In 2009, Metro launched NextStop as a way to talk about the role of public transit in St. Louis and what Metro does.  This robust social media effort was designed to share news, respond to customer questions and comments, and foster a dialogue with readers.We wanted to tell the story of Metro, as well as the public transit experience for thousands of riders in the region.

Since the beginning, NextStop has been an amazing experience, thanks to our readers and their comments. Highlights include getting feedback on Restoration 2010, launching the Holiday Train and Rhythm & Rails, discussing Moving Transit Forward, and introducing the Bus Stop Evaluation Program, Grand Bridge and Vandeventer Bridge construction projects, and the Mobile Market.

We were very honored to receive a nomination for Best Local Activism Blog from The Riverfront Times in 2011, to present at the American Public Transportation Association meeting in 2011, and to be recognized across the country as an example of engaging public transit communication. We consider these honors reflective of the great opportunities we have to continue to improve and reach out to our customers and community.

What are the next steps for NextStop? In addition to a new look, the blog now has better social media integration and an easier way for readers to comment. We hope to focus on producing more content, including video content. We will continue to partner with community organizations to promote affordable transportation for the bi-state area, transit-friendly development, biking and pedestrian advocacy, environmental sustainability, and accessibility for all.

This year we will give you the latest information on new bus stop sign designs, new transit centers at Grand MetroLink Station and in North County, the Eads Bridge rehabilitation project, and new technologies for bus arrival times and scheduling as well as fare collection. There are many exciting things happening for public transit in the St. Louis area, and we can’t wait to tell you about them.
Thank you again for reading, commenting, sharing, talking and making this agency experiment a huge success.

Farm to Family Naturally Mobile Market stand at the Delmar MetroLink Station

The Farm to Family Naturally Mobile Market is adjusting its hours at three MetroLink locations and will no longer serve the Riverview-Hall Transit Center due to slow sales. The Mobile Market operators are making the changes to better serve customers. With fruits and vegetables ripening up all over Missouri and Illinois, the Mobile Market continues to bring fresh and local produce and other food staples such as eggs, popcorn, salsa and rice to Metro customers and neighboring areas.

Farm to Family Naturally Mobile Market Updated Hours:

Tuesdays
Delmar MetroLink Station 12-4 p.m.

Wednesdays
North Hanley MetroLink Station 1-5 p.m.

Fridays
Emerson Park MetroLink Station 12-4 p.m.

Hours and locations are subject to change. For all the news on weekly specials and what will be on the truck for the Mobile Market, check out their website and subscribe to the newsletter. This week’s local produce includes strawberries, tomatoes and romaine lettuce, along with other fresh and local treats for the family table.

Metro encourages passengers to provide feedback about their transit experiences year round. On occasion though, we conduct special surveys. Starting this Thursday, May 17 through Friday, June 15, surveyors will be gathering information from MetroBus and MetroLink customers. The surveyors will distribute 6,600 surveys among Missouri’s MetroBus routes and the Red and Blue MetroLink lines. The surveyors will be wearing Metro badges.

The 2012 Metro Customer Travel Survey and the 2012 Metro Customer Satisfaction Survey will provide Metro with valuable feedback from bus and rail customers, including demographics, travel patterns, usage characteristics, preferences, loyalty and satisfaction levels, all of which provide crucial insight into who our customers are and how to best serve them. Surveyors will ride onboard alongside customers to distribute and collect surveys in May and June. The Customer Travel Survey will be conducted from May 17 to June 1. The Customer Satisfaction Survey will be conducted from June 2 to June 15. In addition to giving the completed survey back to a surveyor, customers can also mail the completed surveys to Metro or scan and email them to researchrider@metrostlouis.org.

As a thank you to customers for participating in the surveys, Metro will enter all participants into a drawing for gift certificates and free transit passes. The drawing will take place in July. If you are one of the customers that completes one or both of the surveys, thanks for providing us valuable feedback!

Metro will not operate trains between the Wellston MetroLink Station and the North Hanley MetroLink Station this Saturday and Sunday, May 5-6 due to construction near the UMSL South MetroLink Station.

SERVICE DETAILS

Friday, May 4, from 11:30 p.m. until the end of service, To accommodate crews working on the UMSL South interlocking project, MetroLink will operate trains on a single track between the Wellston, Rock Road, UMSL South, UMSL North, and North Hanley stations. Red Line passengers should expect 5 to 10 minute delays. Blue Line Service will not be impacted.

Saturday & Sunday, May 5-6, Eastbound passengers at the North Hanley MetroLink Station will need to board shuttle buses which will transport them to the UMSL North, UMSL South, Rock Road and Wellston stations. When passengers arrive at the Wellston station, they can board the train and continue their eastbound trips.

