It'd be nice if rail got 1/10th of the investment highways or airways get. Yeah, I'd love to see more investment. I'd love to see the thing demolished and replaced. It's a disgrace. And Amtrak's network is awful.quincunx wrote: ↑Mar 17, 2025Still hasn't surpassed Amtrak at the Gateway Transportation Center, 321,780 in 3023. Then there's Greyhound too. It'd be nice if it got even 1/10 the investment.jshank83 wrote: ↑Mar 17, 2025Final 2024 numbers for midamerica
303,919 passengers
Up 11,222 (3.83%) from 2023
It is there 3rd largest year on record (2022, 2021)
2025 projects to be their best year by a wide margin.
- 6,119
My question for those who are a lot more knowledgeable then me is who own the Gateway Transportation Center. I believe Amtrak actually owns the rails, and maybe the platforms? Does city own the structure itself? and or Metro somehow have ownership.
My thoughts is along the lines of what City infrastructure projects could be funded by Rams Settlement having a long term impact? Obviously streets, sidewalks, and hopefully trees believe are in the mix. But I thought the latest alderman version bill got scuttled. So some opportunity in mind for an infrastructure/downtown project that can have some impact but within the control of the city w no state ownership or control which would be MoDOT for the freeway ramp across the street.
Setting aside some Rams Settlement funds a greater to build a new gateway center, buy USPS property next door & buying the MoDOT property/demo the ramp as part of a greater RFP is something that comes to mind. Heck, I would even put some money aside to support additional Lincoln Corridor service or maybe buy a trainset, say brightline, just as money is used for a flight to Germany.
My thoughts is along the lines of what City infrastructure projects could be funded by Rams Settlement having a long term impact? Obviously streets, sidewalks, and hopefully trees believe are in the mix. But I thought the latest alderman version bill got scuttled. So some opportunity in mind for an infrastructure/downtown project that can have some impact but within the control of the city w no state ownership or control which would be MoDOT for the freeway ramp across the street.
Setting aside some Rams Settlement funds a greater to build a new gateway center, buy USPS property next door & buying the MoDOT property/demo the ramp as part of a greater RFP is something that comes to mind. Heck, I would even put some money aside to support additional Lincoln Corridor service or maybe buy a trainset, say brightline, just as money is used for a flight to Germany.
Looks like Bi-State owns the land, but I think the city owns the building. At least the city's seal is on the door.
I recently emailed the new Comptroller about the opportunity of Gateway Transportation Center. I’d encourage everyone here to do the same. My focus was: (1) better operating management such as maintenance and janitorial (2) short-term wayfinding improvements (3) long term redevelopment.
baringerd@stlouis-mo.gov
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baringerd@stlouis-mo.gov
The Gateway Station is going to be testing stadium/airport style security starting August 1, with full implementation on September 1. I think that's what this means? I hope I'm wrong though.
Used this station many times for both buses and trains, I cannot think of a dumber thing to waste money on. But I guess that's what the city gets for voting in a conservative comptroller.
So much for trying to lobby her for anything of use. Spencer should come out against this bullsh*t and pressure her to reverse course.
Used this station many times for both buses and trains, I cannot think of a dumber thing to waste money on. But I guess that's what the city gets for voting in a conservative comptroller.
So much for trying to lobby her for anything of use. Spencer should come out against this bullsh*t and pressure her to reverse course.
To be fair, this equipment seems to have been in the process of being delivered/installed 6+ months before current leaders took office. Definitely agree this should be reversed though. This photo is from October 2024:Auggie wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025The Gateway Station is going to be testing stadium/airport style security starting August 1, with full implementation on September 1. I think that's what this means? I hope I'm wrong though.
Used this station many times for both buses and trains, I cannot think of a dumber thing to waste money on. But I guess that's what the city gets for voting in a conservative comptroller.
So much for trying to lobby her for anything of use. Spencer should come out against this bullsh*t and pressure her to reverse course.
Why on earth? Gateway station doesn't look great, they badly need a new food vendor than that one that just serves crappy coffee, and this how they choose to invest in it? Christ our city is making all the wrong choices.
I’m entirely ok with this. America has a violence problem. Passengers on Amtrak are sitting ducks for those with poor intentions.
Shhhhh. That doesn’t fit the narrative. Stick with the script.kg2024 wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025To be fair, this equipment seems to have been in the process of being delivered/installed 6+ months before current leaders took office. Definitely agree this should be reversed though. This photo is from October 2024:Auggie wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025The Gateway Station is going to be testing stadium/airport style security starting August 1, with full implementation on September 1. I think that's what this means? I hope I'm wrong though.
Used this station many times for both buses and trains, I cannot think of a dumber thing to waste money on. But I guess that's what the city gets for voting in a conservative comptroller.
So much for trying to lobby her for anything of use. Spencer should come out against this bullsh*t and pressure her to reverse course.
