» Inside Metro

Kids love trains.  I’m pretty sure trains rank up there with puppies, cartoons, giant lollipops and sprinklers.  Why?  Maybe it’s because trains look like giant versions of the toys we played with on wooden tracks.  Trains are fast, big and can whistle!  And they provide a fascinating look into the engineering, mechanical and operating principles of rail transportation.  Metro offers free tours of our MetroLink facility located on Ewing in St. Louis City near Market Street.  What do these tours have to offer students of all ages?

• How do MetroLink trains run?  (Pssst! Through electricity suspended from catenary lines above the tracks.)
• What happens in the train hospital?
• How is the engine of a light rail train different/similar than an automotive combustion engine?
• How do we fix trains when they have problems?  Especially the REALLY big parts.
• How do we clean trains?
• What type of engineering work does it take to design and/or maintain light rail trains?
• How do trains stop? How do we apply the basic principles of friction to stop trains?
• What do all of those buttons do?  How much does the operator “drive” the train?
• How do we keep trains running to over one million miles???

The tour of the MetroLink facility also includes a look into our communication center, where dispatchers keep track of EVERY bus and train on the system.  The MetroLink communication system shows exactly where the train is and how the tracks and other technical components are operating.  It is where they “talk” to the system.  Students can also watch security dispatch monitoring images from cameras we have throughout the system.

MetroLink Training Manager Suzanne Whitehead said tours also focus on other interesting aspects of the operations, like which jobs are required to keep the system running (everyone from engineers to mechanics to operators to computer programmers) and what types of jobs are available for people who want to work in transit.  She also hopes to integrate a scavenger hunt-type activity for riding on MetroLink that pays attention to its mechanical, design and land use features.

And the tours are not just limited to kids…if you’d like to take a tour and find out what light rail is all about, you just need to schedule ahead.  After all, it’s your public transit system.  Come see how interesting it looks from the bottom up.

Metro engages in two areas of activity: one, transit operations for MetroLink, MetroBus and Metro Call-A-Ride, and two, capital projects.  “Capital” projects are projects that add to the infrastructure of the system – think buses, railroad ties, bridges, and buildings. Major repairs, too, like replacing parts of the track or the overhead catenary system, come out of our capital budget, much of which is funded by grants from the federal government. These projects help maintain the region’s investments by keeping the system running, and through enhancement projects, running better.

The bridge over Vandeventer Avenue, which held two MetroLink tracks and one freight rail track in the Central West End of St. Louis, was 80 years old and falling apart.  Really, it looked like it was physically sagging.   The $5 million replacement project was possible thanks to a federal grant.  Crews began work on December 26, 2009, and the bridge returned to service on December 31.  Watch a time-lapse of the demolition and construction of the Vandeventer Bridge in six days:

(If you can’t see the embedded video, click here.)

The bridge’s makeover will eventually include streetscape enhancements and replacing a crumbling retaining wall, and will be completed in early spring.  In addition to making the bridge safer to carry MetroLink train cars, the project also increased the bridge’s height clearance for automobilies.  This was Metro’s first “Design-Build” project, where Metro works with one contractor to both design and build the project to avoid time delays and added costs.

So the next time you are driving or walking on Vandeventer Avenue, come check it out!

It’s that time of year in St. Louis – INCLEMENT WEATHER!  St. Louis weather is notoriously fickle, jumping from a blustery chill to warmer temperatures in a matter of days.   Metro Transit Operations has to be ready for the worst wintery weather, including snow and ice, and all of the slushy, slippery and wet conditions that follow.  The following actions go into preparing the system for snowy weather:

Sidewalks, platforms, and parking lots

Maintenance crews are mobilizing to remove snow and ice from sidewalks, parking areas, and MetroLink platforms. We keeps large containers of salt on platforms for easy application. Locations with the highest number of passengers receive priority attention, but Metro addresses needs at all locations.

Keeping MetroLink running

MetroLink trains operate on steel rails and are powered by electricity delivered by wires above the trains. Heavy ice and snow buildup on the rails and wires make operation difficult or impossible. Wires in locations prone to ice build-ups already have been protected by the installation of wire caps designed to minimize electrical faults caused by wet weather. The trains are also equipped with heated, ice-cutting mechanisms that use a hard surface to cut through any ice or snow that collects on the overhead wires. Using the ice cutters require the trains to reduce their top speed to 45 mph from the normal 55 mph. If the tracks get too slippery, boxes inside the train will drop sand onto the rails to increase friction.

