Metro Transit is an enterprise of Bi-State Development, an

interstate compact The Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways, commonly known as the Interstate Highway System, is a network of controlled-access highways that forms part of the National Highway System in the United States. T ...

formed by

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

and

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

in 1949. Its operating budget in 2016 was $280 million, which is funded by sales taxes from the

City of St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

and St. Louis County, the St. Clair County Illinois Transit District, federal and state grants and subsidies, and through fare paying passengers.Agency Overview
In , the system had a ridership of , or about per weekday as of .

System

Metro owns and operates the

St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

Metropolitan region's

public transportation Public transport (also known as public transportation, public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) is a system of transport for passengers by group travel systems available for use by the general public unlike private transport, typical ...

system, which includes MetroLink, the region's light rail system; MetroBus, the region's bus system;

Metro Call-A-Ride Metro Call-A-Ride is the paratransit service provided for people who are elderly and/or disabled in the city of St. Louis St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and ...

, the region's

paratransit Paratransit is the term used in North America, also known by other names such as community transport ( UK) for transportation services that supplement fixed-route mass transit by providing individualized rides without fixed routes or timetables. ...

system. Bi-State Development also owns and operates St. Louis Downtown Airport (formerly Parks) and the adjoining industrial business park, paddlewheel-style river excursion boats, and the tram system leading to the top of the

Gateway Arch The Gateway Arch is a monument in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Clad in stainless steel and built in the form of a weighted catenary arch, it is the world's tallest arch and Missouri's tallest accessible building. Some sources conside ...

. Metro has more than 2,400 employees and carries over 55 million passengers each year.

History

Bi-State Development (Bi-State) was established on September 20, 1949, by an interstate compact which was approved by the United States Congress and signed by President Harry S. Truman on August 31, 1950. This compact created an organization that has broad powers in seven county-level jurisdictions (St. Louis City, St. Louis, St. Charles and Jefferson Counties in Missouri and St. Clair, Madison and Monroe Counties in Illinois), giving Bi-State Development the ability to plan, construct, maintain, own and operate bridges, tunnels, airports and terminal facilities, plan and establish policies for sewage and drainage facilities and other public projects, and issue bonds and exercise such additional powers as conferred upon it by the legislatures of both states. Funding is received from local, state and federal sources through grant, contract and sales tax revenue. Bi-State does not have taxing authority but is authorized to collect fees from the operation of its facilities. Today, Bi-State is organized as one parent organization with several business operating units including St. Louis Downtown Airport, Gateway Arch Riverfront, Metro, Bi-State Development Research Institute, Arts In Transit, Inc., and St. Louis Regional Freightway. Bi-State Development also has three self insurance funds (Health, Casualty and Workers’ Compensation) that support operations and operates Arts in Transit, Inc. a 501(c)(3) organization that ensures the integration of local art and design in the region's transit system. Metro was founded in 1963 when Bi-State Development purchased and consolidated 15 privately owned transit operations by using a $26.5 million bond issue to sustain efficient and reliable bus service in the region. Today, Bi-State provides three modes of public transportation services in the St. Louis region: MetroBus, bus operations; MetroLink, light rail operations; and Metro Call-A-Ride, paratransit operations. The MetroBus fleet consists of approximately 400 vehicles operating on 77 MetroBus routes. The MetroLink light rail system has 46 miles of track, 37 stations and 21 Park and Ride lots. The Metro Call-A-Ride fleet has 120 vans which primarily provide curb-to-curb van service for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) eligible customers. In addition, Arts in Transit, Inc. facilitates public art programs and community engagement projects. Bi-State Development expanded into light rail transportation in July 1993. The original 17-mile corridor was constructed between Lambert International Airport in Missouri and Fifth and Missouri Streets in East St. Louis, Illinois. MetroLink doubled in length with the 2001 expansion to Southwestern Illinois College in Illinois and the 2003 expansion to Shiloh, Illinois, home of Scott Air Force Base. The most recent light rail expansion occurred in August 2006 when the Cross County extension was completed. This expansion added another eight miles on the Blue Line through Clayton south to Shrewsbury, Missouri. In 1987, Metro Call-A-Ride began demand response service to fill a need for alternative transportation service to customers with physical or cognitive disabilities who are unable to independently use regular fixed route bus or light rail service. Bi-State has created programs to educate and certify all paratransit users. Bi-State Development also spearheaded the regional Transportation Management Association (TMA), which consists of private for-profit and non-profit transportation providers working together to provide regional paratransit services. , the East-West Gateway Council of Government, the region's metropolitan planning organization, is involved in consideration of several MetroLink expansion options for the future, with recently completed projects such as the North County Transit Center, the Civic Center Transit Center expansion, and an

In-fill station An infill station (sometimes in-fill station) is a train station built on an existing passenger rail, rapid transit, or light rail line to address demand in a location between existing stations. Such stations take advantage of existing train serv ...

MetroLink station at the Cortex Innovation Community, which opened in 2018.

