urbanSTL

The credit card tap thing, I was wondering how that worked with two passengers using one credit card when I saw it in Dallas. That's what kept me using paper tickets there.

If I know I'm going to be riding around several times on MetroLink or on MetroBus in a single day, and outside of a single two-hour window, I just pay $5 for the Metro daily pass.  

I really enjoy being able to see the buses in real time through the app. It's kept me out of the rain more than once. 

eee123 wrote: ↑

Feb 07, 2023

Does the transit app have a daily cap? I love that the fare cards keep track of all that and save me money valid indefinitely.

The other day I took a bus, then a while later the train. The train trip was charged as part of a two hour pass automatically because I have a gateway card. If I took more rides later, I would've reached the daily max.

Plus I just hate app over reliance.

Sometimes apps just put out some garbage update and crash nonstop. You're also reliant on data, which isn't free.

Sometimes the bus doesn't show up and I'm not waiting an hour, so I'm at risk of losing that dollar with the app's 30-day expiration.

This is why a transit card is still important. Apps misbehave and you should never need to worry about your phone dying. Cards also reduce the possibility of user error. I've never used a mobile bus ticket so I can't speak to your experience.

As for having multiple people paying with one credit card, it just charges the card one time. It doesn't keep track of transfers. It's a great system for visitors, first time users, occasional users, or people who know they won't have a transfer. I use my credit card in New York because I know I won't be doing any out of system subway transfers or subway to bus transfers. It is slightly slower than MetroCard or Omni though.

RockChalkSTL wrote: ↑

Feb 07, 2023

If I know I'm going to be riding around several times on MetroLink or on MetroBus in a single day, and outside of a single two-hour window, I just pay $5 for the Metro daily pass.  

I really enjoy being able to see the buses in real time through the app. It's kept me out of the rain more than once. 

The tracking feature is definitely great and I use it for that.

Sometimes you don't know where the day will take you or if the bus will show up or (this actually happened), you'll go to 2nd Shift for beers and there's a train blocking you from getting to the hourly bus twice in consecutive hours. Sometimes the bus is AWOL and you walk to the nearest Metrolink.

That's the thing about the farecard, I don't have to think ahead on what my exact transit plans are for the day. It's taken care of after the fact. No buying something that I can't use. No losing money.

Looking at Japan, it seems like all of their local transit systems operate off interoperable farecards. That would be next level awesome instead of having to figure out each city.

aprice wrote: ↑

Feb 07, 2023

eee123 wrote: ↑

Feb 07, 2023

Does the transit app have a daily cap? I love that the fare cards keep track of all that and save me money valid indefinitely.

The other day I took a bus, then a while later the train. The train trip was charged as part of a two hour pass automatically because I have a gateway card. If I took more rides later, I would've reached the daily max.

Plus I just hate app over reliance.

Sometimes apps just put out some garbage update and crash nonstop. You're also reliant on data, which isn't free.

Sometimes the bus doesn't show up and I'm not waiting an hour, so I'm at risk of losing that dollar with the app's 30-day expiration.

This is why a transit card is still important. Apps misbehave and you should never need to worry about your phone dying. Cards also reduce the possibility of user error. I've never used a mobile bus ticket so I can't speak to your experience.

As for having multiple people paying with one credit card, it just charges the card one time. It doesn't keep track of transfers. It's a great system for visitors, first time users, occasional users, or people who know they won't have a transfer. I use my credit card in New York because I know I won't be doing any out of system subway transfers or subway to bus transfers. It is slightly slower than MetroCard or Omni though.

I can't speak to the cards, as I've not used them, but the mobile ap works pretty well. Your comment about phones dying is fair, but the only time I ever had the problem was once in Scotland and I was able to charge my phone off my laptop, ironically. (And it was a case of poor planning on my part, as I'd been using the phone all day on a train from Peterborough to Edinburgh and failed to think about the fact I was going to need it once I got there.) So your point is fair, but at the same time as we use this stuff more often we get better at paying attention to things like battery life and managing our use so we still have some when we need it.

That said, I found the mobile ap darned easy to use and the bus tracking quite convenient.

