» Transit Lifestyle

Monday starts the second phase of service restoration and, as we have mentioned on Nextstop over the last few months, big changes are coming.  More than 50 bus routes will be changing, including new routes, different commutes, time connections, etc.  Any change in routine is an adjustment, and many transit riders will be taking new or altered trips on Monday in Missouri.  In addition, many new operators will be on the road with new, or less familiar, routes.  Service change is always a time for adjustment, but here are some of our suggestions for helping with the transition:

1.  Download Google Maps to your smartphone, if you haven’t already, and test out your typical trip. If you haven’t downloaded the Google Maps app for your smartphone, now is a great time to try it out.  You can use the layered feature to test out different routes and nearby stops, and to experiment with varying times.  And if you don’t know the address where you are, the GPS feature on Google Maps can plan your trip from your location.

Type m.google.com/maps in your phone’s browser, or send the app to your phone. You can also use Google Maps from your desktop or laptop computer, and TripFinder is still available from our website.

2.  Download and print route maps and schedule information. All of the service changes, plus the overall service change brochure, is on the service change page.  Also, you can pick up schedules at Metro Headquarters.

3.  Give yourself extra time. With so many changes for both bus operators and passengers, schedules may take time to normalize.  Please give yourself extra time to get to the bus stop early, and expect possible delays.

What to do if you get lost or miss a connection?

Even with careful planning, there is always a chance you could get lost or miss a connection and need to figure out what to do next.  Here are some options to help you find your way.

1. Customer service. The Metro Customer Service line will be open as usual from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Missouri: 314-231-2345

TTY: 314-982-1555

2.  Email transit information questions to transitinfo@metrostlouis.org.

3.  Via Twitter use “@STLMetro” with your question. We will be available with a Google Maps app and transit information to help Twitter users.

4.  Locate a Transit Service Manager throughout the system. TSMs and other available personnel will be out Monday to help customers.  TSMs wear yellow Metro polo shirts, and Metro ambassadors have white Metro polo shirts.

Also, please help one another.  If you find someone on your bus who is confused or needs some help, please consider reaching out and lending a hand.  You may just make someone’s day.

And as always, you can leave a comment for one of the blog team members to help you out.  Thanks so much for all of your feedback and discussion.

We get these questions often: What is the best area in St. Louis for transit accessibility?  What is the transit access like for a particular neighborhood?

Now, the folks at WalkScore, a website devoted to walkability (ability to walk to most or many personal amenities), have introduced TransitScore and Commuter Reports as a way to encourage and promote walking and transit use across the U.S.

WalkScore provides a feature for business, residents, real-estate brokers and others to advertise the “walkability” of an address through a “WalkScore” on a scale of 0 to 100.  Now, thanks in part to the efforts of their sister website City-Go-Round.org in encouraging transit agencies to provide open transit data, Walkscore is able to provide addresses with a TransitScore and Commuter Reports.  Metro St. Louis was one of the first transit agencies to publish open-source data based on the efforts of City-Go-Round, and now they have made information available for more than 100 transit agencies.  Here is the TransitScore and map for Blueberry Hill Restaurant in University City, MO:

Users can enter any address to find out its proximity to many amenities, including restaurants, bars, parks, schools and banks.  Now, TransitScore provides information an address’ nearby train and bus routes.

WalkScore also allows users to access to the Public Transit API (applications programming interface) to:

• Add TransitScore to website in form of embedded badges
• Show transit stops on a map of address
• Show details about nearby transit route

Businesses, real estate companies or other destinations can then use the information to tout the walkability and transit access of an address, and allows users to compare addresses for walking and transit options.

In addition, WalkScore also provides a Commuter Report, which provides the information for traveling from one destination to another by walking, biking, transit or car.

Commuter Report from Metro Headquarters to Blueberry Hill in University City

The report includes information about the area such as housing and transportation costs.

Housing and Transportation Costs Report for Blueberry Hill from Walkscore.org

While WalkScore does have some missing features, it is a tremendous tool for those seeking to advertise or find out the walking and transit amenities and options available in an area.  For another review of this new feature — and thank you for directing us to this development — please check out the St. Louis blog Exquisite Struggle.

It’s hot outside.  It’s mid-August, and the heat and humidity is practically melting the fortitude off of the average St. Louisans.  But have faith, for even the most brutal of Augusts only have 31 days.  Now’s the time to start looking ahead to September and the sweet relief of cooler temperatures and fading sunlight, and more opportunities to bike, walk and take transit in St. Louis. But until then, there are several ways you can get ready for early fall.