The narrative is that STL is so dangerous that we need to be the only city that violates your privacy to use the publicly owned train station. And it shouldn't shock you that the users of this station are disproportionately black and brown, especially the bus users.addxb2 wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025Shhhhh. That doesn’t fit the narrative. Stick with the script.kg2024 wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025To be fair, this equipment seems to have been in the process of being delivered/installed 6+ months before current leaders took office. Definitely agree this should be reversed though. This photo is from October 2024:Auggie wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025The Gateway Station is going to be testing stadium/airport style security starting August 1, with full implementation on September 1. I think that's what this means? I hope I'm wrong though.
Used this station many times for both buses and trains, I cannot think of a dumber thing to waste money on. But I guess that's what the city gets for voting in a conservative comptroller.
So much for trying to lobby her for anything of use. Spencer should come out against this bullsh*t and pressure her to reverse course.
If Darlene Green (whom I also did not like) was doing this, I would be right here posting about how bad it is and how Jones needs to pressure her to reverse. I don't have a narrative, I just want St. Louisans and our visitors to not be unnecessarily terrorized.
All this will do is drive more people to Kirkwood or Alton and make tourists think poorly of STL.
You're right, we probably need screening for Forest Park and Tower Grove too. I mean, you're just a sitting duck in there. We basically live in Gotham City. Except- you don't. So it's not your money they're wasting on this thing no one asked for.
Difference is parks aren’t confined spaces. I don’t want to be trapped on a plane, train, bus (that doesn’t make frequent stops). A person with a knife or gun could clear an Amtrak train car before someone intervenes or the train comes to a complete stop.Auggie wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025You're right, we probably need screening for Forest Park and Tower Grove too. I mean, you're just a sitting duck in there. We basically live in Gotham City. Except- you don't. So it's not your money they're wasting on this thing no one asked for.addxb2 wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025I’m entirely ok with this. America has a violence problem. Passengers on Amtrak are sitting ducks for those with poor intentions.
I’m not saying this is a St. Louis issue. I’m saying train passengers should be entitled the same security nationwide that airline passengers are provided. I should ride comfortably knowing that there is nearly a 0% chance that there is an unauthorized weapon on the train. As I do when flying.
So would you also support the police having the legal right to search and seize any car on a public roadway for any reason or no reason at all?addxb2 wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025Difference is parks aren’t confined spaces. I don’t want to be trapped on a plane, train, bus (that doesn’t make frequent stops). A person with a knife or gun could clear an Amtrak train car before someone intervenes or the train comes to a complete stop.Auggie wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025You're right, we probably need screening for Forest Park and Tower Grove too. I mean, you're just a sitting duck in there. We basically live in Gotham City. Except- you don't. So it's not your money they're wasting on this thing no one asked for.addxb2 wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025I’m entirely ok with this. America has a violence problem. Passengers on Amtrak are sitting ducks for those with poor intentions.
I’m not saying this is a St. Louis issue. I’m saying train passengers should be entitled the same security nationwide that airline passengers are provided. I should ride comfortably knowing that there is nearly a 0% chance that there is an unauthorized weapon on the train. As I do when flying.
I support tolls and checkpoints although I don’t think that is the comparison you’re trying to make.Auggie wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025So would you also support the police having the legal right to search and seize any car on a public roadway for any reason or no reason at all?addxb2 wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025Difference is parks aren’t confined spaces. I don’t want to be trapped on a plane, train, bus (that doesn’t make frequent stops). A person with a knife or gun could clear an Amtrak train car before someone intervenes or the train comes to a complete stop.Auggie wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025
You're right, we probably need screening for Forest Park and Tower Grove too. I mean, you're just a sitting duck in there. We basically live in Gotham City. Except- you don't. So it's not your money they're wasting on this thing no one asked for.
I’m not saying this is a St. Louis issue. I’m saying train passengers should be entitled the same security nationwide that airline passengers are provided. I should ride comfortably knowing that there is nearly a 0% chance that there is an unauthorized weapon on the train. As I do when flying.
My personal vehicle where I can allow/deny passengers and control the vehicle is different than a defined public car/vehicle where I have no control over occupants or the vehicle in case of emergency.
You are effectively in a confined space when you are on a roadway, subject to the drivers around you in all sorts of ways- their ability to drive, them paying attention while driving, them not being inebriated while driving, them not recklessly driving, road rage, etc. You are subject to all of this while you drive on any roadway. Because of this, the state should have the legal right to search and seize any car using public roads- for public safety. No different than the apparent right to search and seize bus and train passengers- for public safety.addxb2 wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025I support tolls and checkpoints although I don’t think that is the comparison you’re trying to make.Auggie wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025So would you also support the police having the legal right to search and seize any car on a public roadway for any reason or no reason at all?addxb2 wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025
Difference is parks aren’t confined spaces. I don’t want to be trapped on a plane, train, bus (that doesn’t make frequent stops). A person with a knife or gun could clear an Amtrak train car before someone intervenes or the train comes to a complete stop.
