades while wasting the money. It's their problem to either handle or make known. And they won't even give the barest hint of the contract terms that they've been signing beyond what was revealed by a reporter this year.

This doesn't mean the police departments get a free pass. But resolving a problem requires transparency, and Metro is the one that withheld the information for all these years. Both share blame, but it was Metro's ball to drop first. Why would you sign a contract with absolutely no SLO or controls to ensure you get what you paid for? Maybe they did and the police just waved them off...but nobody knows that because Metro is keeping it a secret.

StlToday - Editorial: North-South MetroLink expansion could help 'Rebuild St. Louis'

Back in 2008, the proposed north-south Metrolink expansion became one of those billion-dollar ideas put on a shelf to collect dust.

http://m.stltoday.com/news/opinion/colu ... 99e3a.html

Look for a sales tax ballot issue April 2017 to this

^ for city or city and county?

Not sure how it will work yet. It's all very early stages right now

I hope a TDD/CID/TIF is investigated to apply to property near the line to utilize value capture to help for for it.

Not sure how it will work yet. It's all very early stages right now

This is being pushed by the Mayor's office? Metro? Who?

^ from what I could gather Civic Progress, the Regional Chamber, and Trade Unions. The plan is for a $2.5B bond that would produces $10B in matching federal money to rebuild critical transportation and other infrastructure, the assumption is that a major light rail line or two (Westport and N/S?) would be included in the build out, along with upgrading rail, ports, streets, and highway infrastructure to world class status. The intention is to create an economic boost, lay the foundation for future major economic growth, making the kind of infrastructural upgrades that will get the nation talking about St. Louis (sort of like Denver Fastracks). The uphill battle is trying to get somewhere between a 0.5 to 1.0 cent sales tax passed in the city and county, I think the city would if promised major upgrades, but the county seems like a harder sale, but is also necessary for it to produce anywhere near what is needed to make those sort of upgrades. I like the idea, but like DB its still in the early planning, more info will probably be coming soon.

^Would probably be worth it though I do think sales tax has become somewhat of an overused tool by local governments/agencies as of late. If I had it my way there'd be a 0.5% earnings tax increase for say 10 years to pay for it though I know it's now against the law for the county and big corporates like the RCGA would never go for it.

We were promised Metrolink expansion from the last sales tax increase. Makes the sell tougher.

I thought the Feds were no longer matching transit projects 80-20.

^ Yes, it would still be a 50/50 match for Metrolink, but from what I gather this is a total infrastructure package, a Metrolink line or two would just be included. You are right, the fact that Metro hasn't even moved forward with a line from the last sales tax, would be a tough sale. They could say they were just banking for Westport since the tax did say it was for a St. Louis County line, but that this regional tax is for N-S Metrolink and other major projects. I think we will see Westport before N-S Metrolink though, for various reasons. Also, the region may be trying to capitalize on the promise zone designation to qualify for a larger federal match for N-S Metrolink, I've heard that mentioned before.