Designed by Michael Holdman, a student at Belleville West High School

You don’t need a Ph.D to know that staying in school is an important message to instill in our youth. Metro Transit is proud to support and promote the St. Clair County Juvenile Justice Truancy Sub-Committee in its campaign to keep students in school.

Earlier this year, middle/junior high and high school students in St. Clair County were asked to create and submit posters that promote staying in school and getting an education.

First Place High School Winner Michael Holdman and St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly

Winners were chosen based on the poster’s originality, message and creativity.

Yesterday afternoon, a special ceremony to recognize and present awards to the winners was held at the St. Clair County Municipal Courts Building in Belleville, Illinois. Attendees included the student winners, their families, St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly, Metro Transit’s Interim Director of Marketing and Communications Dianne Williams, Regional Office of Education Superintendent Susan Sarfaty, Assistant Principal of Belleville West High School Jan Patrick-Hayden, Truancy Committee Chairperson Tijuana Macon, and other committee members.

“Our hope is to continue to work with members of the community and kids likes these artists, to promote the cause and decrease truancy in an area where truancy is very, very high,” said St Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly. “This is beautiful artwork and we hope it gets the message across.”

St. Clair County State’s Attorney Brendan Kelly and first place middle school winner Vergal Williams.

The first place middle school winner was  Vergal Williams, an eighth-grader at Mason-Clark Middle School in East St. Louis. The middle school runner-up was Corlynda Graham, a seventh-grader at Mason-Clark. Mason-Clark eighth grader Cris Yates received an honorable mention.

Michael Holdman was chosen as the first place winner in the high school division. He is a senior at Belleville West High School. Dominic Thuis, a junior at Belleville West, received the second place award.

Metro Transit will display posters of the first place contest winners’ artwork on MetroBus vehicles and MetroLink trains after the new school year starts.

Designed by Vergal Williams, a student at Mason-Clark Middle School

“This cause is really important to Metro Transit because we too care about whether or not young people are staying in school,” pointed out Metro Transit’s Interim Director of Marketing and Communications Dianne Williams. “Frankly, the second most reported transit use is to get to school. We know that when you are going to school you are increasing your earning power, and you’re going to make lives better for your family and community. We want you to be able to do that and these artists have given us a great way to encourage people to stay in school.”

Congratulations to all the winners.

Work is scheduled on the MetroLink system Monday, May 13, through Sunday, May 19. Passengers may experience short delays in the work zones. The affected areas of the MetroLink system are:

• Forsyth Station
• Clayton Station
• College Station

MetroLink will operate on a single track at the Forsyth and Clayton stations to conduct in-depth inspections Monday through Friday nights (May 13-17) beginning at 11:30 p.m. until the end of service. Blue Line service may experience delays of up to 5 minutes. Red Line service will not be affected.

MetroLink will operate on a single track at College Station to conduct track maintenance Monday through Thursday nights (May 13-16) and Sunday night (May 19) beginning at 8 p.m. until the end of service. Red Line service may experience delays of up to 5 minutes. Blue Line service will not be affected.

Updates on MetroLink operations can be found at www.metrostlouis.org in the Rider Alert section.

John Nations, President and CEO of Bi-State Development Agency/Metro

Now that the spring weather has finally arrived, Metro Transit wants to remind everyone to be safe and courteous out on the roads.

Metro Transit joined MoDOT and Trailnet at a news conference Monday outside of the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park. The event was aimed at emphasizing the importance of safely sharing the road for all motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians.

“Safe Roads for All” reminds us all that arriving safely at our destination is a goal we all share – whether we walk, ride bicycles, drive, or ride MetroBus, Metro Call-A-Ride, or MetroLink.

Ann Mack, CEO of Trailnet, introduced the 2nd annual “Safe Roads for All” conference and the year’s initiatives. “Let’s say that in 2013, we no longer call walking and biking ‘alternative,’” she suggested, “because I think we were walking and biking before we were driving cars. So, let’s just call it multimodal. Sometimes we’re walking, sometimes we’re biking, sometimes we’re taking transit, and sometimes we’re driving our own cars. But the unifying theme is we are all going someplace and we all need to take care of each other, so that we can all arrive where we are going, not only safely, but enjoyably.”

Mack outlined other 2013 initiatives, including a no-texting campaign and advocating for protected bike lanes on our roads.