I’m not saying this is a St. Louis issue. I’m saying train passengers should be entitled the same security nationwide that airline passengers are provided. I should ride comfortably knowing that there is nearly a 0% chance that there is an unauthorized weapon on the train. As I do when flying.
My personal vehicle where I can allow/deny passengers and control the vehicle is different than a defined public car/vehicle where I have no control over occupants or the vehicle in case of emergency.
I'm just applying your standard evenly.
"I'm pro-police state except for if you're driving a car."
So unserious.
So unserious.
First time I’ve ever been accused of being pro-car on this forum.
In America, I’m pro-gun control. If there can’t be gun control then I’m pro-event or space restrictions. I like it at the airport, I appreciate it at Busch Stadium, I appreciate it at my office, and I support a police officer having the ability to confiscate illegal firearms from cars or pedestrians.
I’ll sit more comfortably at GTC knowing the guy next to me isn’t strapped up and/or having a bad day.
In America, I’m pro-gun control. If there can’t be gun control then I’m pro-event or space restrictions. I like it at the airport, I appreciate it at Busch Stadium, I appreciate it at my office, and I support a police officer having the ability to confiscate illegal firearms from cars or pedestrians.
I’ll sit more comfortably at GTC knowing the guy next to me isn’t strapped up and/or having a bad day.
Then apply your standard to car drivers. It's that simple.addxb2 wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025First time I’ve ever been accused of being pro-car on this forum.
In America, I’m pro-gun control. If there can’t be gun control then I’m pro-event or space restrictions. I like it at the airport, I appreciate it at Busch Stadium, I appreciate it at my office, and I support a police officer having the ability to confiscate illegal firearms from cars or pedestrians.
I’ll sit more comfortably at GTC knowing the guy next to me isn’t strapped up and/or having a bad day.
Why don't you think about how the guy next to you at a light could have a gun? Or the guy next to you in traffic? Why is it only "sitting at a train station"? And why wouldn't a would-be bad actor just go to Alton or Kirkwood or any of the other hundreds of train stations that will not be screening?
If the state can search a train or bus rider and their posessions and violate their privacy for "public safety", there is no reason the state should not be able to search the operator of heavy machinery on public property and their posessions for the same "public safety".
But you're trying to make the case for why we should treat cars and car users with greater deference than non-car users. It is inherently pro-car. Like quincunx said, this will probably push more people to drive. Which is the opposite of what I want, it should be the opposite of what the city wants, and the money could and should be used to actually improve the station, like you refernced on post #605 a couple of weeks ago.
In reality, these changes won't even stop a shooting should it happen again, considering the 1 shooting that did happen was a guy who walked in with a ski mask and shot someone in the head. What could stop it is having 1 city cop, sheriff's deputy, or pay the Amtrak Police to have an officer at the station 24-7. An armed police officer would be able to stop a shooter, virtue signaling policies to make you "feel safer" is not stopping sh*t and it is a waste of money.
"St. Louis's obsession with security theater is making me really glad I left. They've done nothing but make non-car transportation more and more inconvenient just to look good on the evening news (which will never actually happen)."
Comment from a reddit post on this topic. And I can't agree more. Just adding reasons to leave St. Louis for cities that don't treat non-car users like criminals.
Comment from a reddit post on this topic. And I can't agree more. Just adding reasons to leave St. Louis for cities that don't treat non-car users like criminals.
Implementation paused indefinitely. Fairly unfortunate that Green saw enough need to waste the money on them but not enough to develop a plan to implement.
“Former Comptroller Darlene Green said Monday that her office started working to procure the devices after a fatal shooting inside the station in August 2022 raised concerns about travelers’ safety.
“We decided that was necessary,” she said.
But Baringer said the metal detectors had been in storage for more than two years by the time she started looking into them.”
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/gov ... 585a7.html
“Former Comptroller Darlene Green said Monday that her office started working to procure the devices after a fatal shooting inside the station in August 2022 raised concerns about travelers’ safety.
“We decided that was necessary,” she said.
But Baringer said the metal detectors had been in storage for more than two years by the time she started looking into them.”
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/gov ... 585a7.html
Fantastic news. Not sure why Barringer has even pushed it forward at all with last month's notice, but it is a major W that she is pausing it. Absolutely smarter than whatever Green was thinking.addxb2 wrote: ↑Jul 28, 2025Implementation paused indefinitely. Fairly unfortunate that Green saw enough need to waste the money on them but not enough to develop a plan to implement.
“Former Comptroller Darlene Green said Monday that her office started working to procure the devices after a fatal shooting inside the station in August 2022 raised concerns about travelers’ safety.
“We decided that was necessary,” she said.
But Baringer said the metal detectors had been in storage for more than two years by the time she started looking into them.”
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/gov ... 585a7.html
Like I said earlier today, post a single city cop, sheriff's deputy, pay a county cop overtime, ask Amtrak Police to station an officer here- I don't care. That alone would both deter bad actors and give the facility an actual means to eliminate a threat should it arise. A cop + the security who are already there is all that is needed.