Governance

Bi-State Development was established on September 20, 1949, by an interstate compact passed by the state legislatures of Illinois and Missouri and approved by both governors. The compact was approved by the U. S. Congress and signed by President Harry S. Truman on August 31, 1950. A 10-member Board of Commissioners sets policy and direction for the organization. The governor of Missouri appoints five commissioners and the County Boards of St. Clair and Madison Counties in Illinois appoint five commissioners. All commissioners must be resident voters of their respective state and must reside within the Bi-State Metropolitan District. Each term is for five years and each serves without compensation.

Missouri commissioners

* Rose Windmiller – Chair * Vernal Brown – Secretary * Nate K. Johnson – Commissioner * Fred P. Pestello – Commissioner * Sam Gladney – Commissioner

Illinois commissioners

* Justin Zimmerman – Vice Chair * Herbert Simmons – Treasurer * Irma Golliday – Commissioner * Derrick Cox – Commissioner * Terry Beach – Commissioner

Funding

Collectively, St. Louis County and

St. Louis City St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...

(St. Louis City is an independent city not associated with St. Louis County) contribute 1% in sales tax to Metro, while St. Clair County in Illinois contributes 3/4% in sales tax to Metro.

Transit services

MetroBus

Since 1963, Bi-State Development has continuously provided bus service in the Greater St. Louis Region. BSD currently operates 57 fixed bus routes in Missouri and 20 fixed bus routes in Illinois. Additional special bus service is offered in Illinois for all St. Louis Cardinals home baseball games and the Muny Opera. Bus services on the Illinois side of the river are supplemented by

Madison County Transit Madison County Transit, or MCT for short, is a bus and bike trail transportation system that serves the citizens of Madison County, which is located in Illinois approximately northeast of St. Louis. It was created in 1980 by the Madison County ...

. In September 2019, Bi-State development restructured all Missouri MetroBus routes in the Metro Reimagined project for increased frequency on central services, but faced local criticism for cutting services.

MetroLink

Since 1993, Bi-State Development has provided Light rail service in the Greater St. Louis Region. The MetroLink system covers 38 miles from Lambert International Airport in Missouri to Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. In addition the Cross County extension, which opened in 2006, covers 8 miles from Forest Park south to Shrewsbury, Missouri. The overall alignment serves St. Louis County, the City of St. Louis in Missouri and St. Clair County in Illinois. The system has no road-running sections, differing itself from modern Streetcar systems. The system currently consists of two lines, Red Line and Blue Line which runs through

Downtown St. Louis Downtown St. Louis is the central business district of St. Louis, Missouri, the hub of tourism and entertainment, and the anchor of the St. Louis metropolitan area. The downtown is bounded by Cole Street to the north, the river front to the ea ...

with 73.3 kilometers (46 miles) of track. The system features 38 stations and carries an average of 67,684 people each weekday (FY 2007).

Metro Call-A-Ride

Since FY 1987, Call-A-Ride has provided alternative transportation to residents who have limited access to MetroBus or MetroLink service and/or disabled residents who are unable to use these services. Another important function of the Call-A-Ride organization is scheduling and dispatching paratransit vehicles operated by other members of the Transportation Management Association which coordinates paratransit operations in eastern Missouri. These programs are designed to ensure Bi-State Development meets the federal mandate of full ADA compliance.

Security

Security for the Metro System is provided by uniformed police officers and uniformed security officers. Other security features include lights at stations and cars, closed-circuit television monitoring, emergency telephones, police patrols of rail cars and stations, security guards at park-ride lots, and radio communication between vehicle operators and MetroBus and MetroLink Central Control.

Plans

"Moving Transit Forward" is a long-range planning process that will create a thirty-year transit plan for the St. Louis region. The Moving Transit Forward is made up of group of people who bring a broad range of transit experience and perspectives to the planning process. It is headed by Metro's CEO John Nations, COO Ray Friem, Senior Vice President of Engineering & New Systems Development Christopher C. Poehler, and Chief of Planning & System Development Jessica Mefford-Miller. This plan will consist of focusing on service expansion and create jobs for its citizens. It will consists on planning potential MetroLink expansion, considering flex transit, enhance express bus services, developing express bus corridors into

bus rapid transit Bus rapid transit (BRT), also called a busway or transitway, is a bus-based public transport system designed to have much more capacity, reliability and other quality features than a conventional bus system. Typically, a BRT system includes ...

(BRT) lines, and creating high speed

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...

lines. Metro is working with

and

St. Clair County Transit District The St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) is a transit district that serves fifteen townships in northern St. Clair County, Illinois. Created in 1981 under the authority of the Illinois Mass Transit District Act, it levies a half-cent sales ta ...

in Illinois about this plan. Metro is also educating the public about how the system is funded.

