Judy Staroscik: If the County Metro Referendum fails in November, will Metro have to cut service, and if so, when would the cuts take place?

Todd Plesko: Judy: Metro's budget is projected to be $227 million in the budget year beginning July 1, 2009. Appoximately $48 - to $50 million of these expenses are paid by the transit patrons through fares. St. Clair County Transit, with funding from the State of Illinois, pays for 100% of all of Metro's expanses within the State of Illinois. Missouri service is supported by funds provided by the City of St.Louis and St. Louis County. Just over $1 million is provided by the State of Missouri. The revenues provided by St. Louis County and St. Louis City will not offset the deficit next year. In 1997 St.Louis County and St. Louis City attempted to pass a referendum to fund the unfunded portion of the Metrobus, Call a Ride and Metrolink services. This referendum failed in St. Louis County. Since that time Metro has funded its budget by diverting federal capital funds, fare increases, service cuts, and increases in funding from the County's 1/2 Transportation fund. Metro also obtained special funding to support the startup of the new Shrewsbury alignment and to mitigate the cost impact of the I-64 Closure in 2006 through 2009. Unfortunately, these funds were temporary. Should our Missouri funding partners be unable to provide new funding equal to the projected deficit, Metro will cut service on Metrobus, Metrolink and Call a Ride in the Spring of 2009. The projected level of cut will eventually eliminate approximately 33 % of Missouri transit service.

ErikA: Why don't you use a barrier system or turnstiles on Metrolink to make sure everyone is paying the fare? Los Angeles and Vancouver are both proof of payment systems that are switching to barriers because of perceived fare evasion?

Todd Plesko: ErikA: Great question. It's one that is raised by many customers. First, nearly all of the modern light rail systems use a proof of payment or "honor system" rather than subway-like turnstyles. Proof of payment systems require that Metro check that patrons have a valid ticket either while boarding at a station or by a roving fare enforcement officer on the train. If done effectively, this proof of payment system insures that most patrons will pay a fare. Those patrons who do not run the risk of a ticket and court appearance that could cost $80 or more. In Minneapolis the fine is over $100.

Barrier systems require that patrons use a ticket or token to enter a station. Without a fare, the gate will not open. However, even in barrier systems, passengers check but jumping the barriers when there is no one to watch the barriers. Consequently most barriers systems require similar security staffing at stations to insure that gate jumpers don't climb over the barrier. Barrier systems also have a cost to maintain the barriers. Finally there is a significant capital cost to constructing barriers entrances and exits for each station. In LA the cost will be $41 million and there will be over a $ million annual cost to repairing the barriers. If the cost of the fares collected exceeds the cost of installing and repairing barriers, then it probably makes sense to have a barrier system. Most modern light rail systems have found that the cost of a barrier system exceeds the revenue gains. Metro periodically does a special fare check to measure evasion and has found that the percentage is quite low. We believe that the cost of adding barriers and maintaining them will exceed the new revenue gained.

ErikA: As a full time bicycle commuter, I often am afraid my bus's bike rack will be full when it pulls up. What options are there for additional bicycle loading on Metro buses in the front or rear of the bus?

Todd Plesko: EriKA: I am also daily a bike-to bus- to rail commuter. One of my biggest fears is that I will have the third bike seeking to use one of the two bike locations on the front of the Missouri and Madison County Transit buses. (Metro's buses in St. Clair County do not have bike racks.) While its never happened yet to me, the only option I have if both bike locations are full on a bus is to wait for the next bus. My bus route operates every 10 minutes in the peak hours, so its not a long wait. However, if the route operates only twice an hour or less, your going to have to start pedaling.

J.Edwin: Why should I, who does not use Metro services at all, support more taxes for something I don't use?

Todd Plesko: J. Edwin: While there are lots of benefits, here are a few. Public transit takes cars off the roads. In many cases, its not necessary have transit take a huge percentage off the road to result in good traffic flow. We believe that Metro has been a significant portion of the reason that we have not yet had grid lock due to the closure of I-64. Over 1,000 person per hour are boarding or disembarking from Metrobuses and trains at the Central West End Station in the rush hour(Barnes Hospital and Wash U Medical). Can you image the traffic on Kingshighway and Forest Park if these thousands were all driving a car?

Here's another reason. Do you ever go to the Cardinal games or to a hospital or have a loved one at a nursing home? Do you go out to eat or to shop at one of the huge shopping malls or discount stores. If you do, chances are that you were waited on, cared for or cleaned up after by someone going to and from their job by transit? Many of these people don't have easy access to an automobile or may even have a disability preventing them from driving. To properly staff today's service industry as an employer, you need access to the largest pool of employees. Metro help today's businesses access the largest workers. Without transit, many of these businesses would struggle to provide the services you are used to.

Suppose you are a business owner and never use transit. Transit helps local citizens save money to spend going to the movies, going out to eat, paying rent. In fact, with the soaring price of gasoline and diesel, its on the few things most residents can do to save money. These extra dollars, saved by transit, help keep our local economic moving. Employees using transit are estimated to have an annual payroll of $2 billion in Missouri alone. By helping employees save money and stay employed, it benefits everyone in St.Louis.

