About this time of year I think it’s always a good idea to spend a bit of time going over the rules of the road because you know us cyclists have to follow them too. I found this video and I think it’s pretty alright and I think the background music is pretty awesome.

Watch this video on YouTube.

What do you think about biking in St. Louis?

The fare increase options is outlined below

Option One

Maintain the current cost of all cash payments, two-hour transfers and day passes while increasing the cost of weekly, monthly and semester passes. This option gives priority to those paying-as-you-go while putting the burden of the increase on those riding Metro the most.

Option Two

Maintain the current cost of cash payments and day passes while increasing the cost of transfers, weekly, monthly and semester passes. This option also gives priority to those making cash payments and spreads the fare increase out among transfers, two-hour passes, weekly, daily, monthly and semester passes.

In light of Options One and Two note that weekly, monthly and semester passes are already being sold at a greatly reduced rate when one considers the amount of riding potential of those passes.

Option Three

Increase everything across the board. This option is the most equal since regardless of how often you ride or how you choose to pay, your fare will increase. However the cash base cost will increase from $2.00 to $2.10 and transfers from $2.75 to $2.85, this awkward cost will mean riders will have to fumble with change more often upon boarding. I’m willing to bet with this option, more riders will be paying an even $3.00 to ride.

I’m in favor of Option Two as it keeps cash base payments steady, as with Option One. Option Two however, spreads the financial burden out a bit wider than Option One does. I like the equality of Option Three but I don’t like the awkward cash base costs.

What do you think?

If you didn’t get a chance to attend one of Metro’s meetings, they’re still taking comments until the 27th. Call: 314-335-3433  or email: FareIncrease2012@metrostlouis.org

Overcrowded #70 Grand MetroBus St. Louis

The picture at the left was taken aboard the southbound #70 Grand MetroBus at 11:45pm Tuesday, April 17. At first glance, it’s impressive that so many are on board Metro St. Louis Transit after all, ridership throughout the entire St. Louis metro region is up quite a bit compared to previous years. Yes, at first glance this is a pleasant site to see indeed.

Yet the truth of this photo tells a much different and rather distressing tale of Metro planners being painfully out of touch with migration patterns of the riders depending on them each and every day. Aboard the Grand Line, the sight to the left isn’t unique to Tuesday evenings around midnight, it’s also not unique to Tuesday mornings and it’s certainly not unique to any other time or day of the week. The fact is the 70 Grand Line moves more people per mile than any other bus in the City of St. Louis and I’d be hard pressed to believe it doesn’t give MetroLink a run for its money in regard to ridership.

The photo to the left was sent to me from friend and fellow transit advocate Eddie Williams who then went on to share the photo with other transit advocates and nerds alike in the Greater St. Louis Transit Facebook Group.  Williams,  the force to be reckoned with behind the former Metropolitan Area Transit Riders Alliance now holds an active leadership role in the Transit Riders Union of St. Louis, captioned his photo with:

I would like to know if you think this type of over crowding on a bus is ok at 11:45p at night? This is all the time. I got on at Arsenal.

A popular response to the issue of over crowding on the Grand line is “we need articulated buses and we need them now”. As a matter of fact that statement was almost made verbatim in the St. Louis Transit Group and then a discussion broke out about the need for articulated buses to solve the overcrowding issue. It seems Metro reps have been beating the articulated bus drum for so long even fellow urbanists want on board. Don’t get it confused, articulated buses will make a difference but they will not solve the larger issue as to why so many are cramming on board one single MetroBus line during all hours of operation.

From a planning and design prospective the Grand bus is a unique line in St. Louis for two distinct and important reasons; its frequency and the design of the route.

Frequency

As of current, Monday – Friday the Grand Line is operating with 10, 15 and 20 minute headways. This is the most frequent service of any bus line in entire Metro St. Louis network. It’s well understood that when given the choice between a number of routes and all other factors being equal, riders will board the bus which operates the most often. I also believe that if possible, most riders will walk an extra distance to board a bus with a higher rate of frequency.

Choosing to be on the more often operated route is both a matter of convenience and simplicity. From a riders perspective the more frequently a bus operates, the more comforting it is to wait for that bus. As a rider you’ll know you’ll never have more than a twenty-minute wait for the Grand Line.

A frequently operating bus typically has a simpler schedule than those which don’t. Weekdays, the Grand Bus is operating in 10, 15 and 20 minute intervals which makes remembering and understanding the schedule a rather painless process.

