Metro's odometer just rolled over.
Yesterday, it celebrated its bus service's golden anniversary by hosting an event at the Central West End Metro Bus Center.
It's been five decades since Bi-State Development Agency (renamed Metro in 2003) acquired 15 of the region's bus companies, forming the consolidated bus service we know today. The system's come a long way from 1963 (when the fare was 25 cents) to now (when the fare is $2), though there have been some significant speed bumps along the way. Today, there are plans for new transit centers downtown and in North County; fare boxes are being installed system-wide; and a vehicle-tracking project is under way that will allow riders to find out exactly when their buses will arrive.
In many ways, it's apt that the region is looking back at St. Louis' public-transit history at the same time that it's looking forward.
Last month, the city council in University City unanimously approved a conditional-use permit for the Loop Trolley, more than a decade after the idea was first conceived. In the city, the Partnership for Downtown St. Louis is examining the possibility of a multimillion-dollar streetcar system along the seven-mile stretch between downtown and the Central West End. The system could carry Saint Louis University law students, among others, across the city's spine and generate an estimated $2.1 billion over 20 years (though some are skeptical of that figure). Before the streetcar can leave the station, however, community leaders will need to figure out funding.
And beyond St. Louis, there's the prospect of high-speed rail. President Barack Obama initially touted the idea during his first term. At the time, however, Missouri planned to "spend $750 million in federal money on highways," as Bloomberg.com noted, "and none on mass transit." Then, several weeks ago, the Chicago Tribune reported that Illinois is planning to buy high-speed locomotives that could run between Chicago and St. Louis by 2015. Again, the logistics are complicated and will need to be sorted out before the trains can reach 100 miles-plus miles per hour. But the region's attitude toward public transit could be shifting.
Case in point: voters' change of heart about mass-transit taxes in recent years, as well as the fact that Metro's ridership figures are steadily rising.
The next step? Figuring out how public transit in St. Louis will reach its next mile marker. That's where the Saint Louis Rapid Transit Connector Study comes in, helping to determine Metro's long-range plans.
For those who are interested, there's an open house at St. Louis City Hall tomorrow, from 11:30 to 1:30 p.m.
You can take any of six bus routes to get there. And the St. Louis Gateway Transportation Center is right around the corner, for those who'd rather take the train.