John Nations, President and CEO of Bi-State Development Agency/Metro, said Metro takes its responsibility for safe travel seriously. “Almost 47 million times a year, someone trusts Metro to transport them economically, on time, and most of all – safely.  That’s why “Safe Roads for All” is one of our top priorities,” he said.  “Road safety is not just important for our business, but for all businesses.  Walk-able, bike-able communities that are also transit-friendly help promote economic vitality, as well as safety.”

Click here to view the press conference on YouTube.

Susan Scott gave an emotional speech about the importance of safe road sharing. Scott’s son, Sam, was hit and killed by a drunk driver last year while commuting on his bicycle in University City. “Today, my call to action for you is to be brave like Sam. If you have a friend or family member who is drunk, take their keys from them … Don’t text, or if you are in the car with someone who is texting, be brave and tell them to stop, you’re not comfortable,” Scott said as she choked back tears. “Bicyclists, be brave and be safe. Make sure that you are following the rule of the roads. And all of you advocates, stay strong and be brave.”

Click here to watch Susan’s speech on YouTube.

Following the news conference, attendees headed from the Missouri History Museum to the St. Louis Downtown Bicycle Station. Trailnet and MoDOT lead a group of cyclists on a safety ride downtown and Nations lead a group of pedestrians over to the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station to take the train downtown.

“Pedestrians and bicyclists need to understand that they have primary responsibility for their own safety,” Ed Hassinger, MoDOT District Engineer for St. Louis region. “The motoring public also has a responsibility to share the road in a safe and courteous manner with these vulnerable road users.”

We all share the roads and there are many ways to get where we need to go.  Whether by car, by bike, by foot, or by public transit – it’s important for each of us to think safety first, and to encourage safe travel for everyone.

For more information on how to be safe on the roads, visit savemolives.com 

Click here to view more photos.

Metro Transit is proud to be participating on Team Transit in CMT’s Great Race II.

Designed to play off the CBS television hit, “The Amazing Race,” (minus host Phil Cogen of course) the race will place Team TRANSIT, Team BIKE, Team CARSHARE, and Team CARPOOL in a head-to-head competition to see which transportation mode can travel from downtown St. Louis to Clayton the fastest.

The race is set for Thursday, May 30. It will get under way at approximately 4:30 p.m. at Post Office Plaza, 815 Locust Street in Downtown St. Louis, and finish at the Fortel’s Pizza Den, 7359 Forsyth Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63105. with a community celebration.

Rally behind your favorite team through social media! Also, make plans to take part in a fun-filled community event on May 30.

Like, comment on, and share, pictures and posts about Team TRANSIT, Team BIKE, Team CARSHARE, or Team CARPOOL.

Get in on the action by cheering on your favorite team at the starting point and celebrating alongside them at the finish line!

We hope to see you there!

Make sure you like the CMT’s Great Race II Facebook page.

For more information, click here.

New 25th Anniversary decals adorn the Call-A-Ride vans

Metro Call-A-Ride is celebrating 25 years of service!

Operators, dispatchers and Metro staff were invited to celebrate the milestone at a reception held at the Call-A-Ride Center on Tuesday. There were decorations, a cake,  and a lot of enthusiastic employees!

“Call-A-Ride has been a true resource for the community for 25 years.  Our staff works diligently everyday to provide the best customer experience possible,” said Paul Willett, Metro’s Chief of Paratransit Operations & Service Development. “Call-A-Ride’s record speaks for itself.  So far, this year 72 percent of all of our customer contacts are unsolicited commendations regarding the van operators, the office staff and the service in general.  We are very proud of that number.”

Metro Call-A-Ride makes about 700,000 trips per year, the vast majority for customers who are elderly or disabled and have no other transportation options.

Casandra and Zelda

The job of a Call-A-Ride operator is not an easy one. It is physically and mentally demanding. On an average day, the operators will pick up more than 20 passengers. Operators assist customers with all types of physical disabilities and developmental issues to get in and out of the van in every kind of weather. That includes helping passengers with mobility devices onto the lift, operating the lift, and attaching a safety belt.

Operators will tell you GPS systems are an improvement from previously depending on map books, but are not that helpful when they face unexpected street detours.

Casandra Martin and Zelda Richardson have safely delivered thousands of passengers and driven longer than any other operators at Metro Call-A-Ride. Zelda and Casandra are the only two operators who have been with service all 25 years.