St.Louis has spent over $1.8 billion on transit infrastructure including Metrolink in the past 15 years. However, nearly $7 billion in additional investments have been constructed adjacent to Metrolink Stations in the same time period and that number is growing. I have read about nearly $1 billion in new investments planned adjacent to new Metrolink stations in the past six months. These investments will increase property values, add jobs, and save energy in the future for St.Louis.

One more economic benefit to consider. St. Louis has over 300 special events and conventions per year in our downtown area. Our unique Metrolink connecting Lambert Airport to downtown, to Illinois and to Clayton help the region compete in the cutthroat national competition for conventions. Metro helped bring the Final Four. Metrolink helps make it easy for visitors to stay in hotels throughout the region to attend Cardinal, Rams, Blues or the conventions using the Jones Dome. These events bring in millions of dollars to the St.Louis region supporting all of our businesses and governments. Without a transit system like Metro operates today, we would not get all that business.

County Res.: I know these are trying times, but how is Metro to serve the riding public if the service schedules are changed, like what, every 3 months? I see alot of empty buses except in the morning and evenings. How can Metro provide good service for my tax dollar if the buses aren't going where the riders are? What is Metro doing to encourage ridership from those who don't NEED to ride the the bus or train? I know that a clean, comfortable ride, with maybe a place for me to plug in my laptop would help. I ride an express from time to time, why is it that they do not have adhere to the same schedule as a regular bus? I have missed my bus several times as my stop is on the way in. Other days I have had to wait for it. I have talked to several drivers that drive regular routes, and they tell me they have to be on time, never early, and have to report why they are more then 5 minutes behind schedule. I have been seeing a display near the driver on some buses. If it is to help the drivers stay on time, why do the drivers complain to me that it is wrong sometimes? How does it help them? Most of them that I have talked to don't seem understand it very well. If you look at traffic, I-44, Highway 40, and I-55 are terrible. When do you think that places like Chesterfield valley, St. Charles, and Arnold will see MetroLink, or at least better bus service so more riders can depend on getting to work "ON TIME". I know I would ride it everyday if I could "DEPEND" on it.

Todd Plesko: Thanks County Resident. You have asked excellent questions which I will try to answer. Metro does not have to change schedules every 90 days, but Metro's labor agreement permits bus operators to select their driving assignment every 90 days based upon seniority. Thus if Metro needs to modify a schedule, the ideal time is when one of these driver changes takes place. We change schedules based upon customer feedback, driver feedback, highway closures, and to resolve problems with on time performance. For example, on August 25, 2008, Metro will issue new timetables for 10 bus routes. We will not change over 70 bus routes or Metrolink. The August changes going into effect are primarily to address overloads on some express buses, I-64 road closures, and problems with too much or too little running time.

Metro does not intend to operate any trips that don't carry people. In fact we evaluate every route based upon boardings. County passengers often point out that buses arriving in the county have very few passengers near the end of the line. There are also trips during midday or in the evening that have fewer passengers in the county. But when you monitor the ridership over the entire length of the trip, there quite a few passegers. Let me give an example. The 57 Manchester runs from downtown St. Louis to Wildwood. A typical trip may have 30 to 40 boardings during the off peak hours. However, since people are getting on and off over the 25 miles of the route, the maximum persons on board may not exceed 10 passengers. When we find routes that carry very few passengers, we will eliminate the service and reallocate to other areas needing service.

Express service drivers are required to hold to their scheduled times inbound toward downtown before they get on the highway in the morning, but they are permitted to arrive downtown early. Afternoon express drivers may not depart a downtown time early, but are permitted to arrive early at the ultimite destination if traffic permits. Local bus route drivers are not permitted to depart early for any timepoint. The buses that you noticed with the special devices showing the schedule versus the actual time are extremely accurate once we properly map the route. However, if the route is detoured off its regular route between timepoints, the device may read incorrectly. This is a pretty rare situation. Over the next three years 100 % Metrobuses will have these global positioning devices and the mobile data terminal that you noted. The devices will call out stops automatically, count passengers at the bus stop level and permit Metro to "play back" the vehicles route and times to follow upon a customer issue. The devices will allow drivers to give and receive text messages rather than using the voice mode of the radio. Customers will be able to receive projected arrival time at a bus stop based upon the buses actual location rather than just the schedule. We think its the wave of the future which will improve service quality and driver communication.

Metro would like to make some substantial improvements to express service in South County, West County, in the I-44 Corridor and in North County in the next year. Our goal is to offer express service that operates as frequently as Metrolink. We also need to invest in improved park ride facilities and the highway expresses need to operate faster to attract the patron who is currently driving an automobile. To accomplish this, we will need new funding.