Look at all these people! Outside! Not melting! (Picture of Open Streets in San Fransisco via www.urbanstl.com)

Get On Board and Try Transit Month in September

August 30 Restoration launches a lot of new transit service for St. Louis, so it’s only fitting that September is Try Transit Month. To celebrate the service restoration, and to try to encourage more ridership, Nextstop will be hosting several Transit Tweetups in the area, highlighting rider stories and new routes, and hosting “Try Transit Challenges.” Do you have a great rider story? Do you know someone you would like to challenge to try transit for a day, a week? Please let us know! We’ll release a full schedule of events in the coming weeks, but in the mean time, please remind fellow riders of upcoming travel changes and check out the new schedules, route maps, and system map online.

Citizen’s For Modern Transit’s Ten Toes Express

Citizen’s For Modern Transit’s Ten Toes Express targets both older adults and work commuters to encourage people to walk more and use public transit. Sounds like a win-win, right? The program is free and each participant receives a pedometer, weekly walk log, MetroLink tickets, St. Louis maps, and more than 80 suggested walking tours with info on destination of interest and level of walking difficultly. Participants get to join up in groups and track their individual walking achievements. And it’s a great way to familiarize yourself with transit routes and explore the region. Registration for fall program has begun, and gets started in September.

Bike Education Courses (via St. Louis Bicycle Federation)

Biking in urban and suburban roads, like taking transit, can be an intimidating affair. But the rewards of better health, saved money and reducing air pollution are many-fold. Certified League of American Bicyclists Cycling Instructor (LCI) Martin Pion offers different levels of courses at his home in Ferguson (he provides both driving and Metro/bike directions). The courses range from a 4-hour crash course (no pun intended!) in traffic safety to a 18-hour course with plenty of on-road time and crash-avoidance practice. These courses can help you gain the confidence and skills you need to travel by bike, including biking combined with transit use.

Open Streets Events in St. Louis City

Open Streets returns to the City of St. Louis September 19, 8am – 1pm through downtown, Midtown and the Central West End. For those of you who missed the earlier Open Streets events, it is part-block party and part-active event, with everything from biking, walking, jogging, yoga, badminton, games and food. While no cars are allowed along the route to let people and bikes roam freely, last Open Streets they did have a Fire Department sprinkler to keep participants cool. Open Streets is also a great opportunity for businesses and civic organization to encourage wellness and community by bringing large groups of employees. The route is also accessible to several MetroLink and MetroBus transit centers to give families and individuals extra options for traveling to and from the festivities.

Shaw Neighborhood Photography Competition

Photography competitions are common throughout the year, but the Shaw Neighborhood Housing Corporation is hosting a photography contest this year in corresponding with the Shaw Art Fair Oct. 2 at Flora Place. The Shaw Neighborhood reached out to Metro on Twitter to help promote the contest, as they saw the August 30 Restoration as a great opportunity for people to try the new service while exploring Shaw and nearby neighborhoods. The contest area includes Shaw, South Grand Business District, Missouri Botanical Gardens, Tower Grove Park and The Grove. Contest deadline is 9/15, with one 8X10 framed or unframed photo per entrant. Turn in entries to Shaw Neighborhood Housing Corporation Office, 4067 Shenandoah in St. Louis (behind Thurman Grill).

Know of any upcoming St. Louis event that support transit or alternative transportation use? Email us at blog@nextstopstl.org.

June 17 began as a windy, rainy morning in St. Louis for National Dump the Pump Day, and the weather only got worse as the morning commute continued. But for some people, it was just another adventure in dumping the pump in St. Louis.

Anthony Michael Philip on his morning commute to work.

Four years ago, Anthony Michael Philip’s car met its demise in a “random act of vandalism.”  He decided not to replace it and instead to get around through transit and biking.  ”I’ve always loved bicycling. It’s been part of my whole life.  But I live downtown and work in south St. Louis City.  [After his car died] I woke up and thought, ‘What am I gonna do?’ So, I hopped on my bike and rode to work and haven’t gotten a car since.”  I asked him how he finds getting around in St. Louis without a car and he replied, “Piece of cake. Between public transit and my bike, I can get everywhere I want to go.”

When I asked him if he had any advice for people looking to give up one or more of their cars, he said, “Yeah, don’t wait for someone to blow up your car to do it.  There’s no better reason to do it than just because.  It’s good for you and its a great way to get rid of stress.  By the time I get home, I’m ready for my evening.”

Citizens for Modern Transit’s Tom Shrout joined us at Civic Center MetroLink Station and explained that his family went from a two-car family to a one-car family seven or eight years ago.  His favorite perk is using the money saved for other pursuits, especially travel. “With the money we save, we like to go to fun places like Paris, London, Madrid. Those were places we couldn’t go if we were spending money on an extra car.”