Both say they love their jobs. “It’s a social job,” said Zelda. “You meet and greet people. You get to know a lot of passengers. You find out about their families and they find out about yours.” Cassandra said some of their passengers have been Call-A-Ride customers for over 10 years!

Reggie, Joani and Larry celebrate 25 years with C.A.R.

Three employees also are celebrating 25 years with Metro Call-A-Ride. Joani Kleinkemper, Reggie Wayne, and Larry Gilmore have all been with the team since the service launched. “It came so fast,” said Reggie. “It doesn’t feel like it’s been 25 years. I’ve really enjoyed my job so the time has really flown by.”

These call a ride veterans don’t consider the other Metro Call-A-Ride employees coworkers, but family. “We’ve gotten to know each other not just as coworkers,” explained Larry. “We know each other personally and individually, as family.”

The entire Call-A-Ride team works to provide customers a safe and reliable means of transportation: Operators, dispatchers, call center employees, and the entire Call-A-Ride division. “It takes a lot of compassion to work here (Call-A-Ride),” said Joani. “You have to be a very compassionate person. We aren’t just voices on the other end of the line. Our riders know us, and we  know them.”

“We’re now looking forward to the next 25 years!” Willett said.

Congratulations to Metro Call-A-Ride and all of the division employees on 25 years of outstanding service!

Click here to view more pictures from Call-A-Ride’s 25 Anniversary celebration!

Earlier this month, the 2.2 mile extension to the trail was officially opened and dedicated on a beautiful crisp fall morning when the leaves were almost at the peak of their glorious fall colors. Metro President & CEO John Nations joined Executive Director of the Metro East Park and Recreation District Mike Buehlhorn (who also serves on Metro’s Board of Commissioners), Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Region VII Administrator Mokhtee Ahmad, and St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern, the St. Clair County Transit District and others on October 18 to celebrate the opening of the new section of trail.

The scenery is beautiful on the newest part of the trail which runs from the Swansea MetroLink Station to the Memorial Hospital MetroLink Station. The  trail which parallels the MetroLink system is now nearly seven miles long and goes from the Memorial Hospital Station to Belleville’s North End Park.

Click here to view slideshow.

The MetroBikeLink Trail connects nearby residents via MetroLink and MetroBus to the St. Louis area for work, school, medical visits, entertainment and dining out, sporting events, and recreation. MetroLink and MetroBus also serve as connectors for St. Louis area residents who work in St. Clair County, go to college there, visit family and friends, dine, shop and enjoy the trails and parks in St. Clair County.

Click here to view slideshow.

Funding for the newest section of the MetroBikeLink Trail came from the St. Clair County Transit District, the FTA and the Metro East Park and Recreation District.

There is no extra charge to bring your bicycle on a MetroBus or MetroLink train. All MetroBus vehicles in Missouri have bike racks on the front bumpers and the majority of the buses in St. Clair County are now equipped with bike racks. The Bicycle Parking Zones on trains are located at the rear of the first car and the front and rear of the second train car. Remember, you need to stand with your bike in the open area near the door. Grab on to a rail to steady yourself. Please let other passengers deboard and board before you bring your bike onto the train and when you arrive at your stop, deboard with your bike as soon as possible as a courtesy to other passengers.

Leave your car at home and hop on your bicycle and Metro to get some exercise and explore the Bi-State area.

The young Cards fans and their families were also energized because the Redbirds had pulled off an incredible late night playoff victory the night before over the Washington Nationals which put the Cards in the National League Championship Series against the San Francisco Giants.

The suspense grew as the 10:10 departure time approached without a Fredbird sighting and then, as the train pulled into Grand Station, someone yelled “There’s Fredbird!” and in a flash of red, Fredbird hopped on the packed train and we were off.

Click here to view slideshow.

Cell phones were out in force as Fredbird posed for picture after picture with children and adults as he moved around the MetroLink car.  At the next station, Fredbird jumped off and joined other children, families and MetroLink passengers on another part of the train. Fredbird posed for more photos and was as entertaining as always with his silly antics–making passengers laugh as he “beaked” some of the kids, pretended to sit on others and shook his tail feathers at others. He moved about the car meeting Cards fans and then led them off the train when we arrived at the Delmar Loop Station. The crowd started following Fredbird to The Pageant for Child Safety Day.