Westbound passengers at the Wellston MetroLink Station should board the shuttle buses to take them to the Rock Road, UMSL South, UMSL North, and North Hanley stations. When passengers arrive at North Hanley, they can resume their westbound trips on the train.  Red Line MetroLink customers should allow for delays of 20 to 25 minutes.  Blue Line service will not be affected. 

Metro is planning two more bus shuttles the weekends of May 19-20 and June 2-3 due work on the interlocking project near the UMSL South MetroLink Station. Updates on MetroLink operations can be found at www.metrostlouis.org in the Rider Alert section.

Sunday, April 29, from beginning of service until the end of service, MetroLink will operate on a single track between the East Riverfront and the Arch-Laclede’s Landing MetroLink Stations. Blue and Red Line passengers should allow an extra 5 minutes for their commutes.

Sunday from 11:30 p.m. until the end of service, To accommodate crews working on the UMSL South interlocking project, MetroLink will operate on a single track between the Wellston, Rock Road, UMSL South, UMSL North, and North Hanley stations. Red Line passengers should expect 5 to 10 minute delays. Blue Line Service will not be impacted.

Call-A-Ride Operator Dale Dean

Metro Call-A-Ride Van Operator Dale Dean doesn’t consider himself a hero. A humble man with strong faith, he just considers himself blessed to have been there to help. But Berkeley resident Dorothy Dixon considers Dean her hero. In February, Dean was dropping off a passenger when he saw Dixon’s house on fire, and rushed to alert her and get her out of the house. Recently, Dixon got to meet Dean once again, and give a big hug to the operator who helped save her life.

On February 7 around 6 p.m., Dean was driving a Metro Call-A-Ride customer home when he saw flames coming out of the roof on home on McKibbon Road. There were lights on and a car in the garage, so he thought someone might be in the house. He ran up and banged on the door. Dixon came to door, startled. She had been napping, and the banging woke her up. She had no idea that her home was on fire.

Dean then called Metro Call-A-Ride Dispatch to alert authorities, helped Dixon move her car, and let her stay with him and his passenger, who turned out to be Dixon’s niece, in the Call-A-Ride van, safe and warm while waiting for the fire and police crews to arrive.

Metro President & CEO John Nations, presents an award for bravery to Dale Dean. Dorothy Dixon joined Metro in commending him.

Dixon wanted to see Dean again to thank him for what he did so we invited her to the Metro Board of Commissioners meeting when Dean was scheduled to receive special recognition for going above and beyond the call of duty. He did not know that Dixon would be there. Her thank you was very emotional and she hugged Dean with tears in her eyes, and asked if there was anything she could do for him. Dean answered that he had been praying to God to use him to help others, and he believes this was exactly what he asked for.

A Call-A-Ride operator for 11 years, Dean lives in Pevely, Missouri with his wife Kirstie. He says he loves driving, and in addition to being very active in his church, he enjoys camping, fishing, bike riding and Cardinals baseball.

Diane Earhart

Written by Special Contributor Diane Earhart; Administrative Assistant at St. Louis Downtown Airport in Cahokia, Illinois

The dictionary defines “ideal” as “One that is regarded as a standard or model of perfection or excellence; considered the best of its kind.”

 Ideal Aviation Illinois lives up to its name.

Ideal Aviation has been providing services to pilots at St. Louis Downtown Airport since 1983. In 2003, the business was expanded into a 25,000 square foot new hangar providing new services. Known as a fixed base operator (FBO), Ideal Aviation provides fuel, maintenance, flight training, aircraft rental, and storage to resident and transient pilots alike.

Ideal Aviation was founded by Cordell LaBrier together with his wife, Pam, in 1983, and now they have retired.

Ideal Aviation Illinois owner Bill Macon next to a 1941 Waco bi-plane

Enter Bill Macon. Macon is the owner of Ideal Aviation Illinois, LLC, and is ready to take the established FBO into the rest of the 21st century. Activities already started include updating their website (www.IdealFBO.net); a total remodel of the facilities to include updated pilots’ lounges, flight planning areas, and meeting areas; and increasing flight training. Coming soon to Ideal’s list of new services will be aircraft charters in a twin-engined Beechcraft King Air or in a brand new Cessna Citation jet.

Macon has a background in manufacturing, but now is ready to take flight. Literally. He’s also taking flying lessons and says, “This is a great opportunity to do something I love.” Macon, 53, comes from a family with a long history of aviation in St. Louis. In the 1930s and ’40s, Macon’s family owned Von Hoffman Aircraft Corporation where airplanes were built and Major Lambert (for whom Lambert International Airport is named) was the president of the airplane factory and also Von Hoffmann Flying School. Macon’s mother herself flew back and forth to Stevens College in Columbia, Missouri, in a Stinson airplane in the 1940s.