There are no shortages of these stories in St. Louis.  Sometimes I hear, “What? Carless in St. Louis?” But people are doing it in our region all of the time, by choice or necessity.  If you have embraced more walking, biking and taking transit in your life, tell your friends, family and coworkers about the benefits and realistic challenges.  When someone is thinking about trying something new, it helps to get encouragement from people who are already doing it.

North East Middle School cheerleaders cheer on transit riders for Dump the Pump Day.

Thank you to everyone who participated in National Dump the Pump Day, especially considering the blustery, rainy weather.  Metro employee Ambassadors were out on the MetroLink alignment and bus transfer centers greeting customers and handing out entry forms for our Dump the Pump giveaway.  You can still register until June 28 to win prizes and alternative transportation gear from Metro, Trailnet, Citizens for Modern Transit, and Great Rivers Greenway.

Have a fun weekend, St. Louis, and however you go, safe travels!

OK, it’s summer 2010.  Oil continues to spill into the Gulf of Mexico, and we still spend billions of dollars to feed our ever-increasing appetite for petroleum, all while pumping millions of pounds of carbon emissions into the atmosphere.  Isn’t it about time we embraced some alternatives?  It’s time to get on a bike, a train, or a bus, St. Louis!

Courtney and Arch Observer's Jim Barnthouse with t-shirts and gear from Trailnet, Great Rivers Greenway, and Metro. Who needs cars with faces like these?

Thursday, June 17, is National Dump the Pump Day.  Sponsored by the American Public Transit Association (APTA), Dump the Pump Day is designed to focus on conserving fuel, reducing the environmental impact of everyday commuting, and reducing America’s dependence on foreign oil by finding alternatives to the use of personal vehicles.

Walk. Bike. Take transit. It’s a great time to get out of your car and explore your neighborhood, try transit, or bike to work.  Did you know bike commuters lose an average of 12 lbs during their first year of bike commuting?  Or that public transit users walk an average extra 20 minutes a day over auto commuters?  All over the country, transit and bike commuting is increasing as people realize the benefits of staying away from traffic.

To encourage St. Louis area commuters to Dump the Pump, Metro, together with community partners Citizens for Modern Transit, Trailnet and Great Rivers Greenway have donated some awesome gear to encourage you to walk, bike, or take transit, including:

• Bike Helmets from Great Rivers Greenway
• Membership to Citizens for Modern Transit
• Metro 10-Ride ticket booklets
• Metro messenger bag
• Trailnet ride vouchers
• Forest Park Shuttle tickets

Trailnet & Great Rivers Greenway T-shirts and other promotional items

Entries will be accepted through Monday, June 28.  Prizes will be awarded July 6. Click here to register to win some of the awesome gear from local organizations promoting alternative transportation (as shown by myself and Arch Observer Jim Barnthouse).

I hear Jim Barnthouse is alternative energy.

People can also obtain entry forms for the Metro Dump the Pump prize giveaway at:
•    Metro Headquarters – 707 N. 1st Street, St. Louis
•    MetroRide Center – 7th & Washington, inside America’s Center, St. Louis
•    Great Rivers Greenway – 6174 A Delmar Blvd., St. Louis
•    Trailnet – 1533 Washington Avenue, St. Louis

Commuters choosing public transit on June 17 may also be greeted and thanked personally by members of Metro’s leadership team, employee volunteers, and even cheerleaders from North East Middle School in St. Louis.  Because you deserve some recognition and thanks for dumping the gas pump.

Need more reasons to convince people to give up some gas?  According to the APTA:

• Each year, the use of public transit in the U.S. saves 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline by eliminating the need for 900,000 automobile fill-ups each day.
• Commuters who switch to public transit can reduce the carbon emissions of their personal vehicles by 20 pounds a day, or 4,800 pounds a year.
• In addition to helping save the environment, families that use public transit and live with one car can save an average of $9,000 a year.
• For every $1 invested in public transportation infrastructure, $4 is generated in economic returns to communities.

June 17: National Dump the Pump Day.  Step away from the car, and spend the day being the alternative.

The river rises up, rich brown, foamy and yielding, against the hull of boat. The boat is smooth and calm, and I’m enamored: its my first time seeing St. Louis from the waters of the River, looking up at our city.

I’m on the Tom Sawyer, one of the riverboats that Metro operates on the riverfront of the Mississippi River.  It’s a beautiful Friday afternoon, one of the most seasonable days in May, where the sun beats a warm St. Louis heat but with a hearty breeze and impenetrable sky.  The perfect St. Louis afternoon, a few moments before a holiday weekend, to climb aboard a boat and tour the St. Louis riverfront.