Fredbird wanted to make sure that the little fans and the big fans were safe crossing the street so he directed traffic to stop, adding in some comical moves. After arriving at Child Safety Day, Fredbird continued to meet and pose for photos with children and families,  the BMO Harris Bank mascot and police officers and firefighters. He was a hit everywhere he went at Child Safety Day.

He saw children at Child Safety Day being fitted for free bike helmets and indicated he wanted one too. We had to remind him his head was too big and the free helmets were for the kids.

In addition to receiving free bike helmets (300 were given away), a number of families took advantage of the free flu shots. The 6th annual event offered a wealth of information for parents and grandparents on how to keep children physically, emotionally and socially safe. There were demonstrations, booths and information about staying safe around train tracks, safe in the street, safe in the car, safe on bicycles, safe around strangers, safe on the Internet, and safe at home. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Missouri Highway Patrol, St. Louis Fire Department, St. Louis County Police, St. Louis Cardinals, Page Law, BMO Harris Bank, Home State Health Plan, INOBTR (I Know Better), BJC, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Metro Transit, and other local businesses and groups sponsored the event.

The weather was absolutely perfect for an October Saturday and the event was a huge success. It will be held again next year near The Pageant and Metro is looking forward to being part of this great community partnership in 2013.

Fredbird will kick off Child Safety Day on MetroLink. He will board the 10:10 a.m. westbound MetroLink train at the Grand MetroLink Station and ride to the Delmar Loop MetroLink Station and then walk over to The Pageant for Child Safety Day. He is inviting Bi-State area families to join him on the trip because along the way, he will give away Cardinals merchandise to fans on the MetroLink train. Children 4 and under ride free on Metro. Children 5 and older and adults must have a valid Metro fare or pass.

The 6^th Annual Child Safety Day which is from 10 a.m. to  2 p.m. at The Pageant (6161 Delmar Boulevard) is a fun event for children and is one stop shopping for parents when it comes to information about keeping their children physically, emotionally, and socially safe. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, Missouri Highway Patrol, St. Louis Fire Department, St. Louis Cardinals, BMO Harris Bank, Home State Health Plan, INOBTR (I know better), Page Law, BJC, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Metro and other local businesses and groups are teaming up to help keep kids safe.

Child Safety Day is free and is geared toward teaching families in a fun environment how to stay safe on the street, safe in the car, safe on bicycles, safe around strangers, safe on the Internet and safe at home especially during home emergencies like fires.

Metro will educate children about safety around trains—not playing or walking on railroad tracks and not trying to beat the train by walking or riding their bicycles around the warning gates. It’s part of the Operation Lifesaver program.

Among the other Child Safety Day activities, there will be free flu shots for children and adults, DNA kits and fingerprinting, free fitted bike helmets (while they last), child’s bike giveaway, Medicaid information, fire, auto, and first aid safety, college planning, storytelling, and special units from the Metropolitan St. Louis Police Department and the Missouri Highway Patrol. Parents can also register to win a classroom/daycare party with Fredbird.

Pilot Brian Kissinger (in the cockpit) after setting a new World Aviation Record at St. Louis Downtown Airport on July 4, 2012.

It’s shaping up to be another busy Saturday around the Bi-State area.  If you love airplanes or want to learn more about aviation, then St. Louis Downtown Airport is the place to be.  The Fall Fly-In at the historic Curtiss-Wright Hangar 2 runs from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. tomorrow (Oct. 6) and is hosted by the Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum and the Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 64.

You will have the opportunity to tour the Greater St. Louis Air and Space Museum and to meet cancer survivor and pilot Brian Kissinger who set a World Aviation Record at the airport on July 4th.  You will also have a chance to meet Zenith Aircraft President Sebastien Heintz and see a variety of homebuilt aircraft on display. If you would rather be in the air flying above St. Louis, you can buy a ticket to take a ride on a 1941 Waco biplane or a T-6 Texan Warbird. Or you can keep your feet firmly on the ground and have your picture taken in the cockpit of a McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II fighter and your children can pose for photos in a mini F-117 Stealth fighter.  They can also try their flying skills in a computer flight simulator or in a 3-axis moving children’s flight simulator.

Of course, there will be food available. You will be able to buy a pancake breakfast or a barbeque lunch depending on when you get hungry. There is no charge for admission and parking is free. Just drive to Hangar 2 which is located at 2300 Vector Drive at St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia. The airport is owned and operated by Metro/Bi-State Development Agency.