St.Louis County will offer a proposal to County voters this fall which would, if approved by voters, allow construction of a new Metrolink line terminating at I-270 near Westport and Maryland Heights. This same proposal would permit substantial bus improvements in the highway corridors where Metrolink has not yet been approved. If approved by voters, the revenue provided would permit significant expansion of very high quality public transit in St. Louis County. If voters are not convinced the referendum is a good decision, the Metro system will be reduced to match the revenue that is currently available. The reduction will eliminate over 1/3 of all Missouri Metrolink, Call a Ride, and Metrobus service.

bill hartmann: Mr. Plesko

1) if Prop M does not pass, what are the consequences for Metro?
2) there is a present tax for the operation of Metro, was doesn't the full tax go to Metro?
3) the county is planning to give less of a percentage of the present sales tax to Metro. why?

Todd Plesko: Bill: (1) If the voters in St. Louis County decide against more revenue to support the existing Metro system, Metro will be required to reduce the transit system to match the revenue that has been provided. In FY10 (beginning July 2009), the unfunded deficit will $45 million. This deficit is too large to reduce without raising fares and reducing service. Since reducing service will also reduce farebox revenue, the total reduction of cost in Missouri will range between $55 and $60 million annually, which is a reduction of approximately 1/3 of Metro's Missouri services. Metro will conduct a series of public meetings in September of 2008 to offer possible reduction strategies and solict alternatives from the community. Metro's tentative reduction plan would reduce Missouri bus service by over 50 %, Metrolink by 43 % and Call a Ride by 37 %. Over 20 bus routes would be eliminated. A plan that maintains the highest amount of transit service inside I-270 would eliminate all service beyond I-270 including Call a Ride. Metrolink frequency would be cut by 1/3 and the new Shrewsbury line would operate only as a shuttle between Shrewsbury Station and Forest Park. All transit service after 9:00 pm would be eliminated including special event trains.

(2)Metro obtains subsidy from St. Louis City and St.Louis County from two local taxes. In 1974 a 1/2 cent sales tax was enacted in both the City and County. Metro generally receives 100 % of the revenue (after tif diversions)from the City of St. Louis or approximately $17 million. Metro will receive approximately 50 % of the tax received by St. Louis County (after tif diversions). Last fiscal year, Metro received approximately 62 % of the County 1/2 cent transportation tax. It is Metro's understanding that the split will be reduced to 50-50 into the future. In FY10, this reduction in percentage will reduce revenue to Metro by approximately $10 million annually.

Metro also receives subsidy from the 1994 Prop M tax from the City and County. These funds are now allocated primarily to repay the bonds for the Cross County Metrolink.

(3) St. Louis County has historically used the 1974 Transportation Tax to fund both highways and transit. When the tax was orginally enacted, it was done to provide a local match to the Federal Section 3 and 5 Grant programs. Without the local funds, Missouri would have been unable to access these newly created federal transportation programs. However, the 1974 legislation was defined as a "transportation" tax and not a "transit tax". As such, St. Louis County officials, for decades, have used some of the 1974 tax to support road improvements in St. Louis County. The allocation of funds to Metro were frozen by the County in 1986 through 1997 at an amount in the neighborhood of $32-33 million. In 1997, when the second County Prop M tax was turned down by the voters, the County executive and council agreed to increase the percentage of funding to Metro to prevent service cuts and to allow the construction of the new Cross County alignment to begin. This percentage increased to approximately 62 % last year with inflationary growth. Due to cpmmitted obligations for road improvements in St. Louis County, the County Council and County Executive decided to reduce the ratio of transit to highway split back to 50 - 50. This change is part of the reason for the large unfunded deficit in FY10.

Adam Charnack: Todd,

Good to see you answering some questions here. We have met and spoken on several occasions about improving transit in St. Louis. I have since moved to Chicago but remain vested in the success of Metro in St. Louis.

I find it amazing how underfunded transit is in this country. With gas prices forcing Americans to realize the untenable unsustainability of ex-urban development, I find it hard to believe that (a) many think an auto-dominated society is inevitable now and into the future and (b) subsequently people will never use transit en masse in St. Louis.

While Chicago has a moderately developed "L" and bus system, any resident here will tell you it is still grossly underfunded. The state of Illinois contributing so much funding to the Chicagoland equivalent of Metro (RTA) based on the understanding of how much a viable, functioning transit system contributes to both the Chicago region and to the state. With so much potential to be unlocked by a similar investment of Missouri into Bi-State, I find it appalling that such an investment isn't occurring. This, it seems, is the root of the funding issue - and possibly part of St. Louis's aversion to funding bi-state, in that the region carries so much of the burden for financing the system. When cost overruns occur, the region becomes enraged, wanting its precious resources used responsibly.

Can you address these issues and the larger issue of properly funding the system so that it can afford to run in way where people use it?

As a brief follow up, it is my experience that 'on the fence' urbanites who want to use the system at least fairly regularly but fail to make the leap remain that way because of a lack of frequency of bus routes. Having to wait for 20-30 minutes (as most routes as of their patrons) will dissuade almost anyone not entirely reliant on riding Metro. Wouldn't it then make sense to focus providing more frequent, reliable service on St. Louis's core and inner suburbs than infrequent service that reaches to the precipice of St. Louis's outer suburbs? Quality (frequency, investment in corridors, etc) INSTEAD of quantity (expanded service while sacrificing frequency), it seems, should be the credo.

