Troy: During the shut down of the King Bridge, it seems that the majority of the conjestion was isolated on the east side. Wouldn't this lead you to believe that 2 westbound lanes should have been provided along with 1 eastbound? I haven't heard anyone discuss backups on the eastbound approaches or downtown. Was there any consideration by IDOT to run a test period to see what actually happens by restricting the lanes in each direction as opposed to trusting a traffic model which appears to be flawed? I guess it is too late now, with the barrier already in place. I just worry about the potential backlash for IDOT.

Ray Friem: Sounds like you're asking a question of our MoDOT friends that will be live at 2pm. I'm sure they can help you with your question.

oscarsmom: Watching the construction while walking in Forest Park, I note the tilt of the lights in the central median to be about 20-25 degrees off parallel to the roadbed. I can stand over a block away from the highway and see that I�ll still be well lit by them. Why, oh why are you increasing extraneous light pollution away from the road you�re supposed to be lighting? Why aren�t the lights parallel to the roadbed, or shielded with reflectors to down where they�ll do the most good? This is going to be especially onerous on those nights when the Science Center tries to have star parties; you won�t be able to see anything in the sky when faced with thousands of watts of light spill that needn�t be there. The Center purposely put lighting on its own property that shines DOWN, and does not create unnecessary spill. Why can�t you do that? A D- on light planning.

Ray Friem: MoDOT will be with you in a couple of hours and can help with that.

Chrissy: Hi to you both - I am a driver who commutes from IL to Midtown each day. I am completely confused as to why the King Bridge is now going to be one lane going WEST and two going EAST. Anyone can tell that the traffic problem comes with commuting INTO St. Louis in the mornings. So WHY wouldn't those folks in charge make the King bridge a 3-lane bridge, with the middle lane being a REVERSIBLE lane that can be switched from Westbound in the morning to Eastbound in the afternoon?? This is really insanity and it needs to be fixed!

Ray Friem: We've checked in with our friends at MoDOT to tell them they have some questions already on line. Expect to hear from them at 2pm.

Pujols: How likely is it that MetroLink will have another expansion in the next 10 years? And where?

Ray Friem: Thanks for the question. The process that would lead to St. Louis having an extension to it's rail line could happen in the next ten to 15 years. Where the extension would go is yet to determined. The first factor is the availabilty of federal funds for construction. The Federal government make decisions based on population, ridership potential, future development, local economic capacity to match their contributions, and local capacity to operate the system using local funds. You may find it intersting to know that 15 years ago there were about 8 cities competing with St. Louis for federal funds to start new rail projects. Now the region is in competition with hundreds of communities that want to start what we already have and what we would like to expand. Part of decision process also will include what you as the public prefer. You may have heard or read about a Transit Planning process that is now underway. Check in at MovingTransitForward.org to see how you can be part of deciding the future of transit.

Marie: When the General Assembly gave Metro money for Transit how come you were not able to re-instate the Gravois bus line?

Ray Friem: There were enhancements made to the Gravois line using the State funding. The State funding is paying for added frequency on the line, and we were able to reinstate service as far as Gravois Bluffs -- the portion of the line with greatest ridership. The $12 million State appropriation helped restore more than one-third of what we were forced to cut in March of this year. We have needed to be really creative in how we spread those funds to maximize job access and serve as many in the community as possible.