A view of St. Louis from the Mississippi River is perhaps one not many of us have experienced, but it was the first.  Pierre Laclede and his assistant, Auguste Chouteau, staked out St. Louis in 1764 for their settlement near the Confluence of the Illinois, Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. Be not mistaken: We are a river town. Our history and identity runs and rides with the currents of the three rivers swollen and flowing as one.  It brought us wealth and promise; it brought us challenge and compromise.

The river was an essential form of transportation for early St. Louisans, but later posed an obstacle to improve the flow of people and goods. When you are on the river, you can see what an amazing contradiction this is: the River is strong and swift, but wide and intimidating. It’s amazing to realize that only 150 years ago, a major challenge was how to build a bridge long enough and strong enough to span the Mississippi. Now we are about to build downtown St. Louis’ sixth bridge: The New Mississippi River Bridge for Interstate 70.

The tour is rife with buildings and structures that have continuing stories of decline and rebirth. The Eads Bridge, one of the great architectural feats of the 19th century, was a commercial failure in its infancy.  But its integrity, largely untouched by years of river wear, now carries MetroLink trains into the historic tunnels beneath the City of St. Louis and into the region.  The Laclede Power Building, was constructed in 1901 to distribute electricity for the ballooning populations of the 1904 World’s Fair, is now being renovated to serve as the main “gateway” to The Confluence and as a trailhead for the Riverfront Trail. The Ashley Street Powerhouse, a darkly impressive structure that still generates steam for downtown St. Louis, bears both rich architectural detailing, and heavy coats of rust. And the Sligo Steel Building, set back from the river and nearly blocked from an elevated train track and river debris, is home to Sligo Steel, a company formed in 1834 that today is the oldest steel company west of Mississippi.

This tour is not a Floridian coastline cruise; you are on the Big Muddy, looking upon a red-brick-loving Rust Belt river city. The beauty of the scenery is its history, and the perspective the river provides. The view from the river includes the five bridges crossing the wide waters: Poplar Street, McKinley, Eads, Martin Luther King, and MacArthur Bridges. Built during different eras, with varying architectural styles, to serve different growing transportation needs, these bridges are testament to the many ways St. Louis has grown and reinvented itself over the last 150 years.

And the river keeps rolling on, watching us from below.

The Riverboat cruise gave me a great perspective on both the past and present of St. Louis, while we may think things are slow to change, the region has actually undergone tremendous evolution to adapt to needs and opportunities. When you are sitting on the deck of a riverboat, looking up at the skyscrapers, the buildings, the bridges, and of course, the Arch and its grounds, it is impossible not to realize that our story keeps on going. And once the Mississippi River Bridge and the new Arch grounds are completed, the skyline will change once again.

And at this moment, on this day, on this River, it’s a beautiful view of St. Louis.

For more information on how to take a Riverboat cruise on the Mississippi River, book a group, or make reservations for one of their dinner cruises, visit the Gateway Arch website.

It’s secret that transit riders are willing to share: Riding public transit offers many opportunities for life lessons and sense of community. True fellowship happens on your bus, on your train. Now a local productions company has brought that sentiment to the theater. Eye on the Sparrow: The World Within St. Louis, written by Lee Patton Chiles, is a play about the hardships of life, the fellowship of a community, and the redemption possible in our own lives. All from the seats of St. Louis public transit.

From the play’s website:

Sparrows are everywhere, and are so common we hardly notice them. St. Louis is full of human sparrows – ordinary people who are hardly noticed, but who meet the challenges of life with dignity, humor and fierce courage. EYE ON THE SPARROW follows one woman, Harper, as she falls from the grace of a good job, a marriage and a home, only to become one among the sparrows. Set within the community of St. Louis public transportation, Harper’s life becomes intertwined with the lives of these heroic ordinary people. Through their everyday struggles, fights and kindnesses, these urban philosophers teach Harper how to begin her life again.

How You Can See Eye on the Sparrow:

Saint Louis University
The University Theater at Xavier Hall
3733 West Pine Mall

Friday, June 4 & Saturday, June 5 -  8:00PM, Sundays 2:30PM

For reservations or special group rates call 314-721-6556 or email gitana@stlouis.missouri.org

Tickets available at the following locations:

Cafe Natasha – 3200 S. Grand (South City)
Screenz – 6680 Delmar (U-City Loop)
Macro Sun – 1310 Washington (Downtown) or 6273 Delmar (U-City Loop)
Living Insights Center – 6361 Clayton Rd. (Clayton)

Regular Tickets $15 Seniors (65+) and Students $12

Downtown St. Louis is about to be awash in a sea of pink.

