End of the line for free MetroLink rides
ST. LOUIS
No more.
Turner, who lives in St. Louis County and works at the Wainwright Building in downtown St. Louis, was surprised to learn that starting Thursday Metro will no longer offer the free light-rail service between Laclede’s Landing and Union Station.
The transit agency began offering the weekday freebie between shortly after MetroLink opened in 1993. But hours for the free downtown rides were later scaled back to 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. In recent years, the transit agency has not really publicized the free service, which quietly ended this afternoon.
“I will walk from where I’m at to here, which is not a bad walk for me considering the location,” Turner said today while boarding MetroLink at Union Station. Turner, it turns out, was one of the last to use the free service.
Metro couldn’t justify giving free rides to tourists and downtown workers at a time when the agency is raising fares and slashing service elsewhere. The price of one-way fares and passes also goes up Thursday.
St. Louis County voters dealt the latest blow to the financially ailing transit agency when they defeated a half-cent transit sales tax in November.
Todd Plesko, Metro’s chief of planning, added that MetroLink trains will run less frequently beginning March 30. Where trains run every 7 1/2 minutes during lunchtime, the frequency will fall to one train every 20 minutes when service is reduced.
Downtown business groups lobbied to preserve the free rides during a series of public hearings last year. Metro considered charging $1 for the midday downtown train service, but ultimately decided to do away with it.
Metro initially received financial assistance from a downtown business association to offer the free rides, but the subsidy evaporated after a couple of years. Metro estimates 114,000 people a year ride MetroLink for free in downtown St. Louis.
Turner said he sees a lot of other downtown workers riding the trains during the week in downtown St. Louis. But some downtown workers said Wednesday that they didn’t know the free rides were even an option anymore.
Frequent MetroLink rider Amanda Boyce of University City said she buys a monthly Metro pass, but rides for free at lunchtime with co-workers at an architectural firm near Union Station.
“I think it’s kind of goofy because the trains are running anyway,” Boyce said today before boarding a train. “If anything it’s good to show them how easy it is to use it.”
Let’s see…they were giving free rides…they were running out of money. I sense a connection there.
“”“I think it’s kind of goofy because the trains are running anyway,” Boyce said today before boarding a train. “If anything it’s good to show them how easy it is to use it.””"
So if the Cardinals aren’t sold out you can go for free?
If a Southwest plane is flying it should be free?
It looks like there is $114,000 right there….
As far as a county tax increase, They raised our tax rates because the houses went up in value, The market crashed so they will lower the rates when?? You add a Metro link tax and it goes away when?? If it is only
a little bit of money then let the whiners chip in mine. After all they keep telling me it isn’t that much right????
Quiet a pic there & now that’s some rear !!
I wonder if this will keep the gangs that have been riding for free off the trains now…
> I wonder if this will keep the gangs that have been riding for
> free off the trains now…
Nah, they were boarding outside the free ride zone to begin with.
This is a good step in the right direction. Now they need to close the legal loophole that allows kids under 18 to ride free. While they are supposed to pay, there is no legal remedy according to state law to prosecute them if they don’t have a ticket. Since this is well known, only a chump would buy a ticket if they are under 18. The real answer is turnstiles. I will not support any tax increase until turnstiles are installed.
No body rides for FREE. I do not care if they are 5 years old. Buy a damn ticket and pay your fare. I mean 2 and over at the ballgame have to buy a ticket. If you cannot afford it. WALK. Screw the gangs. Just a bunch of punks who need a hole blown through their a s s.
Deal with them like we do in the county. Shoot em and ask questions later.
How many people buy tickets when they leave a baseball game or a concert? Not many I bet.
I know that MetroLink is hurting for money, but it seems like a bad time to stop the free lunchtime rides. With Hwy 40 shut down, St. Louis City restaurants will suffer from fewer county dinner customers. Losing some of their lunchtime revenue too could really hurt them; maybe make them shut down. This change should have waited until next year when the highway opens back up.
Strange metro hurting so bad for cash.
Fuel prices down. Oops, poor management. I knew there was a reason.