Bill Macon and Kim Luke, Ideal Aviation Illinois office manager

Ideal Aviation Illinois held its Grand Reopening and Open House yesterday. In addition to tours of the newly-remodeled facility, there were civilian airplane and helicopter displays, including a fully-restored 1941 Waco bi-plane, airplane rides, and complimentary BBQ and refreshments. Rides were offered for a nomimal fee in the Waco bi-plane.

Ideal Aviation is located at 2500 Vector Drive; Cahokia, Illinois 62206. For more information, call Ideal at 618-337-3400.

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

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Metro will not operate trains between the Stadium MetroLink Station and the 5^th & Missouri MetroLink Station on Sunday morning to accommodate work on the overhead wires for MetroLink. MetroLink customers traveling between Missouri and Illinois should allow an extra 20 to 30 minutes for their travels Sunday morning.

Red and Blue Line passengers will be transported by bus shuttles to the stations located between the Stadium MetroLink Station and the 5^th & Missouri MetroLink Station on Sunday, April 22 from the beginning of service until noon. Stations affected are the 8^th& Pine, Convention Center, Arch-Laclede’s Landing, and East Riverfront. The platforms at these stations will be closed to customers but the shuttle buses will stop at each of these stations.  Metro will operate on a single track between the East Riverfront and the Arch-Laclede’s Landing stations from noon until the end of service Sunday night.

MetroBus shuttles will operate every 20 minutes between the Stadium and 5^th & Missouri MetroLink Stations. Metro will have extra personnel at the affected stations to assist customers.

SUNDAY MORNING SERVICE DETAILS

Red Line service will operate between the Stadium and Lambert Airport Terminal #1 MetroLink Stations, and between the 5^th & Missouri and Shiloh-Scott MetroLink Stations.  Red Line passengers planning to continue eastbound from the Stadium MetroLink Station will be instructed to get off the train and board a shuttle bus for the trip to the 5^th & Missouri MetroLink Station, where they can board a train and continue their eastbound commute.  In Illinois, Red Line customers traveling to Missouri will be instructed to exit the train at the 5^th & Missouri MetroLink Station and get on a shuttle bus that will take them to the Stadium MetroLink Station, where they can board a train and resume their westbound travels.

No Blue Line service will be provided in Illinois on Sunday morning.  Blue Line service will ONLY operate between the Shrewsbury I-44 and Central West End MetroLink Stations.  In Illinois, passengers traveling westbound to Blue Line stations will need to transfer to a shuttle bus at the 5^th & Missouri MetroLink Station to take them to the Stadium MetroLink Station, where they will board a westbound Red Line train.  Passengers will need to transfer to a westbound Blue Line train at the Central West End MetroLink Station to continue their commute to Blue Line stations.

Eastbound Blue Line passengers will need to transfer to a Red Line train at the Central West End MetroLink Station.  Eastbound trains will stop at the Stadium MetroLink Station and passengers will be instructed to board shuttle buses which will transport them to the 5^th & Missouri MetroLink Station, where they can board eastbound trains to continue their commute to all Blue Line or Red Line stations.

Blue and Red Line trains will operate on a single track between the East Riverfront and the Arch-Laclede’s Landing stations from noon until the end of service Sunday night. Passengers should expect five minute delays during the single tracking operation.

Call-A-Ride Operator Dale Dean

Metro Call-A-Ride Van Operator Dale Dean doesn’t consider himself a hero. A humble man with strong faith, he just considers himself blessed to have been there to help. But Berkeley resident Dorothy Dixon considers Dean her hero. In February, Dean was dropping off a passenger when he saw Dixon’s house on fire, and rushed to alert her and get her out of the house. Recently, Dixon got to meet Dean once again, and give a big hug to the operator who helped save her life.

On February 7 around 6 p.m., Dean was driving a Metro Call-A-Ride customer home when he saw flames coming out of the roof on home on McKibbon Road. There were lights on and a car in the garage, so he thought someone might be in the house. He ran up and banged on the door. Dixon came to door, startled. She had been napping, and the banging woke her up. She had no idea that her home was on fire.

Dean then called Metro Call-A-Ride Dispatch to alert authorities, helped Dixon move her car, and let her stay with him and his passenger, who turned out to be Dixon’s niece, in the Call-A-Ride van, safe and warm while waiting for the fire and police crews to arrive.

Metro President & CEO John Nations, presents an award for bravery to Dale Dean. Dorothy Dixon joined Metro in commending him.

Dixon wanted to see Dean again to thank him for what he did so we invited her to the Metro Board of Commissioners meeting when Dean was scheduled to receive special recognition for going above and beyond the call of duty. He did not know that Dixon would be there. Her thank you was very emotional and she hugged Dean with tears in her eyes, and asked if there was anything she could do for him. Dean answered that he had been praying to God to use him to help others, and he believes this was exactly what he asked for.