Metro is one of the sponsors of another great community event tomorrow in Forest Park. You can take MetroLink or MetroBus to the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station and then hop on the Forest Park Trolley ($2 all day fare) or walk over to the Missouri History Museum to take part in the 3rd Annual Sista Strut.  Proceeds from the 3K Breast Cancer Walk in Forest Park will be donated to three St. Louis area non-profit organizations: The Breakfast Club, The Black Women Breast Cancer Survivors Project and The Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center. The walk kicks off at 10 a.m.

If you would rather be on the river, the Mississippi River that is, tomorrow morning is the last cruise of the year featuring a riverboat tour of the new Mississippi River Bridge and the historic Eads Bridge. The tour is rich in history about the Eads Bridge which is a national historic landmark and offers some fascinating insight into the ongoing construction of the newest bridge on the river. If you miss the boat Saturday, you’ll have wait until next spring to see the bridges from this unique perspective. Metro owns and operates the Gateway Arch Riverboats.  You can take MetroLink to the Arch-Laclede’s Landing Station and walk over to the riverboat area or park in the Arch Parking Garage or on the riverfront near the riverboats. Boarding begins at 8:30 a.m.

St. Louis loves baseball so how about a little vintage baseball under the Gateway Arch? It’s taking place tomorrow from noon to 6 p.m. and it’s free and open to the public. Local teams will play ball the way it was played in the 19th century. There will also be hands-on displays of vintage uniforms and equipment plus logo tracing and coloring plates from past and present St. Louis Cardinals team logos. The closest MetroLink station is Arch-Laclede’s Landing or you can park in the Gateway Arch Parking facility. You take also catch the 99 Downtown Trolley to the Old Courthouse and walk a block east to the Arch.

Whatever you decide to do tomorrow, have fun and don’t forget your jacket because a fall chill is definitely going to be in the air.

The weather was absolutely perfect Saturday (Sept. 29) to be outdoors painting eco-murals on the sides of a MetroBus at the Missouri Botanical Garden in South St. Louis. The MetroBus painting was one of the highlights of the annual Green Homes and Great Health Festival and this was the fifth year the Missouri Botanical Garden partnered with the Metro Arts in Transit Program for a bus painting.

Zoey helps paint a mural on an Arts in Transit MetroBus at the Green Homes and Great Health Festival at the Missouri Botanical Garden on Sept. 29, 2012.

Two-year-old Zoey from Ballwin, Missouri was very excited to help paint the MetroBus. An apron protected her colorful sundress from paint splatters as she dipped her brush again and again into a cup of black paint and then transferred the paint to the design on the bus.

“Children love to paint, especially when it is on a giant metal canvas. They are so excited when they are given a paintbrush and a cup of paint. Painting a MetroBus lets them to have fun creating art without getting into trouble for painting on surfaces they are not normally allowed to paint on,” said David Allen, Director of the Metro Arts in Transit Program.

Zoey was joined by other children and adults who helped paint the two murals created by local artist and farmer Eric Stevens onto the sides of the MetroBus.

“I like to advocate green building and sustainable design whenever possible both in visual art expression everyday living, ” Stevens said. He said this was the first time he had ever designed anything on such a large scope.

Stevens’ mural design is actually two art pieces—one for each side of the MetroBus which focus on both residential and commercial sustainability. One side depicts green living in a residential setting while the other depicts green living at a commercial scale.

“The residential side is comprised of my own vision of the potential for sustainability in a neighborhood.  I chose to include community gardens, fruit trees, solar and wind energy, and alternate forms of transportation.  I also added small suggestions of green living such as clothes lines and backyard chickens,” said Stevens.  “The commercial side of the bus was inspired by one of the sponsors this year, the Sheet Metals Workers’ Local 36. Their new building displays many green features and is pursing LEED certification at the Platinum level.  The commercial side highlights key elements of their green building.”

The bus painting Saturday was a family affair for Stevens. His wife, son and young daughter wanted to be involved in the special project and they also grabbed paint brushes to put their touches on the murals.

Click here to view slideshow.

The Art Bus Fleet Program partners Metro with non-profit organizations in the community like the Missouri Botanical Garden to raise awareness for their organizations.

The MetroBus with the newly painted murals will now join the Art Bus Fleet and will travel various MetroBus routes throughout St. Louis City and St. Louis County for the next year. You just never know when you may see this big traveling work of art rolling down the highway or cruising through your neighborhood.

