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A young man stares intently up Arsenal Street.  It’s early morning, already sticky warm in St. Louis.  His Metro travel trainer, Feld Miller, is making light chatter with him, occasionally erupting into relaxed laughter while asking questions that the young man answers quietly, keeping his sight on the street.  “What time is the bus coming?” Miller asks.

“Eight-oh-two.”

“That’s right,” Miller replies encouragingly.

The young man pulls his reduced fare Metro pass out of the blue sleeve hanging around his neck.  He studies it briefly, then his gaze fixes again toward the west.  His bus is coming.

***

(If you can’t see it, click for the picture slideshow.)

Taking public transit can be daunting for many people, but for individuals with cognitive or physical disabilities, navigating the transit system can pose a seemingly endless series of obstacles.  Which bus do you catch?  At which stop?  Can you get to your stop over aging sidewalks?  Many people with disabilities and seniors may qualify for Metro Call-A-Ride paratransit service, but would like to save money or practice more independence.  To help more people use the transit system, Metro’s ADA Services initiated the Travel Training Program in July 2006 by bringing on Mike McDermott, who has more than 20 years in the special-education field.  Since then, the program has added five travel trainers and graduated nearly 1,000 people.  The walls of the small office in the Transit Access Center are covered in letters, pictures and words of thanks from graduates and their families and advocates.

John McKenney retired as a MetroBus operator three years ago after he lost some of his peripheral vision, but wanted to stay with the Agency; he found his way to the Travel Training Program.  On the wall next to his computer is a picture of a happy young man, grinning at the camera.  “That’s my special buddy,” John fondly explains.  The young man calls John frequently, just to talk.  Recently, the young man’s mother called to report that his father had passed away.  John attended the memorial services to be there for his friend.

John explains why the program is so fulfilling for him as an employee.  “You can see it in their eyes how excited they are.  They are very proud of themselves to do something on their own.”

The Travel Training Program is free to anyone who qualifies for a Metro Reduced Fare Transit Permit, both in Missouri and St. Clair County, Illinois.  To get started, a person (or their family or case worker) sets up an assessment.  The assessment helps the Travel Trainers determine if the person is physically or cognitively able to try independent transit travel.  Then the trainee determines his or her destinations – school, work, job training, medical appointment, family, etc.  Once a location or multiple locations are identified, the travel trainer will map out a transit trip and create a color-coded schedule that contains all of the necessary information.

If a trainee has a low level of literacy or cannot read, the travel trainer will create a pictoral or “sight word” schedule.  The schedule is then laminated and placed in a blue pocket holder with the trainee’s reduced fare card, pass, additional schedules, and other items necessary for transit travel.  Sometimes, the pocket might include note cards to help explain the individual’s travel needs to drivers.

The program focuses heavily on community safety skills including safe street-crossing, dealing with strangers, stating bus numbers, transfer and destination points, and what to do if you miss your stop, etc.

McDermott explains why the program is so effective.  “We use advanced special-education methods to help people learn quickly and effectively.  We use note cards to test their understanding, set up role-playing scenarios, drive by locations multiple times to familiarize trainees with important destinations, and tailor each training session to match the strengths and abilities of each individual.”  Trainers often work odd hours to accommodate the travel needs of their trainees.  Despite this, trainer Feld Miller, a former MetroBus driver, says the job is very fulfilling. “Every day you get to help people.  Every day you can make a difference in someone’s life.”

***

The young man looks to Miller, then reaches up and pulls the cord.  “Ding!” the stop bell rings out.  He and Miller get off the bus a couple of blocks from his destination, a job-training course in downtown St. Louis.  Along the walk, Miller keeps an eye out for hazardous conditions on the sidewalk, points out landmarks, and monitors the young man’s understanding of and comfort with the commute.  The young man is quiet, but moves confidently towards his destination. Miller feels good about his training.

Once they reach the center, Miller escorts him to his job counselor and shows him to the classroom where he’ll receive training.  He makes sure the young man takes a seat at a long table with other students, and then offers more reassurance: ”All right, man, you’ll do well.  I’ll be right here when you get done, and you can take us home.”  The young man waves goodbye, then focuses on the front of the classroom.

***

For more information on Metro’s Travel Training program or to schedule an assessment for yourself or someone you know, please contact Metro’s ADA Services at (314) 982-1510 or TTY (314) 982-1509.

Monday, June 26 marked the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the civil rights legislation that prevents discrimination based on disability.  The legislation helped make sweeping changes for disabled individuals in the areas of employment, built environment, public transit and other areas.  But for Pat Hall, Metro’s Director of ADA Services, the legislation has very personal implications.

