Metro Transit (St. Louis)

A MetroBus on Tucker Boulevard

Since 1963, Metro Transit has continuously provided bus service in the Greater St. Louis region. Metro currently operates 46 fixed bus routes in Missouri and 12 fixed bus routes in Illinois.[19] In September 2019, Metro launched Metro Reimagined, a restructuring of Missouri bus routes to add increased frequency on busy routes but discontinued six low ridership routes.[20][21] In June 2021, Metro introduced the region's first electric buses including 40-foot and 60-foot articulated models. The 60-foot articulated buses are used exclusively on the #70 Grand bus line, the region's busiest.[13]

A Blue Line MetroLink train departs the Central West End station

Since 1993, Metro Transit has operated light rail service in the Greater St. Louis region. Today, the system consists of two lines, the Red and Blue lines, with 38 stations and 46 miles (74 km) of track. It runs from St. Louis Lambert International Airport in northwest St. Louis County to Shiloh, Illinois near Scott Air Force Base in southeast St. Clair County. The Cross County extension opened in 2006 and introduced MetroLink service between Forest Park and Shrewsbury, Missouri. A 5.2-mile (8.4 km) extension of the Red Line from Shiloh-Scott to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah broke ground in 2023 and is expected to be operational by 2025.[22][23] In Missouri, Metro and local leaders are planning a line that would run between North and South St. Louis with a potential extension into North St. Louis County.[24][18]

While officially light rail, MetroLink features many characteristics of a light metro or rapid transit service,[25] including a completely independent right of way, a higher top speed, and level boarding at all platforms.[26][27]

A Metro Call-A-Ride van in 2011

Since 1987, Metro Transit's Call-A-Ride demand response service has provided alternative transportation to residents who have limited access to MetroBus or MetroLink and/or disabled residents who are unable to use those services.[28] In April 2023, in response to operator shortages, Metro announced that it would reduce its service area for Call-A-Ride, primarily in southwest and far north St. Louis County. These reductions in service have led to significant criticism for the transit agency.[29][30]

Via Metro STL is an app based, on-demand public transport service provided by Via Transportation in partnership with Metro Transit. The service launched in June 2020 and provides rides in the outer regions of St. Louis County across three service zones; North, South and West.[31][32]

The Loop Trolley on Delmar Boulevard in 2018

The Loop Trolley is a 2.2-mile (3.5 km), 10-station heritage streetcar line that runs from City Hall in University City to the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis' Forest Park. The line travels along Delmar Boulevard through the popular Delmar Loop district and DeBaliviere Avenue between Delmar and Forest Park. The trolley has stops at both the Forest Park-DeBaliviere and Delmar Loop MetroLink stations.

On February 18, 2022, Metro Transit's board voted to take over operation of the Loop Trolley after several financial setbacks and closures.[33] Metro reopened the Loop Trolley for operation on August 4, 2022.[34] On August 21, 2022, the East-West Gateway Council of Governments voted to award Metro a $1.26 million grant to operate the trolley for the next several years.[35] Currently the Loop Trolley operates on a seasonal schedule between April and October.[16]

Metro Transit operates a total of 261 vehicles for MetroBus. 237 of them are made up of 35 and 40-foot low-emission, low-floor diesel buses made by Gillig. The rest make up Metro's battery-electric fleet and include 10 40-foot Gillig low-floor buses and 14 60-foot articulated New Flyer XE60 buses. Electric buses are charged overnight at the Brentwood and DeBaliviere garages, while in-service charging is at the North Broadway Transit Center.[13][19][36]

In addition to its bus fleet, Metro also operates 123 Call-A-Ride vans.[19]

An SD-400 train set with the old livery

At its largest, Metro Transit operated a fleet of 87 Siemens light rail vehicles for MetroLink, including 31 SD-400 cars and 56 SD-460 cars.[37] As of 2023, Metro operated a total of 75 light rail vehicles.[19] Of the original 31 SD-400 cars, only 25 remain in service and two SD-460 cars were destroyed in a July 2022 flash flood.[38][39] Metro services trains at its Ewing and 29th Street rail yards.

In May 2023, Metro received a $196.2 million federal grant to purchase up to 48 Siemens S200 light rail vehicles to replace the remaining 25 SD-400 cars.[40][41] Meanwhile, Metro is refurbishing the remaining SD-460 cars for continued use. Delivery of the new vehicles is expected to begin in 2026.[42]

Metro currently operates three vehicles for the Loop Trolley. Two Gomaco-built Brill-replica streetcars that came from Portland, Oregon and one ex-Melbourne, Australia, W2-type streetcar that had been in use in Seattle.[43][44]

Metro Transit has a similar livery across all of its services except its battery-electric buses and the Loop Trolley. In 2019, Metro began phasing in a new livery for its vehicles.[45] Previously, MetroLink vehicles had a white base with a red stripe running horizontally beneath the windows that turned into a dashed blue stripe near each operator cab. The front included Metro's "M" logo centered between vertical blue, red, and white lines. MetroBus and Metro Call-A-Ride were similar, except the red stripe continued around the rear of the vehicles.