I checked Metro's website and saw that the Gateway Card is still only available for purchase at the Metro Store downtown. Are there any plans to eventually sell Gateway Cards at stations or allow customers to add a virtual Gateway Card to their phones or something? I can't imagine very many casual users of the system make a special trip downtown just to buy a Gateway Card.

Edit: Never mind, I see you can buy passes with the Transit app.

jonkleinow wrote: ↑

Mar 09, 2024

I checked Metro's website and saw that the Gateway Card is still only available for purchase at the Metro Store downtown. Are there any plans to eventually sell Gateway Cards at stations or allow customers to add a virtual Gateway Card to their phones or something? I can't imagine very many casual users of the system make a special trip downtown just to buy a Gateway Card.

Edit: Never mind, I see you can buy passes with the Transit app.

From what I've heard, a lot of bus users are using the Transit App now (I've been in Philly for 4 years). I used it for MetroLink on my most recent visit. There's been talk Metro is already looking at a tap to pay system i.e. you'd be able to tap any credit card to board a bus. Currently only 6 U.S. cities have this in place but it's pretty common internationally, starting with London about a decade ago. They'll likely go with system similar to Philly's. You tap a credit card but it doesn't charge you until the end of the day (4 a.m.) so any transfers can be accounted for and it's not completely cluttering your credit card statements. I highly doubt Metro would eliminate it's weekly and monthly pass options when this comes along but they might make people transition to a transit card which would also have the option to have a loaded cash value on it. As someone who has expensed transit costs to an employer (they paid for everyone else's parking), I would probably go with the loaded cash option, I'm not over paying for a monthly pass, I can add $50 at a time and just expense that receipt.

tap CC or debt card is awesome,  i was in London for 3 days these past 2 weeks and never had to worry about getting a ticket

aprice wrote: ↑

Mar 11, 2024

jonkleinow wrote: ↑

Mar 09, 2024

I checked Metro's website and saw that the Gateway Card is still only available for purchase at the Metro Store downtown. Are there any plans to eventually sell Gateway Cards at stations or allow customers to add a virtual Gateway Card to their phones or something? I can't imagine very many casual users of the system make a special trip downtown just to buy a Gateway Card.

Edit: Never mind, I see you can buy passes with the Transit app.

From what I've heard, a lot of bus users are using the Transit App now (I've been in Philly for 4 years). I used it for MetroLink on my most recent visit. There's been talk Metro is already looking at a tap to pay system i.e. you'd be able to tap any credit card to board a bus. Currently only 6 U.S. cities have this in place but it's pretty common internationally, starting with London about a decade ago. They'll likely go with system similar to Philly's. You tap a credit card but it doesn't charge you until the end of the day (4 a.m.) so any transfers can be accounted for and it's not completely cluttering your credit card statements. I highly doubt Metro would eliminate it's weekly and monthly pass options when this comes along but they might make people transition to a transit card which would also have the option to have a loaded cash value on it. As someone who has expensed transit costs to an employer (they paid for everyone else's parking), I would probably go with the loaded cash option, I'm not over paying for a monthly pass, I can add $50 at a time and just expense that receipt.

I use the Transit app to pay for the bus and it's shockingly easy and has bus tracking based on user input. The app is pretty slick too. Highly recommended.

dbInSouthCity wrote: ↑

Mar 12, 2024

tap CC or debt card is awesome,  i was in London for 3 days these past 2 weeks and never had to worry about getting a ticket

recently used it in Brussels as well. super easy. one drawback—each rider has to use a separate card. you can't tap the same card multiple times to pay for multiple riders.

Maybe it's changed, but has there been an upgrade to the payment system at the stations ?
I've been informed via social media that if you find or steal a credit debit card you can go to the pay station and insert the card and purchase a monthly pass.   How many stolen passes could one purchase? Possibly require the cards zip code to be entered to finalize the purchase?

BarryGlick wrote:Maybe it's changed, but has there been an upgrade to the payment system at the stations ?
I've been informed via social media that if you find or steal a credit debit card you can go to the pay station and insert the card and purchase a monthly pass.   How many stolen passes could one purchase? Possibly require the cards zip code to be entered to finalize the purchase?