Physically disabled since birth, Hall grew up navigating the world built for individuals without disabilities.  During a time when separate schools for children with disabilities were common, Hall attended Normandy High School in St. Louis and even participated in gym class.  After earning two masters, in Rehabilitation Counseling and Rehabilitation Administration, she now heads Metro’s ADA Services Department.  The department is responsible for ADA paratransit certification for Metro and our travel training program for people with disabilities, as well as fostering community partnerships and conducting sensitivity training.  Hall feels that the country has come a long way in providing equal access for people with disabilities, but still must work for attitude changes.

Hall recalls a time when she was about 19 years old and waiting for a bus on a Sunday after attending church at Hamilton and Delmar.  “I wasn’t using a mobility chair yet then, but I had a stoop and didn’t walk normally, and also wore Coke-bottle thick glasses.  While I was waiting, a car slowed down, and a man got out and handed me a bus pass.  Then another guy was walking across the street, and he turned around, crossed the road, and handed me some money.  Finally a woman comes up and talks to me, asking me if I went to school.  I proudly told her I was a sophomore at UMSL.  She blinked her eyes and said, as if she hadn’t heard me, ‘That’s so great! My sister goes to retarded school as well!’”

Hall laughed out loud at the memory of the woman’s awkward comment.   “Not every disability is apparent.  Some are physical, some mental.  People will often talk more loudly to me, more slowly, assuming that I might have a cognitive disability as well.  But what they will do is talk to me.  Somebody may feel like they can ignore you, but people tend to have a higher level of empathy for someone with a disability.  People come up and talk to me all the time, open up.  And when you talk to someone, you have a chance to connect and change their perception.”

Hall looks back fondly over what she called her “radical advocacy days” before and immediately after the passage of the ADA legislation.  In 1994, she and a group of activists chained their wheelchairs together at the St. Louis Greyhound station to protest that the Greyhound buses were not wheelchair accessible.  “The police had brought down a Call-A-Ride van to use as a paddywagon.  Can you believe it?  We were down there protesting that the buses were not accessible, and the police bring in special accessible vans to arrest us!”  She said the protesters were able to hold up the Greyhound buses for several hours.  (Greyhound finally unveiled plans to make buses and stations accessible in 1998 after years of pressure).  Accessibility advocates like Hall helped raise the public awareness of the needs of people with disabilities, paving the way for political support for the ADA and continuing progress.

Disability advocates climbing up steps of the Capital Building to raise awareness for rights of the disabled. Photo at the Missouri History Museum ADA Exhibit, pic taken with permission.

“People with disabilities used to be incredibly segregated from the rest of the community.  Families would just keep them at home, and even if they wanted to go out, there was no guarantee that they could travel, or even get inside a building.  There used to be no public elevators in many buildings, so they would move you up the freight elevator with the smell and flies.  At the movie theater at Northwest Plaza, they used to wheel us around the side through the back end of the concession stand.  We always had to use the back entrance.  Now, more often, we can enter through the front like everyone else.”

If you would like to know more about the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the rights, opportunities, technology and life of disabled individuals throughout history, please visit the great exhibit at the Missouri History Museum: The Americans with Disabilities Act: 20 Years Later.

And, Hall can often be seen riding the Metro system.  If you see her, I highly recommend stopping to talk to her.

Bus service via the #73 Carondelet will return to Cherokee Street in Benton Park West on August 30

June 28 was only the first phase of our 2010 service restoration.  Phase II begins on August 30, with many significant changes for MetroBus service.  These changes include a number of new routes, route changes, increases in frequency to existing routes, connectivity adjustments, different bus sizes and other strategies.

Click here for a complete listing of all the route and timetable information for the August 30 service change.

Restoration 2010 changes do not exactly replace the Metro system that was in place before March 2009.  We conducted hundreds of public meetings and gathered a lot of feedback about the region’s needs.  So while the service changes do seek to return the level of service from March 2009, they also reflect the need to grow ridership, attract new markets, and leave room for growth in a cost-effective manner.

Restoration 2010 implements several innovative strategies to enhance service using available financial resources. These service strategies are not stand-alone improvements; they work together, often on the same bus route, to maximize productivity and cost effectiveness throughout the system.

Route splitting

Many MetroBus routes cover a large service area, especially on major corridors. However, ridership demand often varies greatly within any particular service area. In an attempt to better match frequencies, and ultimately vehicle sizes to levels of ridership demand, and to maintain on-time performance on what are very long routes today, Metro will split several routes where there is a clear difference in travel needs and ridership levels. These splits will happen at MetroLink Stations and Transit Centers in order to ensure quick transfers and enhance the overall connectivity of the System.

Connectivity

Ideally, the necessity for transfers should be limited. However, our customers should also be able to access any part of the service area from any other. Many of the route changes that will be implemented on August 30th will further integrate the Metro System by adding geographic connections and improving time connections between bus routes and at Transit Centers. Maintaining on-time performance and enforcing connectivity at transit centers is critical for ensuring the success of this strategy.

