With Metro suffering voting setbacks in St. Charles County and now St. Louis County, maybe people in St. Louis City should start exploring ways to extend rail service within the city limits?
If routes travelled twin loops through main corridors north, south and central, we could get every city resident within a mile or so of a train stop. Everyone could be within walking distance, connecting all parts of the city.
Are there other places in the US with recently installed light rail systems that primarily focus on serving the urban core of the region? I don't know. What I do know is that as a convert to riding light rail, I'd sure like a system that could get me all over town.
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I'm all for that...except for the obvious airport connection- the expansion to shrewsberry I thought was troubling. Some guy in the county can take metrolink into the city, but a guy who lives in south city can't. Metro should serve the city first.
I agree. If the city can build a new line(s) to its borders, I think the county will follow suit eventually. I would love the see both a north and south Metro line, as well as neighborhood (possibliy privately funded) street cars.
So, how do you fast-track the North/South Metrolink line, e.g. along Broadway or Jefferson? East-West Gateway says there are 90,000 households who lack either a personal vehicle or even access to public transit. That is large enough of a voting block to turn next year's mayorial election.
Failing a new Metro line, what about more rapid bus routes? That is, express buses that only stop every couple miles or so. The current city bus service is effective, but maddeningly slow when you're commuting to work. Really, who wants to spend 3 hours of every day in a bus?
Furthermore, these express buses could use the same radio devices that firetrucks and ambulances use to change lights when then approach an intersection. Motorists would, of course, never approve of such a scheme, were it put to the ballot, but seriously, so what?
Stop letting people who own cars wield so much power over our cityscape.
and since we already passed our part of the tax increase, I say we use it to our own benefit. brilliant idea, Rick!
wouldn't give Metro another nickel as many millions they wasted in the recent past...
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