Metro will run the trains all night to keep the tracks and wires clear of snow and ice build-up, but will not carry passengers after the regular weekday schedule ends.

Delay for MetroBus routes

If roads become icy and slippery, expect some delays on MetroBus routes. Just like other vehicles, they are subject to poor road conditions during snowy weather, and may take longer to reach riders.

Snow schedules for Metro Call-A-Ride

Call-A-Ride passengers should turn to TV and radio news to find out whether a snow schedule is implemented for paratransit service. Expect delays of up to two hours behind a scheduled trip if the snow schedule is in effect.  Metro Call-A-Ride passengers who think they may want to cancel a scheduled trip are urged to do so as soon as possible

Travel home safely

Snowy weather is beautiful, even as it wrecks havoc on St. Louis transportation. Just remember to dress warmly and be safe out there as everyone is heading home and traveling through our first snowfall of 2010.

Congratulations to the Vandeventer Bridge demolition and construction team…the bridge is now open to MetroLink service between the Central West End and Grand stations.  It opens today, three days ahead of schedule.

The $5-million project to replace the 80-year-old bridge is due to a federal grant for transit capital projects.  The bridge had a number of structural defects, including cracks and settling problems:

Vandenventer Bridge before construction

The bridge had settling problem, as shown above

The bridge received a number of structural and cosmetic updates, and opens today at 3pm for MetroLink service.  Vandeventer Avenue will open by the end of January, and the bridge project will be completed in early spring with a new retaining wall and streetscape updates.

Vandeventer Bridge, December 31, 2009

The bridge is able to open ahead of schedule because demolition took less time than expected, cranes were able to lift the catenary rather than remove it, and Metro employees worked alongside constractors to finish the project as quickly as possible.

MetroLink service will operate under normal weekday hours, and will extend to 1 a.m. in the morning to accommodate Convention and First Night crowds.

Congratulations to head of Metro’s Engineering Department, Chris Poehler, Vera Cavato, Project Manager for the Vandeventer Bridge project, and the entire team. Special thanks go to Metro employees who volunteered to help with the bus bridge.

From all of us, please have a safe and wonderful New Year’s celebration!

I demonstrate what NOT to do on MetroLink.

There is no eating or drinking allowed on MetroLink, MetroBuses, or Call-A-Ride vans.  Technically, even drinking water is prohibited (exceptions are made for emergencies).  And yes, that includes your morning coffee.  You can still carry food or beverage onto the vehicles, but you are asked not to consume them, and security can issue citations for violating the rule.  Why so strict? 

The answer is simple in explanation, but more rigorous in practice: cleanliness.  Anytime you get large numbers of people together, dirt and messes are bound to happen.  But that makes for a less desirable ride, and we take a lot of time to keep vehicles clean.  After trains, buses and vans go to rest for the night, they are thoroughly vaccumed and scrubbed down in their various garages to remove debris and dirt. And to help prevent flu transmission, they are currently more rigorously sanitized to kill germs. 

Food and beverage spills create a lot of problems – walking hazards, pests, odors – and increase the time and cost to clean and maintain vehicles.  And honestly, while you might think your BBQ pulled pork sandwich is extra delicious, watching and smelling you eat it might be the last thing your fellow riders want to do.  So while it may seem inconvenient, save the McMuffin for the office.  You’re doing your part to help everyone have a more pleasant ride.

Thanks to the Post-Dispatch, Metro holds a live online chat every other Wednesday at noon, hosted on the Post-Dispatch website. You have to have a login set up on the STLtoday website, but you can submit your questions any time before or during the chat once you’re logged in.

We also keep a transcript of past live chats on Metro’s Newsroom page (click the “Chat Transcripts” tab at the top).

Drop by the Post-Dispatch and submit your questions, even if you can’t be available for the live chat at noon; we’ll link the transcript here when it’s available. This is your chance to ask questions about anything and everything Metro-related: The long-range planning process, the results from the first round of public workshops and what’s in store for the second round of public input; how long the $12m appropriation from the State of Missouri will last; questions about the Vandeventer Bridge project; essentially, anything and everything you’d like to know.