Route Design

There are a total of five MetroBus lines which offer nearly linear north/south service from one end of the city to the other. Those five lines are:

• 16 City Limits
• 90 Hampton
• 95 Kingshighway
• 70 Grand
• 40 Broadway

An elementary math axiom states that the shortest distance between two points is a direct line, these five MetroBus routes live that truth. Of course these five lines are not the only bus routes providing north/south service in the city, there are two other types of routes transporting riders between points north and south.

The first class sends riders to the east in order to travel north/south. Those routes are:

• 10 Gravois Lindell
• 30 Soulard
• 32 MLK Chouteau

A quick glance at these route maps and one will notice that these three lines are attempting to offer travel in two directions: north/south as well as east/west. While a route of this type does have some redeeming qualities, they do not allow for north/south travel in any sort of timely manner.

The final class of north/south traveling MetroBus routes originate at a MetroLink station and travel either north or south of that station. A route of this nature successfully forces riders wishing to cross the city either into a train or different bus to complete their trip and in doing so forces many to perchance a transfer. On paper these routes look outstanding, in practice however they leave a bit to be desired. First of all, those making cash payments desiring to travel from the north end of the city to the south end aboard one of these routes is required to spend an extra 0.75¢ and to some that added 0.75¢ is hardly something to scoff at. These people generally make up a larger group of transit riders known as dependent.

I am transit dependent as is fellow TRU steering committee member Steve Patterson, a transit dependent rider is one whose primary mode of transportation is alternative transit. I firmly believe transit dependent riders make up the bread and butter of our system and are the most important riders. It happens to be that many transit dependent riders don’t have a large disposable income and to these riders an additional 0.75¢ per trip across city is a big deal. Metro’s inability to adequately serve these riders is also a big deal.

North/South Traveling Buses Operating North of MetroLink

• 4 Natural Bridge
• 13 Union
• 18 Taylor
• 41 Lee
• 42 Sarah
• 74 Florissant

North/South Traveling Buses Operating South of MetroLink

• 8 Bates Morganford
• 10 Gravois Lindell
• 11 Chippewa
• 73 Carondelet
• 80 Park Shaw

A feature of many of these routes – as well as originating at MetroLink stations – is they often crook, curve and take riders around the world in order to travel a few blocks in either direction. The design of these routes make traveling any distance quite time intensive and potentially more costly for riders than other routes.

There are many factors contributing to both route frequency as well as design, many of which are outside the scope of this post. It is important to understand however that it is not practical to operate every route at 20 minute headways nor is it practical to run every route in a strictly linear faction.

Yes indeed the Grand Bus is a unique line, its frequency and direct north/south service from one end of the city to the other make it ideal for many riders and adding articulated buses will not change that. What articulated buses will also not do is provide any sort of load balancing which our transit network greatly needs.

A healthy transit system is a complete network functioning together with many paths of travel throughout its coverage area. To put certain areas or routes of the network on a pedestal puts an unhealthy load on that route and unbalances the entire network. A transit network which forces people to travel in unnecessary directions or make unneeded transfers for whatever reason is a network not living up to its potential.

The #70 Grand Line is not out of balance with the majority of the Metro St. Louis network, the majority of the Metro St. Louis network is out of balance with the #70 Grand Line. People are crowding aboard the Grand Bus because it’s convenient, simple and quicker than any other north/south options in order to lessen overcrowding load balancing needs to take place.

In other words, people are riding the Grand Line because it’s one of the few north/south travel options available. In order to lessen over crowding we need additional cross city north/south options.

See you in transit.

Updated #73 Carondelet Route

APRIL 2, 2012 UPDATE: April Fools fellow transit fans!

In an unprecedented and unexpected turn of events a representative from Metro’s Planning department has offered to shed light on the rational behind the agencies’ upcoming quarterly service change. This level of transparency, which the public transit agency doesn’t often attempt has no doubt set a new high in customer service and communication.

The next quarterly service change, which is expected mid June, will primarily effect MetroBuses serving south St. Louis City; namely the 11 Chippewa, 30 Soulard and 73 Carondelet.