Right-sizing

The MetroBus fleet currently consists of 30’, 35’ and 40’ buses. However, at certain times of day and in areas with lower transit ridership, larger buses often have excess capacity. As Metro moves forward with regularly-scheduled fleet replacement Metro staff is exploring options to begin purchasing smaller buses and vans for use on lower-demand routes, and larger, articulated buses for the busiest routes. Smaller vehicles with lower fuel costs making shorter trips will generate significant cost savings. Larger buses will allow the Agency to respond to growing passenger volumes without adding as much service as would be required using 40’ buses.

Rationalization

Service restoration seeks to minimize long or confusing, special detours, and duplication of service. Many routes have been streamlined, and more trips later in the day have been added throughout the System for 2nd- and 3rd-shift workers.

This is not the end of Restoration 2010 and transit in St. Louis post-Proposition A: it is the beginning.  We want your feedback.  Please leave your comments below, or email restoration2010@metrostlouis.org.

July 26, 2010 marks the 20th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990, commonly referred to as the ADA.  This landmark piece of civil rights legislation prevents the discrimination of individuals based on disability.  The act offers protections against discrimination regarding employment, public accommodations, commercial facilities, telecommunications, and public entities at all levels,  including public transportation.

The Act has also had major implications for public transit, including the design and construction of train stations and bus transfer centers, bus stops, wheelchair lifts and paratransit services.  And importantly, the Act affected many of our riders, those with disabilities and not.  A ramp leading to one of the front entrances (not the back!) of a newer building or a curb cut in the sidewalk are examples of accessibility available to all members of the community.  This week on Nextstop we will highlight ways in which the ADA and related services work at Metro and are woven into our operations and services.  We will also show employees and riders who work with ADA services, Metro’s Call-A-Ride paratransit van service, the travel training program, as well as engineering and construction projects related to accessibility.

Congratulations to those who fought for the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and those who continue to work for greater accessibility and inclusion for individuals with disabilities.  How has the ADA affected your life?  Do you remember life before the ADA?  What do we still need to improve?

Laura Neuman-Howe, the amazing woman who has been tending to the flowers and native plants along the Delmar MetroLink Station for four years, was easy to spot this morning.  She was standing on the westbound platform wearing a safety vest with gloves, shears, bug spray and sunblock in hand, ready to reclaim the flower beds from weeds and small trees.

It was a big task. Thankfully, Bec Shane, a Washington University graduate student, came to help.

Laura shows Bec some of the more pervasive weeds in the bed along the walkway to the Park-n-Ride lot. The bed is home to native grasses, hardy hibiscus, liriope and even sage.

Removing overgrowth revealed lilies along the westbound platform.

Progress! The bed will still need time and care, but are now free of many of the most relentless weeds and trees.

Thank you to Laura for all of her dedication, and Bec for coming out in the terrible heat to look after the Delmar Station flower beds. Laura is looking for someone to take her place in working to keep the beds maintained in the future. If you are interested, please email laura@earthsharemo.org.

St. Clair County MetroLink Bike Trail System Plan

Metro and our partners at the St. Clair County Transit District are working to extend the bike trail network serving St. Clair County, Illinois, providing additional multi-modal options. Thanks to funding from St. Clair County Transit District and federal funds, a new leg of the bike trail will be constructed to extend the trail that currently goes from SWIC to the Belleville MetroLink Station. The new segment will extend to Swansea, and there is a proposed future extension that would take the bike trail all the way to Memorial Hospital Station. At the same time, the Village of Swansea is adding its own northern extension route that will connect up at the MetroLink station.

This project will not only create a grade-separated bike trail that parallels MetroLink, but will also fix some slope stability and drainage problems to protect the MetroLink alignment from creek scouring and erosion. It will also provide a safe egress for train evacuation if there were ever an emergency on MetroLink. And finally, having the trail in place will make it easier for Metro’s maintenance vehicles to reach the tracks if there is a need for maintenance.

The Notice to Proceed on this project was issued in June 2010, and it will be completed within one year.

The fabric that makes up a community is not always woven from big, bold projects. Sometimes it is shaped by the passionate and consistent actions of one person or even just a few, doing their part to make St. Louis a beautiful and vibrant city. Laura Neuman-Howe of EarthShare Missouri is one of those people. In 2006, she approached Metro about planting and maintaining some flower beds at the Delmar MetroLink Station that a team of volunteers from University City had built in 1993 as part of the Art in Transit station-enhancement program. When the leader of the group left town in 2000, the beds fell to neglect with weeds and brush until Laura contacted Metro to offer her knowledge and her time to maintain the beds. She is looking for people to help her out Friday, July 23, 2010 7-9am at the Delmar Station.