Todd Plesko: Hello Adam: Funding public transit across the globe requires multiple revenue sources.None, to my knowledge make a provide exclusively from the farebox. Nearly every transit system in the world receives public funds as well as farebox revenues. Some systems receive ancillary revenue from advertising, land leases at or over stations (Hong Kong is an example of one with huge lease revenue.) Metro receives approximately 21 % of its revenue from fares, but the balance come from public tax sources. In Missouri, the public sources are predominantly local sales tax revenues allocated from the local governments to Metro operation. Metro receives very little money from the State of Missouri which is very different than the funding situation in Illinois. The new legislation supporting public transit in downtownstate Illinois permits up to 65 % of the cost of public transit, after subtracting fares, to be paid by state tax sources. In the current fiscal year, the State of Illinois will provide approximately $21 million to support transit in St. Clair County Illinois (where Metro operates Metrolink and Metrobus service). Conversely the State of Missouri provides only $1.2 million annually to support transit in St. Louis. The lack of significant funding from the State puts more pressure on local government sources to provide those subsidies.

It is imperative that Metro, and any other government body receiving public funds, to manage the system efficiently and provide services that are of value to the taxpayers. Building Metrolink, in Missouri and in Illinois, has been the single reason why interest in public transit has increased since 1993. Ridership on all public transit modes reached a low of 37 million annual boardings in 1993 (before Metrolink). While the first Metrolink did not have a public vote, the Illinois extensions and the Cross County both were constructed to deliver upon the commitments of public referendums. In 2008, Metro and MCT annual boardings will exceed 55 million boardings and that base is growing. No similar investment exclusively in bus service would attract as many passengers at a lower cost.

While Metrolink has been the key to Metro's last 15 years of success with the public, the bus system is the unsung hero, carrying over 35 million between MCT and Metro this past year. Rail is unable to access all of the communities and jobs in the St. Louis Region, but when paired with a good bus system, it can. In the past year, bus ridership has increased by nearly 6 % and the growth rate is increasing. In fact, some of the greatest growth is in suburban St. Louis County. The past three months, ridership has grown by 10+ %. With adequate funding, a logical investment would definitely include improved bus frequency on strong routes. This is one of Metro's weaknesses and certainly a goal if we have expanded funding.

annman: A comment and a question. I really appreciate being able to purchase Metrolink tickets from CMT through my computer. Are there other sites for computer users to purchase tickets, if they are not members of Citizens for Modern Transit? It makes travel much easier to have a package of Metro tickets in my wallet! Thanks, Ann Mandelstamm

Todd Plesko: You may purchase tickets and passes from Metro on Metro's website (metrostlouis.org. Look on the menu bar under "Fares" and go to "Purchase tickets online."

Mary Kwentus: How much will the rates be increased to ride the metro?
Will all the questions and answers be posted on the web and at what site?

Thanks I enjoy riding the metro to work.

Todd Plesko: Mary: Metro's Board of Commissioners will review public commments at the August Board meeting. No decision is expected until November.

Amy: Mr. Plesko,
I live in St. Peters and must go to the Hanley station to catch the metrolink. I was wondering why metrolink was not considered when planning the highway 40 construction project. I understand that funding is always a problem, but it would make sense to me to at least plan for future expansion. It would mean a lot to me, living across the river, if metro at least made it to highway 270.

Todd Plesko: Amy: Metro would also like to see extensions of Metrolink to I-270. East West Gateway has developed preliminary plans for extensions to I-270 at Page and Westport, another that extends the Shrewsbury alignment to South County near I-270, and another to I-270 near N. Hanley in north County. To extend train service requires both new capital funding (both local and federal) to build the train and new funding to support the operation of the new service. St.Louis County will place a tax initiative on the ballot for St.Louis County voters to consider in November which would extend Metrolink to Westport and I-270. Transit service into St. Charles will require funding decisions from the voters in St. Charles County.

Karl M. Kindt III: The loud almost constant announcements being made on the train by the engineer about what buses are connections, about having a ticket, etc. are very annoying and it is hard to read or talk because the volume is way too loud. Can't you have a lot of this put in writing and posted - I know that the stops need to be announced by why all the connections - post those in the trains so people know by reading not by hearing what the stops are - that way it is a lot quieter. They don't make all these announcements in NY City subways or Chicago - just a simple - "next stop is..." is all that is really needed.

Todd Plesko: Karl: I will discuss the volume on the train public address system with the Metrolink maintenance staff. To comply with ADA regulations, we are required to announce both the name of the train, next stop and major cross routes. I will see if we can shorten the announcements to just the route number.

West County: Who determines the route and time changes? Will there ever be a true express bus for west county? It currently takes 45-60 minutes to get from Manchester to Downtown? Not what I call an express bus.