• The 11 Chippewa will no longer have 20 minute service during the day with 40 minute in the evening; rather 40 minute daytime and 80 minute evening.
• Service on the 30 Soulard will be increased from 30 minute morning/evening service to 20 minute and from 40 minute daytime service to 30 minute.
• The 73 Carondelet will no longer serve Cherokee Street from Gravois to Lemp; rather the bus will travel Gravois to Arsenal, Arsenal to Lemp and the remainder of the route in either direction will remain untouched. Daytime service will be increased from 30 minute headways to 20 minute.
• Service of the 30 Soulard and 73 Carondelet will be coordinated to provide service every 10 minutes on Arsenal between Gravois and Lemp.

Those living and working along Cherokee, perhaps the most Portlandia like area of the city will suffer the most from the yet to be announced service change.

Apparently the reasoning for this change is two fold; first the Chairman of the Metro Board intends to move into the 2200 block of Arsenal and has made it clear he never wants to wait more than 10 minutes for a bus when leaving his home. Second, Metro operations has noticed an unhealthy amount of chin beards aboard the 73 and has officially declared them over.  The RFT often refers to the Carondelet bus as a Hipster Express, a name which Metro leadership believes comes from serving Cherokee from Gravois to Lemp.

“It’s unfortunate,” said the rep from Metro, “to all the folks living in the [Cherokee] neighborhood without chin beards and I really feel for the ones who don’t even like shell art but from a job security prospective this was really a no brainer. When the Chairman of the Board says he wants 10 minute service in front of his house, you give him 10 minute service.”

In regard to the service reductions on the Chippewa bus, the Planning Department rep explained Metro staff has been betting on the amount of time riders will wait for a bus and they’re simply pushing the envelope. The believe at Metro HQ is that riders will wait no matter what.

When asked how he expects residents of the Cherokee neighborhood to get around after the service change goes into effect the Metro rep responded; “Don’t they all have bikes?”

There will be a handful of incidences when the trolley track will cross Delmar Blvd as the trolley’s path moves from the middle of Delmar to the curb in order to meet station stops. NextSTL reports that this is due to  complications with utilities under the street though I couldn’t get a representative from CH2M HILL or East West Gateway to either confirm or deny the validity of that statement.

The fluctuation in track placement will be problematic for cyclers traveling in The Loop to say the least. Trolley tracks are to be recessed into the roadway with an incision of about 2-3 inches wide – just large enough for a bike tire to get trapped and cause an accident. While I’ll be the first in line defending the need for a more diverse transit system, to add one form of alternative transit at the safety of another is simple inexcusable.

When pressed on the seriousness of the biker safety issue a representative from East West Gateway responded, “yes, bikers will just need to be a lot more cautious”. It seems the hazards are well-known yet the project must go on.

Other concerns of mine which continue to echo since last April are as follows:

• Even though the trolley will duplicate the service of the #97 Delmar bus there will be no fare integration between the two modes of transit. Riders will be expected to pay one fare to get to the trolley and a second to board the trolley, unless that is trolley proponents will be encouraging potential riders to drive to a trolley stop. St. Louis is already a fractured community; we do not need splintering continuing into the realm of alternative transit.
• Even though the trolley will ideally be used as a catalyst to foster additional development in The Loop, hours of operation remain from 11am – 6 pm Sunday – Thursday and 11 am – 1 am Friday – Saturday. These are not operating hours ideal for Loop residents, restaurants, clubs or bars. The only businesses that these stifled operating hours somewhat work for is retail. The glory that is transit oriented development (TOD) is mixed use integrated development. In order for a project such as this to foster TOD it has to create a mixed use foundation to build upon.

If The Loop Trolley Co is to succeed, it will need to produce TOD; something both Metro and Citizens for Modern Transit have largely failed to do. Other shortcomings aside, Loop Trolley’s success will lie in their ability to sell the need for TOD, sustainable growth and development to local developers who by and large don’t seem to get it.

Ridership on the region’s bus service (MetroBus) grew at more than twice the rate of the region’s light rail service (MetroLink), according to figures in a new report by the American Public Transportation Association. Looking at 2011 compared to 2010 the light rail service increased ridership a below average  4.62% while bus ridership increased a whooping 10.04%, way above average for the report.

Steve Patterson at Urban Review STL reported this morning.

Last week Metro reported the same on Next Stop STL;  not only is transit ridership up across the board but MetroBus ridership is growing at a rate higher than that of MetroLink.

MetroBus saw the largest ridership increase among the three transit services provided by Metro. In the first six months of Fiscal Year 2012, MetroBus ridership was up 11.1 percent. In December 2011 alone, MetroBus was up 18.3 percent over the previous December.