If you want to be part of all the fun and festivities and want to save gas, avoid the traffic jams and not pay parking fees, take Metro. Walk to the bus stop or park your car at one of our free Park-Ride lots.

MetroLink is always a great option to get to the Cardinals games. Just hop off at the Stadium MetroLink Station or 8th and Pine Station, Convention Center Station, or Arch-Laclede’s Landing Station if you want to grab a bite to eat at a downtown restaurant before the game or after the game.

Get on board MetroLink and MetroBus to get to Soldier’s Memorial at 12th and Market for the Taste of St. Louis this weekend. The closest station to the Taste of St. Louis is the Civic Center MetroLink Station at 14th and Spruce. Eighteen bus routes stop at the Civic Center MetroBus Center so you have lots of options to arrive by bus. The next closest MetroLink Station is Union Station. Admission to the Taste of St. Louis is free and the event celebrates good food, art, live music and culture.

The 30 Soulard, 95 Kingshighway, and 80 Park Shaw are the MetroBus routes that will get you to Missouri Botanical Garden tomorrow. The Green Homes and Great Health Festival runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and one of the highlights will be painting eco-murals on a Arts in Transit MetroBus from noon until 2 p.m. on the East parking lot.

Take MetroLink to the Grand MetroLink Station and take the 70 Grand MetroBus to get to the Dancing in the Street Festival tomorrow at the Grand Center.

Go to our website to plan your weekend trips so you can relax and leave the driving to Metro. Have a great weekend.

Richard Zott is the new Chief of Metro’s Department of Public Safety. He joined Metro three and a half months ago. Prior to Metro, he was the Special Agent in Charge of the Central Field Office in St. Louis for the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) which is part of the U.S. Department of Defense.

We sat down with him recently to talk about his background, his experiences so far at Metro, and his goals for passenger safety, among other topics.

After being a federal agent for 25 years, what made you want to work for Metro?

I had gone as high as you could go without going to Washington D.C. and I didn’t want to do that.  I really like being at the ground level. I like being on the street.

I love the City of St. Louis and the surrounding area. I think that it is a good city, and any good city needs a good public transit system. Going through my first interview, it was apparent Metro management wanted to change the perception about safety and security. I thought this would be a great job to become chief of security and make Metro the safest system in the country. I thought with my background and experience on the law enforcement side, and the strong desire to make Metro a more secure and an even better place, I thought this would be the perfect place to come to work.

What has surprised you most about Metro?

I was surprised how everybody has been very welcoming and very friendly and very open. You know they say your job is your family. That’s very true. I haven’t met anyone that I just don’t like, and I’ve met a lot of people. And, I absolutely love talking to the bus drivers and the train operators.

It’s a good fit for you?

Yes. The senior staff at Metro understands the importance of security. They’ve been extremely supportive. We’ve had some very candid discussions about our goals to move performance to the next level. That’s exciting, too, because I think in the next few years you’re going to see a lot of changes. We want to bring on some more people, bring on young aggressive people. We also want to diversify our work force to make it more reflective of the people we serve in the community.

What do you see as the strengths in your Department of Public Safety?

Among our strengths, first of all, is our people. Dedicated people. They are former law enforcement officers. Some of them are certified police officers. I think a strength that we have is that we all understand the end goal and that’s to increase the awareness of our safety and security and to try to change the perception. There are people who think our system is not that safe. I beg to differ. I’ve been traveling a lot in my lifetime. Nothing is 100 percent, but I think we have a very safe system. We’ve got layered security, concentric security. We have guards on the platforms and officers on the trains. We have police officers, city and county officers from Missouri and Illinois helping with our security enforcement. I don’t think you see that in many transit systems throughout the nation. The other thing we have is a very sophisticated monitoring system; a camera system where our dispatchers constantly monitor the platforms and the trains. There are cameras on the buses as well. I think the fact that we have professionals, who are well-trained and have been around for a while is another strength for us.

You are building bridges and forming cooperative relationships with municipalities along our MetroLink alignment and our MetroBus and Call-A-Ride service area. Talk a little bit about what your goal is there and how that is going.