Todd Plesko: West County: The route and schedules are determined by the Planning and Scheduling staff, based upon customer and driver feedback, surveys, and budget constraints. On August 25th, Metro will modify the routing on the 58X Twin Oaks to create an outer routing and in inner routing. The new outer routing which operates along Manchester, New Ballwin, and Big Bend will use 141 to I-44 rather than operate on Big Bend to Webster Groves. The new routing should save approximately 20 minutes. We will continue to operate the inner 58X Twin Oaks to cover the route east of 141. When I-64 reopens, we will operate a new express route from Wildwood, Chesterfield Valley, and Chesterfield Mall and the Ballas Transit Center to Clayton where people can switch to the train. This will operate every 15 minutes from Chesterfield Mall. These new routes will be faster if you live near or can park ride near these routes.

WS: In response to an earlier question, another benefit of the Metro system is that it slightly reduces demand for gasoline, but marginal changes in demand in a tight market have large impacts on prices. Thoughtful drivers should recognize that they would pay even more for gas if the bus were not stopping in front of them. This and a cascade of related effects on pollution, roads, trade balance, etc, should offset some of the tax burden for supporting Metro.

I endorse the previously submitted observations about frequency of bus service. When I relied on connecting between two buses, my on time record was nothing like the buses' reported on-time record. The train has been great. I am reassured to see that your models seem to anticipate that reduced frequency of bus service causes a net loss of riders.

I have provided fairly detailed critiques of the bus service privately, and made some suggestions for changes. I would like to ask for a public reaction to two ideas.

1. Bus drivers can make or break a rider's experience, in innumerable ways. If a driver is less than pleasant, I suspect that you lose future passengers, especially if the driver is serving a first time customer. Many drivers behave as if they expect penalties for being late, and certainly it is helpful for them to be on time, but I think that the real mission is to move passengers (not buses) on time. Does Metro provide incentives for drivers to carry passengers? I have suggested pay reductions that drivers could more than recover by receiving part of the fare for paid passengers, the amounts depending on the amount of traffic on the bus route. That specific suggestion may or may not be practical, but working on commission would encourage meticulous attention to customer service by the front line employees in a challenging situation.

Does Metro provide incentives for bus drivers to carry passengers?

2. This question is regarding those nearly empty buses at off hours. I would drag my family of four onto those buses to go to dinner or go shopping if it were less expensive than hopping into the car, in spite of my family's qualms about the time that this would devour. Any chance of offering a family fare, or discounted off-peak fares? A family fare could let 1-2 adults and 1-? minor children board and depart as a group during off-peak hours, possibly for the price of 1 adult and 1 child. These rules could also work for church groups, scouts, small class outings, etc. Even if Metro expected off peak discounts to divert full fare customers to off peak travel, and therefore avoids a general off-peak discount, it is hard to imagine a family fare diverting peak traffic.

Off-peak empty seats are an irrecoverably lost revenue opportunity, so why are they not offered at a discount, at least to families?

Thanks,

WS

Todd Plesko: WS: While individuals drivers do not receive a specific incentive to carry more passengers, Metro's entire organization would not exist without passengers. A growing passenger base brings with it critical revenue to support all of the Agency's wages and benefits. I started many years ago a bus operator. I like the job because of the people I carried and not the "hours" I drove. Must Metro drivers probably feel the same way.

We don't have an easy method of issuing a family pass today. Metro will be purchasing a new fare box system that will permit us to issue smart cards. This technology would more easily permit that type of fare media.

Robyn Anderson: Morning. I just have a very basis question for you. I ride the #95 Kingshighway metrobus to and from work everyday. A few months ago the bus stop sign & bench were removed at Kingshighway and Farlin (southbound lane)after being hit by a car. The problem is that the sign has yet to be replaced and there are 3 large city blocks in between the two existing stops. There are a lot of elders in the neighborhood who have trouble making it such a long distance to the bus stop since the original sign & bench were removed. I have contacted customer service on three separate occasions over the past 2 months, I have even emailed Maureen Williams directly and I still have not received a response. I would like to know what I need to do to have at least the signed replaced at either Kingshighway and Margaretta or Kingshighway and Farlin.
Thank You for your time

Todd Plesko: Robyn: It is my understanding that there is a bus stop at Kingshighway and Brown. We actually removed the stop at Farlin in October 2007 according to our records. The bus stop at Farlin was not ADA accessible and the stop at Brown which is a block away, is ADA accessible. Metro has over 8,000 bus stops but only around 2100 meet the ADA standards. Shifting stops from a non accessible stop to an accessible stop is a common method of providing the mandated accessibility. Bus stop spacing is always controversial. Some people want fewer stops to speed up buses. Other individuals want more stops to reduce walk distance. A three block walk is generally within the normal standard for walk distance to most bus routes.

westpine: I have been riding MetroLink regularly as of late, and I must say that I have been quite dismayed by the lack of security on the trains. Years ago, it seemed that security openly rode the trains, but now that never seems to happen. Just in the last month, I have seen two men smoking cigarettes on the train, one smoking a cigar, one family eating their three-course Chinese dinner, and numerous people playing loud music. When I report bad behavior to the station guards, they say that there is nothing that they can do---and that it is MY job to report it to the driver. I find this suggestion to be ludicrous, since I often see Metro employees riding the trains who take no action against the violators. If it's not the job of every Metro employee to notify the driver of problems, then why should it be the job of your customers? Also, in light of these frequent problems, wouldn't it be wise to have some undercover security still randomly riding the trains in order to prevent the obvious rule-breaking behavior? I think that if you want the public to support a tax increase, then that public should feel safe and comfortable riding the trains. Thanks!