MetroLink Expansion

Light rail has been the most favorable transportation in the Greater St. Louis region. According to Metro, there are over 80 miles of corridors being studied for analysis:

Daniel Boone Corridor MetroLink is the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan mass transit system serving Missouri and the Metro East area of Illinois. The system consists of two rail lines (Red Line and Blue Line) connecting St. Louis Lambert International Airport and Shre ...

MetroNorth Corridor MetroLink is the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan mass transit system serving Missouri and the Metro East area of Illinois. The system consists of two rail lines (Red Line and Blue Line) connecting St. Louis Lambert International Airport and Shre ...

MetroSouth Corridor MetroLink is the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan mass transit system serving Missouri and the Metro East area of Illinois. The system consists of two rail lines (Red Line and Blue Line) connecting St. Louis Lambert International Airport and Shr ...

NorthSide Corridor MetroLink is the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan mass transit system serving Missouri and the Metro East area of Illinois. The system consists of two rail lines (Red Line and Blue Line) connecting St. Louis Lambert International Airport and Shre ...

SouthSide Corridor MetroLink is the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan mass transit system serving Missouri and the Metro East area of Illinois. The system consists of two rail lines (Red Line and Blue Line) connecting St. Louis Lambert International Airport and Shre ...

NorthWest Connector MetroLink is the Greater St. Louis Metropolitan mass transit system serving Missouri and the Metro East area of Illinois. The system consists of two rail lines (Red Line and Blue Line) connecting St. Louis Lambert International Airport and Shre ...

, and MidAmerica Extension. Some are considered potential future corridors; St. Charles Corridor, SouthWest Corridor, and two Madison County Corridors.

Bus rapid transit

Bus rapid transit has been also a favorable option for St. Louis. Metro will consider bus rapid transit to be highway based on

I-64 Interstate 64 (I-64) is an east–west Interstate Highway in the Eastern United States. Its western terminus is at I-70, U.S. Route 40 (US 40), and US 61 in Wentzville, Missouri. Its eastern terminus is at an interchange w ...

I-44 Interstate 44 (I-44) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. Although it is nominally an east–west road as it is even-numbered, it follows a more southwest–northeast alignment. Its western terminus is in Wichita Fa ...

I-55 Interstate 55 (I-55) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The h ...

I-70 Interstate 70 (I-70) is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the United States that runs from I-15 near Cove Fort, Utah, to a park and ride lot just east of I-695 in Baltimore, Maryland, and is the fifth-longest Interstate in the co ...

, or major arterials such as Grand Boulevard, North County, and Kingshighway Blvd. A

NABI Nabi may refer to: People * Adil Nabi (born 1994), English footballer *Heiki Nabi (born 1985), Estonian wrestler *Isadore Nabi, satirical pseudonym of Richard Levins and Richard Lewontin, scientists in the 1960s *Mohammad Nabi (born 1985), Afghan ...

BRT BRT may refer to: Transportation * Block register territory, a method for dispatching trains * British Rail Telecommunications * Brookhaven Rail Terminal * Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, a former transit holding company in New York City * Bro ...

bus was tested for nine days between late October and late November 2008.

Commuter rail

According to studies, the routes may run from Downtown St. Louis to Alton, Illinois, Festus, and Pacific, Missouri. There are 80 miles of routes being considered. Commuter rail lines were in Metro's plans in 1994 when voters approved a one-fourth cent transit sale tax, but officials dropped them later because the cost was not worth the benefit and the fare would be expensive.

Urban bus

Some MetroBus routes are being analysed with the thirty-year plan. It may require a new fleet of metro buses. In late September 2008, an

Alexander Dennis Enviro500 The Alexander Dennis Enviro500 (previously known as the TransBus Enviro500) is a three-axle double-decker bus built by Alexander Dennis (formerly by TransBus) in the United Kingdom. It was unveiled in 2002 and is one of the Enviro-series bus mod ...

bus was tested for nine days.

Flex routes

There are plans to include flexible transport routes as part of the Metro Reimagined bus overhaul to service routes which were recently eliminated, with Director Mefford-Miller predicting implementation in late 2020 to 2021.

References

External links

Metro
– Official website for the Bi-State Development Agency
NextStop STL, Official blog for MetroMoving Transit Forward website
– Official transit planning study
Citizens for Modern Transit
– St. Louis transit advocacy group
Arts in Transit WebsiteState of Agency Final Report 2010Tracking Progress Website
{{Authority control 1949 establishments in the United States United States interstate agencies Transportation in Illinois Public transportation in Greater St. Louis Public transportation in St. Louis Public transportation in St. Louis County, Missouri MetroLink (St. Louis) MetroBus (St. Louis) Metro Call-A-Ride Light rail in Illinois Light rail in Missouri Bus rapid transit in Illinois Bus rapid transit in Missouri Intermodal transportation authorities in Illinois Intermodal transportation authorities in Missouri Paratransit services in the United States Passenger rail transportation in Missouri Passenger rail transportation in Illinois Bus transportation in Missouri Bus transportation in Illinois Missouri law Illinois law 1949 establishments in Missouri