Before I came to Metro, when I was a federal agent, I worked a lot with the various police departments along the alignment. Now, this is a different situation, but it’s still a professional law enforcement relationship reaching out again to explain the mission of Metro. A lot of people know what Metro is conceptually, but they don’t understand a lot about how we operate, our public safety department, how we contract with various law enforcement agencies. I’m going out to reacquaint myself with the various police department chiefs throughout our area and discuss Metro and also seek their cooperation and their input on how we can make it an even better system.

What do you want the public to know about Metro and public safety?

I want the citizens of the area to know that this is a partnership that Metro has with them. We take our job very seriously. We want to provide the best security that is possible to the people of the community. I want people to be safe and to feel safe, and when they don’t feel safe, I really want to know about it and how we can improve.

Your background is military and federal law enforcement. How has that prepared you for your role at Metro?

The one lesson I’ve learned probably more than any other lesson I keep in mind is that I don’t have all the answers. When I was in Iraq, I worked with various task forces. We had people in Special Forces and other specialized units. We had the Brits, Czechs, Australians, Italians, Iraqis, and many, many other people from different countries all coming together. It was amazing to listen to how they approached problems and get their perspectives on things. Sometimes it was 180 degrees opposite of what I would have said to approach a problem. But, when we listened– and I listened– oftentimes it made a lot of sense to try to solve the problem their way to be successful. I don’t have all the answers. One thing I do know is if you surround yourself with the best people possible, and that means a diverse group of people, you’ll get good input. And, with good input, you’ll make good decisions.

What do you want the St. Louis area community to know about what you and your team are doing?

Working together, the community and Metro, we can all make a difference. I’m amazed at just how generous our employees are at Metro. I’ve watched bus drivers go out of their way to help people. I’ve watched Transit Service Managers take time to explain to passengers how a ticket vending machine works. You don’t see that kind of behavior in an organization unless it’s a high-performing one.

We take our responsibility to provide for the safety and security of our passengers very seriously. Incidents that occur on our system are not just a Metro problem. They’re not only a city problem or a county problem. It’s all of our problem. Working together with good minds and good communications, we can accomplish anything we want in this region.

The MetroLink Expedition was designed to fulfill a geography segment of the school’s social studies curriculum. The students were on a mission to compare and contrast several MetroLink Stations in the St. Louis area. Each student group was asked to observe how five themes of geography – movement, region, location, interaction, and place – appear at each MetroLink Station. Other goals of the assignment were to understand how a location and environment impacts a person, to understand and experience the diversity of St. Louis, and to be excellent ambassadors for MRHMS by exhibiting the cornerstone traits of stewardship, scholarship, citizenship, and leadership. All of it was designed as a completely mobile expedition: the students used no pens, no papers and no workbooks. The assignment was compiled using instructions on an iBook and digitally recording photos and video on iPod touches.

Click here to view slideshow.

“We spent the entire day prior to our social studies expedition prepping the seventh grade students by going through an iBook presentation, which detailed almost every aspect of our expedition and our mission,” explained MRHMS social studies teacher Alexandra Mooney. “The students were then put into small groups and assigned two MetroLink Stations where they would identify all five themes of geography and then compare and contrast both stations.”

The first stop for Mrs. Mooney’s class was the East Riverfront MetroLink Station in East St. Louis, Illinois. Mrs. Mooney and MRHMS math teacher Ben Ryan led the students down the steps from the station platform for a panoramic view of Illinois, the Mississippi River and downtown St. Louis. The students spoke excitedly about being in a different state, seeing the river and The Gateway Arch Jefferson National Expansion Monument. All sights and geography themes were digitally documented during the time spent at the East Riverfront MetroLink Station.

The next stop on the MetroLink Expedition itinerary was the Convention Center MetroLink Station in Downtown St. Louis. Students observed the station, Convention Center, surrounding skyscrapers and other landmarks. Group members recorded video of student conversations which compared the similarities and contrasted the differences between the East Riverfront and the Convention Center Stations.

The process continued as the MetroLink Expedition headed westbound to the MetroLink Central West End MetroLink Station just east of Forest Park, observing and recording their findings. Then, the group traveled to its fourth stop at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station on the north side of Forest Park.

The other groups of students from MRHMS reunited with Mrs. Mooney’s group for a bag lunch in Forest Park. After lunch, all 59 students participated in a post-expedition reflection and group discussion. It was an opportunity to share observations and digitally document the different assessments made by other group members at the different MetroLink Station stops.