Todd Plesko: westpine. I agree. Security is an important element of the service we all want on public transit. Metro does use under cover police on the train and the bus system when we have been directed to defined criminal behavior. While this no excuse, there are over 4,000 daily bus and train trips so covering all of them is beyond the capability of our budget. Metro is today targeting police and red shirt Metro security to stations and trains where we have repeated issues. Metro also assigns fare enforcers to ride trains throughout the system which does have a positive impact on behavior. In St. Clair County, Metro's St. Clair County Sheriff details have been riding trains agressively in the late afternoon and evening is a core area of the system. This approach seems to be effective and we are evaluating special schedules to do the same in key areas of the Missouri operation. I want to mention that we do dependent upon the eyes and ears of our customers to alert us to issues that we need to focus on. If you can define times and locations, send us an email. This information is actively used to target security.

Melanie Shouse: Metro service has consistently being held hostage by the GOP majority in the Missouri legislature, which refuses to provide adequate funding. Public pressure is the only solution to this obstruction, but I see no real effort on Metro's part to educate the public about the value and necessity for public transit, other than those bizarre billboards that look like a sinus congestion ad and are completely incomprehensible. What does Metro plan to do to educate the broader public about its value and services?

To follow up on this educational program, it will be a necessity to provide adequate benches and shelters at bus stops in order to make it possible for people to ride in dignity and comfort, particularly those of us who are disabled or elderly. Why has Metro not worked on a partnership with local communities to build creative and attractive benches and shelters, possibly as a shop project with local high schools or a community service effort by local groups? This could be done at very little cost and would not only greatly increase Metro ridership, but would beautify our communities and create walkable neighborhoods to improve public health, which is suffering greatly from our sedentary lifestyles. I'll be interested to hear any forward-thinking ideas from the leadership at Metro other than CUT, CUT, CUT, which is an outrageous threat given the severe economic and environmental crises that we face as a nation, which can only be solved with a world-class mass transit system.

Todd Plesko: Melanie: Accessible Bus stops, benches and other bus stop amenities would absolutely improve attract more passengers and improve the visible "streetscape" of municipalities. For the past year, Metro has been working with municipalities, the State and the County to improve bus stops. We have also worked with private developers and neighborhood associations. This effort has helped us add 700 ADA accessible bus stops. Some of the municipalities are interested in having benches and Metro received a grant to upgrade some stops with benches as we make them ADA accessible. The effort will take money to sustain however.

veggie1: In regard to announcing the trains, I think it's great the way it is. I think the subway systems in Chicago and New York are difficult for visitors, which makes the city seem inhospitable to me. Keep the announcements, I say. Regulars, wear earplugs or something. We should put our city's guests first.

My question: Why does it cost to take MetroLink from main terminal to East Terminal? Actually, I am aware that the airport quit paying a fee for that free service, but it doesn't cost Metro to reinstate it. It makes our city look cheap. Be a bigger entity than the Airport and suck it up and let folks ride.

Todd Plesko: Veggie1: We did eliminate the free ride zone between the terminals at the airport. We were paid approximately $60,000 annually in the past for this service. Conversations are underway now with the Airport which may bring back the free ride zone.

bprop: In response to your answer about lengthy and unnecessary announcements, I have repeatedly brought this up over several years to Metro staff. I even put a YouTube video up, which showed an announcement that lasted all the way from Shrewsbury to Sunnen stations. Some operators talk non-stop, adding their unprofessional side comments, yelling into the microphone, repeating some phrases up to 10-12 times at the same stop, and jerking the train to a stop several times while yelling to passengers who are running to catch Metrolink. In response, I have been told that a script is "being developed" (this was over a year ago). This has got to be the simplest of tasks, yet Metro has not yet succeeded in having operators announce a simple, professional, abbreviated, consistent script. Why not?

Todd Plesko: bprop: I saw your YouTube video. I will see if I can't get the script shortened. We do occasionally go overboard.

D. Standlee: Why on earth would Metro start cutting service?! Now is the time to be really pushing expansion of the MetroLink throughout the St. Louis Metropolitan area. What is being done about that? Can we have any leaders from Metro St. Louis, East/West Gateway, and the local government step forward to guide this Metropolitan area? Why are they sitting around waiting for instructions? The St. Louis Metropolitan area needs progressive leaders who can think past the end of their nose. I am sure there are some sort of federal grants and/or other monies to help with the some funding.

Todd Plesko: D. Standlee: I agree that interest in transit is very high. Ridership is strong and growing. Reducing service would not be something I would recommend. The decision of how much of a transit system we will have is (in Missouri) pretty much of a local decision. St. Louis County is considering a referendum to preserve the current system and expand Metro including Metrolink in November.