The payment systems haven’t been upgraded and they really don’t work well. It seems like every other time I use the Metro, the system is down.

StlToday - MetroLink's new gates don’t yet work. ‘Worse than useless,’ rider says


https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/gov ... 72d8a.html

They don't work unless a security worker opens them for you. 

I must say, I do find it irritating how often these security workers are playing on their phones and sometimes not immediately visible. 

Oops. If only they thought of riders first. Hope that dead CEO is happy.

"Riders also take issue with the way the project cut off pedestrian access to the Gateway Transportation Center, the city-owned Amtrak and intercity bus terminal. Turnstiles at the Civic Center MetroLink station closed the direct route from the Amtrak station to 14th Street and most of downtown."

Who the hell did Bi-State pay for consulting work on this? 

RockChalkSTL wrote: ↑

May 12, 2025

Who the hell did Bi-State pay for consulting work on this? 

WSP did the big security consulting contract a few years ago and strongly recommended against gates. They were right; Bi-State ignored them.

Yeah, this is going to need to be a bigger problem. Quickly. I’ve taken the liberty of drafting a letter.

Give me more emails I should send to.
mayor@stlouis-mo.gov
Alderman Aldridge aldridgera@stlouis-mo.gov
Aldewoman Keys keysl@stlouis-mo.gov



Subject: Urgent Concerns About MetroLink Turnstile Implementation

Dear [Name],

I’m writing to express my concern regarding the implementation of turnstiles on the MetroLink system. The current execution is not only ineffective—it’s putting riders at risk.

Passengers are experiencing unacceptable delays, and in some cases, being trapped in stations due to unmanned or unresponsive gates. These issues are being brushed aside, even though they directly impact commuters’ ability to travel safely and reliably. The lack of a functional fare system only compounds the problem.

The severing of pedestrian access to 14th Street from the Gateway Transportation Center. What was once a clear, accessible route is now a maze—an inconvenience to locals and visitors alike. This is not just poor planning; it’s an erosion of basic public infrastructure.

It’s troubling to see St. Louis sacrifice function and accessibility in pursuit of a symbolic, and ultimately unattainable, goal of “zero crime.” Investments should support transit users—not penalize or deter them.

I urge you to demand accountability, push for a transparent review of this project, and advocate for changes that prioritize the needs and safety of actual riders.

Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Address or ZIP Code]
[Your Contact Info, if desired]

The funniest part to this whole thing is that people who actually ride it never asked for this. I've personally been ambivalent on it since I see the argument for and agaisnt, but there's no denying that its been implemented horribly. The people who were in support of this years ago were suburbanites and people who don't even ride it, and coverage from media like the Post Dispatch was dismissive of any opposition and totally in favor. And now, because the P-D sees the wind changing directions, they're gonna start rolling out negative coverage just because that's the type of sh*t newspaper they are.

Actual transit riders want more buses, more trains, and better amenities. Yet they don't get that. Never will you see the P-D talk about how bad St. Louis regional transit planning is.

Just the epitome of car-centric suburban tyrannical policymaking that does nothing but make transit worse and cities worse.

NextSTL - MoDOT’s new tolls don’t yet work. ‘Worse than useless,’ driver says

https://nextstl.com/2025/05/modots-new- ... iver-says/

Come on folks. Email your people!

I actually nearly missed a train this morning because the security guard was nowhere to be found. 

A rider leaving the station pushed the button to open the exit gates and urged me to slip through, which I did.

That's when I noticed that the security guard was hanging out inside one of the new boxes that MetroLink has placed near the gates at the Central West End station. No doubt, they were playing on their phone. 

quincunx wrote: ↑

May 12, 2025

Oops. If only they thought of riders first. Hope that dead CEO is happy.

"Riders also take issue with the way the project cut off pedestrian access to the Gateway Transportation Center, the city-owned Amtrak and intercity bus terminal. Turnstiles at the Civic Center MetroLink station closed the direct route from the Amtrak station to 14th Street and most of downtown."

That's actually crazy, how was this allowed to happen?