UPDATE: Here’s the link to the Metro Live Chat transcript, thanks so much for your questions!

In the excitement and chaos of planning big Thanksgiving dinners and plotting our Black Friday shopping routes, we at NextStop just want to pause a moment and say, Thank you. Thank you for making NextStop a part of your daily or weekly routine. Thanks for reading, for linking, and for thinking about what’s going on here.

Thanks for all the emails we receive, and suggestions for posts, questions, and criticisms.

Thank you, all of the commenters who come here and make this an interesting place to read and write. I’d like to especially thank RTBones, Jazzy Jeff, TPlesko, Claire-ian the Librarian, and JimmyZ for your dedication to providing thoughtful, critical feedback, and support on all sorts of urban and transit issues.

Thank you, Alex Ihnen, for guest posting. Thank you, Steve Patterson and Jim Barnthouse, for doing ride-alongs. Thank you, Dotage St. Louis, UrbanReviewSTL, Citizens for Modern Transit, St. Louis Urban Workshop, Curious Feet, and all of our friends on the internet who link, tweet, talk, and support us.

Thank you, Miss Metrolink and your prom-planning friends, for keeping life interesting and fun.

Thank you, interns Matt and Melissa, for helping start the ball rolling. Thank you, Dianne and Angela in our Communications Department, for getting us started and keeping us on track.

Thank you, Paul in IT, for all of your technical support and your guidance and knowledge.

Let’s be real: It’s been a tough year everywhere, economically. People lost their jobs. Transit agencies all over the country, including ours, are struggling with cuts to service, fare increases, staff reductions, and a population that needs transit more than ever. We think that by carrying on these discussions and trading these ideas, and by participating in the planning and dreaming, we’re all helping improve transit for the region. Thanks for being part of it.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone, from Courtney, Jennifer, and Todd.

St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern and Metro President Bob Baer chat before the ribbon cutting.

Yesterday, Metro’s Engineering Department celebrated the successful completion of the new paint booth facility that I mentioned previously. A small ribbon-cutting ceremony was held yesterday morning out at the Illinois MetroLink Yard facility in East St. Louis, where the paint booth was built.

Dust Collection Apparatus (aka vacuum hose)

The new paint booth facility was constructed by Plocher Construction and, thanks to the project team’s hard work, the project was completed ahead of schedule and under budget. The new facility has two parts: a “prep” area where the vehicles are cleaned and prepared for painting, and the paint booth itself, which has a massive filtered ventilation system and a whole lot of lighting. There’s also a smaller shop area where small parts can be prepped and painted as well. The setup includes a “dust collection system” (i.e. vacuum setup) and an exhaust system that keep bad particles from escaping into the air. (more…)

In July 2009, Metro installed the public art piece Hive by sculptor Janet Lofquist at the Delmar Transit Plaza on the corner of Des Peres and Delmar Avenue.  Public art is one aspect of the federally-mandated transit enhancement projects that Metro completes each year, and is an important component of the vitality of public transit.   Public art in transit helps improve the appearance, use and safety of our system, and to date more than 150 art projects have been installed and/or performed through our Arts in Transit program.

Watch below to find out more about Hive and why transit agencies like Metro invest in public art.

Last Friday, Metro’s Board of Commissioners announced that Bob Baer, who has been serving as interim CEO since early last year, will stay on at Metro as the permanent CEO. The St. Louis Business Journal has a nice article about the news (as well as a much better picture of Mr. Baer than what I posted below from the executive briefing the other day). We should have announced this great news on the blog on Friday, but we were busy scurrying around getting ready for the launch of our long-range plan! The blog team plans to sit down with Mr. Baer sometime very soon and talk to him about his goals for the agency and also what he has managed to accomplish in the past 22 months. Check back here for that very soon.

Speaking of which – did you know that you can subscribe to the blog so that it comes directly to your inbox every day? Click on the big orange RSS button at the bottom of the right-hand column, copy the NextStop RSS feed URL and in your Microsoft Outlook inbox, right click “RSS Feeds,” choose “Add New” and paste the URL. Voila! NextStopSTL in your inbox whenever we post a new article. We love the RSS – you’ll never miss another important bit of Metro news.