Otto Schnell: Can you explain how the tax increase in the county that voters are going to vote on in the future will help Metro light rail. Will this only help with keeping current service running, or will this provide funds for expansion?

Todd Plesko: Otto: It is my understanding that St. Louis County will place an initiate on the ballot for November for a 1/2 cent sales tax. One half of this tax (1/4 cent) will be used to support the operations of the existing system. The other 1/4th cent will be used to expand the system including light rail. It is my understanding that the initial expansion would extend train service from Clayton to the Westport/I-270 area. Metro will also augment express bus service in corridors not in the next phase of Metrolink expansion if funding is available.

b: I'm a regular Metrolink rider and the vehicle traffic around the North Hanley stop has become very congested in the last few months. One factor is the increased ridership, which is great for Metro, but another is the opening of a cut-through to Express Scripts.

When it comes time to leave the parking lot at the end of the work day the lot is a zoo. There seems to be very little order as everyone has to merge/fight there way into one main exit lane and it has taken me as long 10 minutes (I know because the next train arrived at the station) to get out of the lot and onto Hanley.

Can anything be done to better manage this traffic flow?

Todd Plesko: The temporary reroute is difficult and causing delays. It was done to permit the fastest reconstruction of Geiger Road. I will discuss the operational issues of the peak hour with our engineering staff and St.Louis County traffic engineers.

Patrick Williamson: Has there been any discussion of providing a bus shuttle from Saint Charles to Hanley metro station?

Todd Plesko: St. Charles County and the municipality have requested a proposal for park ride style express service to St. Charles County. Our plans are nearly complete. However, expansion to St. Charles will require a source of funds to offset the cost of this service.

dsharfarz: It must be very difficult for Metro to maintain stable service levels and fares when it has to depend on annual funding from St. Louis County without knowing from year to year how much Metro will receive. Wouldn't it help to make service more dependable for riders if Metro had a multi-year, predictable funding source that was not subject to changing political winds?

Todd Plesko: Mr.Sharfarz: Yes. That would be the Holy Grail, which is often just beyond reach of most public transit systems. The lack of a stable source of funding makes short and long term planning difficult. For FY10, Metro faces a loss of approximately $30 million in revenue that we have today to support the transit system. We will also face inflationary cost increases in the face of these revenue reductions.

JMedwick: Two questions. Thanks for your help!

1. Why will Metro only be proposing one Metrolink extension in the County with the proposed funds rather than two?

2. Many county voters seem confused about which line will be funded with the tax increase. With recent studies of the Northside-Southside line in the City and the MetroSouth line in the County, corridors other than the West Port line have gotten a lot more press in the past few years and others I have talked to confuse these lines as what Metro will be expanding. When will Metro begin publicizing the preferred rout and station locations for a Metrolink extension to West Port so that County voters will know what they are voting on?

Todd Plesko: JMedwick: First, East West has approved multiple extension of Metrolink. It is my understanding that the Westport Extension is the preferred next extension for St.Louis County. There are also extension proposals to extend the Shrewsbury line south into South County and another to extend Metrolink north of the Hanley Station to I-270 in North County. Extending Metrolink to Westport (or any other location) will require obtaining federal funding to match the funds available from the 1/4th cent expansion revenue if the referedum is approved. The tax will also reportedly have a 20 year sunset provision which may not be sufficient time to build more than one alignment unless State or new federal sources are available. Metro would certainly like to see the rail system expanded to multiple corridors, but the funding is not yet available to do all of them at one time.

The extension to Westport has not been designed nor has the environmental impact study been completed. Proceeding with preliminary engineering and federal grant applications will be necessary to define exact station locations.

veggie1: There is a bus from St. Charles to N. Hanley, I believe. It's called SCAT or something? I see it at N. Hanley, don't know how often it runs.

Too bad the St. Charles voters didn't want to pay for MetroLink. Granted, many of the people living there today weren't there when the people voted Metro funding down, but the anti-MetroLink campaigning in St. Charles was pretty nasty, as I recall, so that tempers my sympathy.

What can we do to help with the campaign for the tax in St. Louis County in November?

Todd Plesko: Veggie1: Metro is not permitted to advocate for any specific initiative. Metro will provide citizens in the region an opportunity in September at public hearings to view the two possible directions for the system. One direction would be stable funding and expansion. The other will be service reduction to match the available funding. I encourage those with interest to attend the public hearings. The dates will be announced in August.

County Res.: From what I have read, Metro has no control over where MetroLink expansions go, BUT Westport????? How does going to Westport get more cars off the road and people on mass transit? A line that would cover West County, ie. Ballwin, Ellisville, Chesterfield, Town & Country, AND Maryland Heights would make more sense the just covering Maryland Heights. What is the problem that everyone has with running near Highway-40?

If you want to go to Westport, extend the Airport out to Earth City. It won't get you to Westport, but it makes more sense the going down Page Ave.