A MetroLink train with the new livery

The new livery is made up of a blue base with white accents. On MetroLink, the stripe was moved further below the windows so the word "metro" could be inlaid within it and the tops of the cars were painted black. Metro Call-A-Ride uses this same design. MetroBus includes two large white circles on either side of the bus. The horizontal stripe has been eliminated, save for a small portion on either side of the word "metro." All three services retained Metro's "M" logo on the front of their vehicles.[45]

Metro's battery-electric buses are a shade of lime green on the front and rear with shades of blue in the center accented by a green leaf pattern. A white stripe runs horizontally near the base with the word "metro" and an image of a power plug inlaid within it. This livery is part of a partnership with Ameren Missouri.[46]

In 2024, Metro Transit will begin adding turnstiles at all MetroLink stations as part of its $52 million Secure Platform Plan (SPP). Stations will also receive a new fare collection system, additional fencing, passenger assist telephones, and cameras monitored from a new real-time camera center.[48]

The SPP will be implemented in six phases of four to eight stations apiece. The first two phases are slated for completion in 2024 and the rest in 2025. The first phase covers four Illinois stations; the second, seven Missouri stations.[48] On September 26, 2023, Millstone Weber LLC was awarded a $6.4 million contract for the first phase with completion expected in spring 2024.[49]

In 2019, the St. Clair County Transit District was awarded $96 million in Illinois infrastructure funding to build a 5.2-mile (8.4 km) extension of the Red Line from Shiloh-Scott to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport in Mascoutah.[56] This extension will include two 2.6-mile (4.2 km) segments, a double-track and a single-track segment, along with a passenger station at the end of the alignment at the airport.[57] Design work was completed in the summer of 2022 and a request for proposals was released that November. Construction on the expansion is expected to begin in 2023 with Metro beginning operations in 2025.[58][59]

In 2023, Metro began a system-wide rehabilitation program that will last up to two years.[60] That spring, Metro began rehabilitating the downtown subway tunnels, including the Laclede's Landing, Convention Center and 8th & Pine subway stations.[61] Elsewhere, curve tracks, catenary wire, system conduit, staircases and retaining walls are to be upgraded or replaced.[62] Three stations are to receive platform rehabilitations:  Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, Rock Road and Wellston.[62]

Beginning in 2024, Metro will start rehabilitating the Union Station tunnel in addition to the Cross County tunnels and stations between Forsyth and Skinker. The latter will include the construction of a storage siding near the Richmond Heights station.[62] In 2024, Metro expects to complete upgrades to the Supervisory Control Automated Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Public Address/Customer Information (PA/CIS) systems. The upgraded SCADA/PA/CIS will operate as an integrated system that monitors and controls operations and will allow Metro to provide real-time arrival information to passengers, such as live displays at stations.[62]

Northside/Southside - St. Louis City

• This 5.6-mile (9.0 km) expansion would serve approximately 14 stations between Chippewa Street in South St. Louis and Grand Boulevard in North St. Louis running primarily on Jefferson Avenue. Proposed frequency is 10 to 20 minutes operating between 5 a.m. and 1 a.m., 7 days a week. It would provide a fixed rail upgrade to Metro's high-volume #11 (Chippewa) and #4 (Natural Bridge) bus routes.[63] On September 22nd, 2023, Bi-State Development's board recommended for approval a 4-year, $18.9 million contract with the joint venture Northside-Southside Transit Partners to provide consulting services for the design phase of the project.[64]

St. Louis County Connector

• This extension would be a Phase II to Northside/Southside and continue from the North Grand station along Natural Bridge Avenue toward North St. Louis County. Higher-volume bus stops further west along Metro's #4 bus route support further expansion into North County.[65] In February 2023, Metro announced four routes for consideration with an LPA expected to be selected in the fall of 2023.[66]

The North-South corridor will not feature the rapid transit like characteristics of the Red and Blue lines but will be similar to other on-street light rail lines in the US, such as Houston or Phoenix, and would be separate from the rest of the system.[67] Because of this, an infill station to facilitate transfers will be constructed on the Red and Blue Lines where they intersect with the new Jefferson Avenue alignment.[68]

Moving Transit Forward identified six potential MetroLink extensions as part of its long range plan: North-South, Clayton to Westport, MetroSouth, MetroNorth, Madison County and St. Charles County.[71] None ever moved passed the study phase due to several factors including funding, ridership potential, and community support.[72][73][74]

Moving Transit Forward also identified five potential bus rapid transit lines. Four would have been freeway running lines between downtown St. Louis and its suburbs: I-44 to Eureka, I-64 to Chesterfield, I-55 to South County and I-70 to St. Charles County. A fifth line would have ran along Grand Boulevard in St. Louis.[71]

Initially, two long-distance commuter rail lines were proposed as part of Moving Transit Forward. Both lines would have run from the Gateway Transportation Center in downtown St. Louis to Alton, Illinois and the Pacific, Missouri area.[71] Both routes carry existing Amtrak service, however, neither route has been studied for local commuter rail service.