A Call-A-Ride operator for 11 years, Dean lives in Pevely, Missouri with his wife Kirstie. He says he loves driving, and in addition to being very active in his church, he enjoys camping, fishing, bike riding and Cardinals baseball.

Metro Transit is pleased to partner again this season with Forest Park Forever and its Park partners, the Saint Louis Art Museum, Missouri History Museum, Saint Louis Science Center, and Saint Louis Zoo, to bring this valuable Trolley service to the region. The Metro Forest Park Trolley will operate daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from April 16 through October 31. The service will be extended during the peak summer tourist season until 7 p.m. each night from Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day. The Trolley will take visitors to all Forest Park attractions, as well as the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station.

A one-day Trolley ticket for adults is $2 and children ages 5 to 12 ride for $1. Seniors 65 and older and disabled customers ride for $1 a day with a valid Metro Reduced Fare Permit. Children ages 4 and under ride free. Customers may purchase the trolley ticket aboard the Trolley bus and the ticket is valid for unlimited rides on a single day on this route only. That means park visitors can hop on and off the Trolley all day long with a valid ticket as they travel to the different attractions in the Park. All Metro tickets, passes and transfers will also be accepted on the route which is the #3 Forest Park Trolley. The Trolley will run every 20 minutes.

The Muny Trolley returns this summer as well. Metro Transit is partnering again with The Muny Theatre to provide Trolley services to the Muny. The Muny Trolley will operate between the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station and The Muny Theatre at 20-minute intervals from 7 p.m. to 8:42 p.m. and again from 9:22 p.m. to 11:28 p.m. on all performance evenings. The Muny performance dates are June 18 – July 1, July 5 – July 11, and July 16 – August 12.

“Our top priority at Metro Transit is to move people safely and securely,” said Metro President and CEO John Nations.

According to the TSA, “the BASE program is designed to establish a security standard for individual system security programs and assess progress. This voluntary comprehensive review of transit agency security programs focuses on multiple categories identified by the transit community as fundamentals for a sound transit security program. They include a review of topics such as an agency’s security plans, security training, drills/exercise programs, public outreach efforts and background check programs. The BASE assessment analyzes the security program for each transit system and identifies vulnerabilities that are addressed.”

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) presented Metro with its prestigious “Gold Standard” rating for demonstrating the highest level of excellence for commitment to security and passenger
safety.

Metro Transit’s Security and Safety staff members are very proud to receive this prestigious level of distinction from the TSA for having a strong security program.  “We are highly pleased by the recognition of our dedicated effort to provide safety initiatives throughout our company”, said Sheila Hockel, Manager of Emergency Preparedness.

Metro will have additional staff members on the MetroLink system tomorrow to assist baseball fans. Extra trains will be added, as needed, before and after the game.

There are also plenty of MetroBus routes in Illinois and Missouri to get fans to Downtown St. Louis for the game tomorrow including the Redbird Express. It departs from the Water Tower at St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights, Illinois, with the first Redbird Express leaving 2 1/2 hours before the game and running every 5 to 10 minutes. Tomorrow for the home opener, the Redbird Express buses will begin running at 11 a.m. More information about the Redbird Express can be found at the St. Clair County Transit District website.

We are looking forward to watching some great Cardinals baseball this season and getting you and your family and friends to the games. Go Cards!

From 7:30 a.m. until 4:30 today through Thursday, MetroLink will operate on a single track between the East Riverfront MetroLink Station and the Arch-Laclede’s Landing MetroLink Station. Blue and Red Line passengers should expect 5 minute delays during those hours.

No maintenance work is currently scheduled for Friday, Saturday or Sunday.

MetroBus shuttle service will serve passengers starting at Forest Park – DeBaliviere MetroLink Station and throughout the park on the #3 Forest Park Trolley route and schedule.  The actual Forest Park Trolley’s designated wrapped buses will roll out on April 16th. Look for the MetroBus with “SHUTTLE” in the overhead sign to use the #3 route.

#90 Hampton (2).Doc Reroute 2012 Summer

The week of April 16 we will host a series of public information sessions reviewing need for the fare increase, and we will ask for public feedback on the proposed fare increase options. Any one of the three options would allow us to meet revenue goals required to sustain and continue to enhance the transit system. Our Board of Commissioners is expected to make a final decision on passenger fares in May after a review of public comments.

2012 Fare Increase Brochure

Two of the three fare increase options presented focus on passes including the 2-hour pass/transfer, weekly and monthly passes. The proposed fare increases would create a pricing structure that more accurately reflects the utilization of these fare types. A third option involves small increases across all fares.

Our long-range plan requires a fare increase of approximately 5% every other year. This incremental growth in passenger revenue is critical for the long-range financial health of the transit system, and will prevent sudden, very large fare increases in the future.

Please review the fare increase options presented, and give your feedback in the comments below, or email us at FareIncrease2012@metrostlouis.org