The flower beds are viewed by hundreds, if not thousands, of people, including tourists who go to the nearby Pageant or the Loop or who park at the station to take MetroLink downtown. It’s because of volunteers like Laura that we have such pockets of color and beautiful plant life throughout the region in community gardens and shared landscapes. Details like this help make St. Louis a more beautiful place to live.

But now Laura is moving and looking for a volunteer gardening team, ideally with a leader who both cares about perennial plants (many native) and knows a bit about them, to replace her efforts. Metro is willing to provide some labor for this task, even on Saturdays, but cannot provide the plant knowledge. The flower beds are currently occupied with a variety of pretty, hardy blooming perennials – liriope, lilies, hardy hibiscus, echinacea, and more. And A LOT of weeds. The bed along the sidewalk between the station and the parking lot and the bed along the westbound platform (along Hodimont Avenue) need the most attention.

From Laura:

If any of you have interest or ideas on building a volunteer team, your assistance would be greatly appreciated. In the immediate term, I am planning to work with Metro folks on Friday, July 23, from 7-9 a.m. to clean up some of the weeds. But in the long term, I need to hand this over to someone else or Metro may turn it into mowed-weekly grass. If anyone wants to join us, then great, please do!

Metro employee volunteers will be out Friday, July 23, along with anyone else who can help. Thank you to Laura Neuman-Howe and all volunteers that are working to make our community a more beautiful place.

Bus routes have personalities.  Seriously.  Ask a frequent bus transit rider what their favorite route is and chances are they will have an answer. Bus routes often take on the characteristics of the people and the neighborhoods they serve.  Sometimes the length of the route, the frequency of service, time of day and even the size of the bus affect the experience of riding one route versus another.  Sometimes it’s just a gut feeling, the scenery of the route, or the collection of riders you encounter on a regular basis. Maybe it’s a warm and memorable operator, or that your favorite coffee shop has a stop right out front.

Urban Eats Cafe at corner of Meramec and Virginia in the Dutchtown neighborhood of South St. Louis City, served by the #70 Grand and #73 Carondelet

On Aug. 30, Metro will start its second phase of bus service restoration. The details of the changes will begin online next week. Some routes will stay the same, some will change, and some will be brand new to Metro and to opassengers. Hopefully, some of these will become new favorites for our riders.

What is your favorite bus route? Why makes it unique to you? Please give us your answer and we’ll put together a collection of your favorite routes for a future post.

Familiar with the iconic London Underground T-shirts and female voice reminding transit riders to “Mind the Gap”? MTA Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) now has created its own spin on rail-safety slogans:

LIRR recently released a video featuring the Agency’s Medical Director, Dr. John Clarke, sporting his physician’s white coat and rapping about “the gap.” The video shows Dr. Clarke leading a group of fifth graders from Lindell School in Long Beach to Manhattan and onto the train to the muscial refrain of “Look down, step over and watch the gap.”

The video is a part of LIRR’s push to reduce the number of accidents on the platform and to improve customer courtesy. According to Metro Magazine, so far in 2010, the LIRR has experienced a 15-percent reduction in year-to-date (January 1-July 1) reported gap incidents (2010-33 gap incidents vs. 2009-39 gap incidents).

Maybe Metro has some talented people willing to step up and perform for better transit. What kind of video would you make for Metro St. Louis riders? What safety and courtesy concerns could be addressed?

East Riverfront Arcade, which will soon see some changes.

The work on the historic Eads Bridge rehabilitation project is expected to take about three years total. The best way to assure a quality rehabilitation, but still maintain service levels, is to perform the work on one track while still running both eastbound and westbound MetroLink trains on the other track. To do that, Metro will first construct a new interlocking just west of the East Riverfront MetroLink Station, actually out on the bridge structure.

An Interlocking being assembled; it then gets dropped whole into place

An interlocking is essentially a rail crossover – it allows a train to cross from one track to another. Of course, all of the requisite switches and signals are a part of that package, too.

When used in conjunction with the existing crossover adjacent to the Arch-Laclede’s Landing MetroLink Station in Missouri, Metro will be able to operate MetroLink trains on the current (12 minute) headway without delay to customers, for the duration of the Eads Bridge project. Once work on one side of the bridge is complete, the work will move to the other side.

East Riverfront Station - those inside pillars will be removed and the interlocking dropped into place there.

At some point during this project, Metro will actually have to cut into the road deck of the Eads Bridge, in order to drop the fully-assembled crossover into place. The road deck of the bridge will be closed during this process, and Metro will close up the hole and repair the bridge deck once the crossover is in place. The contractor on the project is STV Inc.