Members of Team Metro at the Komen Race for the Cure 2007

On Saturday, June 12, more than 60,000 people will join together in downtown St. Louis for the 2010 Susan G. Komen St. Louis Race of for the Cure, presented localled by Wells Fargo Advisors.

To date, the Affiliate has raised more than $19 million through various fundraising events like the Komen St. Louis Race for the Cure and Dine Out for the Cure.  More than $13 million has stayed in St. Louis to fund screening, treatment, education and research programs with $6 million going to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Grants Program to fund research.  The St. Louis Race is the largest Komen Race for the Cure in the world, and one of the top three largest 5K races in the world.  Nice job St. Louis!

MetroLink will run service every 15 minutes (instead of 20) from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday June 12 between Forest Park-DeBaliviere and Fairview Heights Stations.  Stations further along the alignment will have regular Saturday service.

Race goers will gather June 12 downtown St. Louis (the closest MetroLink and MetroBus Transfer Center is Civic Center Station).  The Race route travels down Olive Street at 14th to Compton Avenue, then up Market back to 14th.  The races include timed and untimed 5K runs, a 5K walk and a 1-mile Fun Walk, so there’s something for people of all activity levels.

Metro’s HR Compensation Specialist Candice Lallinger, who lost her mother to breast cancer, has been working with the Race for the Cure since its beginning in St. Louis twelve years ago.  Lallinger now serves on the Teams Committee, which helps to build teams, distributes group materials and provides support to teams.  This year, Team Metro has 160 participants.

It is too late to register a team for the Race, but you can still sign up as an individual and walk or run with your family and friends.  Race-day registration begins at 6:30 a.m.  It is a truly amazing experience to see the enormous swell of pink-clad survivors and supporters at the Race.

Komen Race for the Cure MetroBus

Also, June 10 is Dine Out for the Cure in the St. Louis region, and is a great reason to fuel up for the race.  Check out the list of participating restaurants, and consider getting out in support of our local dining scene and this great cause.

For more information on the Komen Race for the Cure activities in St. Louis now and throughout the year, visit www.komenstlouis.org.

The Lindell Railway Pavillion, now known as the Dennis & Judith Jones Visitor Center in Forest Park. The Pavillion was originally built in 1892 as a streetcar shelter, and served as the gateway to the 1904 World's Fair. It is the second stop on the #3 Forest Park Shuttle.

Hoorah, the Forest Park Shuttle is back!

Stepping ahead of the other Restoration 2010 plans, the #3 Forest Park Shuttle will begin service Saturday, May 29 in time for the holiday weekend.  Forest Park is alive and blooming with trees, breezes, bikes and grass, so Memorial Day weekend is a great time to reintroduce yourself to a great cornerstone of St. Louis history and community.

Where does the Forest Park Shuttle go?

It travels the entire park in a complete circle, starting and ending at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere Metrolink Station. It stops at all major attractions, including the Science Center Planetarium, the Zoo, Art Museum, Boathouse and Jewel Box. For all stop, see the Shuttle’s route map.

What times and how often does it run?

The Shuttle will run every 15 minutes from 9:45 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. daily. Check times on the route schedule.

How much does it cost?

The Shuttle is $2 for adults, $1 for seniors, disabled persons, and children 5-12. Children under five ride free.

Does my monthly Metro pass or transfer work as fare?

Yes! The Shuttle accepts all passes and transfers.

Can I bring my bike or stroller on board?

The Shuttle has a two-bike rack on the front, and can accommodate strollers. It is also wheelchair accessible.

Where do I catch the Shuttle?

You can catch the Shuttle at the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station at the southbound bus shelters on DeBaliviere Avenue, or at any stop on it’s route in the Park.

Have a great Memorial Day St. Louis! Have fun exploring your region, and safe travels!

The arrow points to where parking spaces will be removed and pedestrian walkway built.

Parking spaces being turned into a pedestrian walkway?? What??

That’s exactly what will be happening at the Gateway Arch Garage on Washington Avenue.  Construction work is scheduled to begin on Tuesday, June 1, and be completed around June 25, right before the Fair St. Louis festivities.  The pedestrian walkway will displace a row of Metro pool car and staff parking spaces to connect Washington Avenue and the Arch-Laclede’s Landing MetroLink Station with the garage elevator and stairs to the Arch grounds.

The pedestrian walkway will include an ADA ramp from Washington Avenue into the garage, as well as improved lighting and a steel fence.  During construction, Arch visitors will use a temporary pedestrian path to the east of the construction.

Hopefully, it will make the pathway between the Landing and the Arch grounds more inviting and accessible for all.