MetroLink recorded a 3.6 percent increase during the first six months of Fiscal Year 2012.

The proof is no doubt in the pudding, Metro is flaunting these ridership increases as they absolutely should. However I can’t help but wonder why is MetroBus the only service whose schedules are altered come quarterly service change time? If Metro’s quarterly services changes are in fact a reflection of ridership and an attempt to save money when will Metro planners begin playing with MetroLink schedules to reflect the above appropriately?

The first “transit talk” organized by the new Transit Riders Union of St. Louis was a great success, 90 minutes of good ideas on improving the transit experience for all riders on all modes.

Some ideas from last nights meeting included:

• Basic manners on transit: letting people off before getting on and exiting from the back of the bus
• A need for security on buses
• A way to highlight buses and the neighborhoods/local businesses they serve
• SLU’s desire to operate a shuttle between Midtown and Downtown (to their new law school) which will duplicate the #10 Gravois Lindell bus
• Businesses who work to remove bus stops in front of them and what we can do about it

If you missed the discussion last night at Urban Eats the TRU has two more coming up — both next week.

Tuesday March 20th, noon – 1pm,  at the offices of the Landmarks Association of St. Louis, 911 Washington Ave (Suite 170) in the Lammert Building and Wednesday March 21st, 7pm-8:30pm, at the Julia Davis Library, 4415 Natural Bridge.  See the original post here.

Many thanks to Urban Eats for hosting our event!

[Cross posted from TRUSTL]

Here’s the details taken verbatim from CMT:

Citizens for Modern Transit host a monthly contest for the best public transit-related image. The winner will receive a free monthly Metro pass for the month of April. We’ll announce this month’s winner on Wednesday 3/28/2011 around noon.

Send us pics of anything transit-related. Pictures on the MetroBus and MetroLink, stations, stops, trolleys, trains, bus, shuttles, etc. We want to see your transit pics!

The rules are as follows:

1) The picture must be public transit-related (i.e. taken on the train or bus, a photo of public transit, riders, employees, stations, stops, etc.)

2) Submit your photo with your name and contact info to CMT. Email: info@cmt-stl.org or post to Facebook (facebook.com/STL.CMT or Twitter: @CMT_STL

3) Submit as many photos as you like. The contest for the said month closes the day prior to winner selection (CMT reserves the right to reject any photo).

4) The winner will be announced the last Friday of the month after lunch. Winners can pick up their pass at our office or have it mailed to them.

5) Make sure to check out Metro’s rules about photography: http://tinyurl.com/MetroPhotoRule

So, keep your eyes peeled as you’re riding the train or bus. Snap us a pic with your phone. Email it or post it to one of our social media outlets. Help us document our great transit system and reap the benefits!

Sounds pretty straight forward, right? Right. So get snapping those pictures!

Here’s a bunch that I’ve taken which I’m submitting to the contest:

Please remember: I’m only promoting something which CMT is doing. If you have any questions/concerns or simply want to submit your transit photos contact CMT directly via email: info@cmt_stl.org, Facebook: Facebook.com/cmt.stl or Twitter: twitter.com/cmt_stl. Thanks and may the transit nerd with the best eye win!

Please plan on attending one of these upcoming events:

Monday March 12, 2012 (evening)

• 6:30pm-8pm @ Urban Eats Cafe
• 3301 Meramec Street STL MO 63111
• Food & beverage is available for purchase but we are under no obligation to purchase anything
• Transit: #70 Grand, #73 Carondelet, #40 Broadway + walk

Tuesday March 20, 2012 (lunch hour)

• Noon-1pm (Brown Bag Lunch) @ Landmarks Association of St. Louis
• 911 Washington, Suite 170 STL MO 63101
• A deli is across the hall where food & beverage can be purchased.
• Transit: #32 ML King Chouteau,  #99 Downtown Trolley, MetroLink (Convention Center or 8th & Pine stations) + walk

Wednesday March 21, 2012 (evening)

• 7pm-8:30pm @ Julia Davis Public Library
• 4415 Natural Bridge Avenue
• Food & drink are not allowed in the library
• Transit: #4 Natural Bridge, #18 Taylor, #41 Lee + walk

If you’ll be unable to attend but would still like to voice your opinion please feel free to email me your comments at justin.chick@trustl.org or call the TRU directly at (314) 643-7878