The displays on the buses I spoke of before. How do they help, ie. what are they used for?

Todd Plesko: Westport and Maryland Heights have a large number of jobs that are not presently served with a high a high speed service. The 94 Page and 33 Dorsett Lackland both care many reverse flow bus patrons. At Westport we are very close to St. Charles for park riders and we can much more quickly serve bus patrons with shuttles to Earth City and Riverport rather than North Hanley. We believe that the Westport line offers strong commuter demand and strong all day reverse flow demand. With the connection to the Shrewsbury (and if it is ultimately extended to South County, you have provided a fairly quick transit alternative to I-270 and I-170. If you look at the residential development around the possible stations of this alignment, we believe it will be very successful.

The displays (if you are speaking of MDT's) have the drivers schedule, allows digital communication of detours. It constrols the automatic announcements.

Lawrence M.: Given the current price and volatility of diesel fuel, has consideration been given to moving the bus fleet to compressed natural gas or LPG? As automobile drivers seek to find alternatives to driving to lessen the effects of imported oil pricing they look to mass transit. If Metro's bus system is also dependent on this same fuel, then either the system will come under increased financial pressure due to increased diesel prices, or the benefits to the riders will be offset by increased costs for the fuel since they will have to be passed on to the ridership in the form of fare increases. While the price of natural gas has risen as well, the rise has not been as sharp, the availability of it is better, there is ample US supply, and it is not as sensitive to the whims of international relations or consumption as crude oil-based products. If a change to LNG/LPG is being considered, would the migration occur naturally as the fleet is turned over or is a retrofit plan possible? Thank you.

Todd Plesko: Lawrence: We currently have 49 CNG buses. One garage operates with 20 % bio diesel and Illinois operates with a less percentage of Bio-diesel. We are researching all of the technology. There is an interesting new bus that gets 7 miles per gallon. Its a plug in hybrid that gets about double the mileage of traditional bus hybrids. These decisions are 15 year decisions and the market is going to change quickly in the near future. We will be evaluating all options.

County Res.: Thank you for your responses. While waiting I did some searching on the web and learned the your state, Missouri, does little to no funding of Public Transportation. Why is that? Wouldn't it be better to put funding at the state level rather then the local level like other states do? My guess is that it would take a lot of the local politics out, making it easier for agencies like Metro to do a better job.

How will things change in Illinois if the tax does not pass? Where do we get our funding from, Illionis, St. Louis City, and St. Louis County? If so, how does Metro keep all three happy, local politics and all?

Todd Plesko: County Res: Metro operates under a contract in Illinois with St. Clair County Transit District. This district receives funding from its own 3/4 cent sales tax and major funding from the State of Illinois. Illinois has historically provided substantial funding to transit. In Fy09, Illinois will probably provide about $21 million to SCCTD. In the same year, Metro will receive about $1.2 million from Missouri. Expanding funding in Missouri is a major objective of all the Missouri transit systems. However, in the past, when initiatives have been proposed, they have not been successful. Perhaps with the impact of higher fuel costs, this may change.

If the Missouri referendum fails, Illinois bus service will not be affected. But Illinois Train service will be negatively affected because the trains operate as a system. You can't cut service in Missouri without similarly reducing service in Illinois.

Ashley L.: Hi Todd. I'm a bike commuter too, and I love MetroLink. On a day like today, I like to get off at the Central West End Station and ride my bike around the park before I get home. Anyway, if we pass the tax and MetroLink gets to expand, how will the new routes get chosen? Who decides where they are going to go? Thanks!

Todd Plesko: Ashley: Metrolink Corridors are identified through the planning efforts of East West Gateway. Once an alignment is idenified and funding is provided, Metro will construct the line and operate. Metro has input into the East West Gateway planning process. The E/W Gateways board is comprised of the key elected officials of the bi-State region as well as representation from the State and various federal agencies.

JMedwick: As a follow up to the Missouri state funding questions:

Given the move to build a light rail line in KC and the growth of Springfield into a more urbanized area, have the representatives of the state's three largest metro areas (or at least the heads of the three transit systems) discussed methods for working together to increase the likelihood of state funding for transit?

Todd Plesko: Yes. We are working together. However, we will be more powerful if other counties like St. Charles, Franklin and Jefferson can be brought into the fold of counties who provide some public transit. We are working on that as well, but the time frame will not be quick.

Kareem: Some cities in the country have contracted with Google to provide live bus locations on Google Maps (Tri-Met) in Portland, most recently CTA in Chicago). Does Metro plan to do the same in the future?

Is expansion into Jefferson and St. Charles County on the radar after the ballot drive?

This is more a hobby question; Is metro considering purchasing more Low Floor buses for the Missouri side of the system? They are quite common in St. Clair County.

Todd Plesko: We do plan to implement Google's Trip planner, but we are struggling for enough time. It requires some IT work that is on our horizon but not top on the list yet.

The tax initiative would not result in expansion to Jefferson or Franklin. Funding from those county's would allow that extension however.

We have 26 low floor buses coming in December. All future Missouri buses will be low floor.