“This was an amazing expedition and a fantastic day. MRHMS has been doing the MetroLink Expedition (or modified versions) for 10 years,” said Mrs. Mooney. “I hope the students realized how easy and convenient it is to explore the St. Louis area, its people and its diversity.”

Mrs. Mooney posted her blogs about the MetroLink Expedition with links the students’ photo art and video projects.

Earlier this year, Metro employees researched each of the 37 MetroLink stations on the system and created profiles for each one.

Brandi and her cousin, Johnathan, stand on each side of pilot Kurt Lewis after Lewis took them on a free plane ride with another teenager for GEM Youth Aviation Day.

“I was scared at first, but I want to go again,” said 9-year-old Brandi right after her first ever plane ride in a Cessna 172. The free flight was part of the 18th Annual Youth Aviation Day, sponsored by the Gateway Eagles of  Missouri (GEM) at St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia, Illinois on Saturday.  Her 13-year-old cousin, Johnathan, said the flight was awesome and things on the ground “looked like little ants” to him. He said he would tell other children to try flying– “it’s fun.” This was also his first ride in a small aircraft. The cousins both live in St. Louis and were happy their grandmother, Linda Benoit, brought them to the September 15th event.

Brandi and Johnathan’s pilot was Kurt Lewis who is a flight instructor for Southern Illinois University Carbondale (SIUC).  Lewis said SIUC donated two airplanes, fuel and pilots for the event and they flew the planes from Carbondale to St. Louis Downtown Airport to be part of the event to give Brandi, Johnathan and other children free plane rides.

Lewis said he likes to share aviation with people who are passionate about it, especially younger people. He’s been flying since he was a youngster himself and he grew up hanging around the airport in Rockford, Illinois. His dad was a glider pilot.

GEM introduces children, especially minority children, to the many careers and opportunities that aviation offers. A total of nine planes owned by various entities along with 11 pilots were donated to the GEM Youth in Aviation event and 60 children were given free rides this year.

Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis members share their experiences with each other after taking free plane rides at St. Louis Downtown Airport.

Six of the children who went flying were from the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater St. Louis. They took  their plane rides in two groups of three. When the second group landed, it was all smiles and the children were so excited, they all talked at once as they tried to tell each other about their own experiences. A couple of youngsters said after the first few seconds, it wasn’t scary. They all agreed it was a fun experience.

8-year-old Ernest is in the co-pilot seat waiting to get strapped in before his Youth Aviation Day flight.

On a different flight, 8-year-old Ernest did not hesitate for a second when the pilot asked who wanted to ride in the front seat. He spoke up and quickly positioned himself as co-pilot. Ernest’s great grandmother actually took flying lessons at St. Louis Downtown Airport in 1946 when it was called Parks Metropolitan Airport. She was part of the Civil Air Patrol. Her son, Ernest’s grandfather Harold Moss, is the president of GEM so it should not come as any surprise that this confident youngster, who is so comfortable in the cockpit, said he wants to become a pilot.

Metro owns and operates St. Louis Downtown Airport and its surrounding industrial business park.

Click here to view slideshow.

The Balloon Glow is scheduled for tonight (Sept. 14) on the east side of Forest Park at Central Field and the Balloon Race will take place there tomorrow.  The Balloon Glow is a walk through event only– you are not allowed to drive in that area of Forest Park.
You may consider taking MetroLink to the Central West End Station and walking west to Central Field.

To accommodate the huge crowds expected both days, Metro Transit is extending service for the #3 Forest Park Trolley tonight and tomorrow.  The Forest Park Trolley route will be temporarily adjusted both days to allow for the road closures and traffic congestion in the park. The Trolley will ONLY operate between the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station Bus Stop and the Pagoda Circle.  The Trolley will run every 20 minutes until midnight tonight and every 20 minutes tomorrow from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.  Click here to view map and the special #3 Forest Park Trolley schedule for today and tomorrow.

Starting at 5 p.m. tonight, the #90 Hampton MetroBus WILL NOT enter Forest Park due to Balloon Glow. Tomorrow (Sept. 15), the #90 Hampton will not operate in Forest Park between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. due to The Great Forest Park Balloon Race. If bad weather tomorrow forces the postponement of the race, it will be rescheduled for Sunday, Sept. 16. The special Saturday #3  Forest Park Trolley schedule would then be implemented on Sunday.

Have fun, be safe and hope you take lots of great pictures!