News

Metro to Host Final Round of Senior Reduced Fare Permit Sign-up Events at Area Schnucks Stores

Dianne Williams
Director of Communications
314-982-1440

Area seniors will have six more chances to sign up for their Reduced Fare Permits at several area Schnucks stores, as Metro’s most recent round of mobile registration events wraps up. Since the events began in Oct. 2010, nearly 400 seniors from across the region have taken advantage of convenient opportunities to register for their permits at locations in their neighborhoods. And over the next several weeks, older adults in the region still looking to obtain permits will have additional opportunities to register at their local Schnucks stores before Metro’s latest round of mobile registration events concludes in March. Metro representatives will be on hand at the following locations:

• Thursday, Feb. 3, from 9-11 a.m. at Schnucks Grandview, 74 Grandview Plaza., Florissant, MO 63033

• Thursday, Feb. 3, from 1-3 p.m. at Schnucks Sierra Vista, 1589 Sierra Vista Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63138

• Friday, Feb. 4, from 9-11 a.m. at Schnucks Loughborough, 1020 Loughborough, St. Louis, MO 63111

• Friday, Feb. 4, from 2-4 p.m. at Schnucks Florissant, 8200 N. Lindbergh, Florissant, MO 63031

• Wednesday, Feb. 23, from 2-4 p.m. at Schnucks Shackelford, 1160 Shackelford, Florissant, MO 63031

• Wednesday, March 2, from 10 a.m. to noon at Schnucks Cool Valley, 1225 S. Florissant Rd., St. Louis, MO 63121

“Thanks to the participation of Schnuck Markets and the many senior housing facilities that teamed up with us, this latest round of Reduced Fare Permit registrations has been a huge success, and we’re thrilled that so many seniors have taken advantage of the opportunity to obtain their permits,” said Micah Wiles, Metro’s Marketing Coordinator. “Since October, we’ve visited 44 locations, registering nearly 400 seniors. But, with our mobile events quickly coming to an end, we encourage anyone who hasn’t yet signed up to head to one of the final six events at the Schnucks store closest to them to get their permit.”

The Reduced Fare Permit allows seniors 65 and older to ride MetroBus and MetroLink for half fare. It was first introduced by Metro in 2008 in an effort to provide seniors with a standardized and convenient a way to take advantage of the affordability and convenience of public transit. At that time, more than 4,000 seniors took advantage of opportunities to sign up. The Schnucks registration events being hosted by Metro are a way to reach out to seniors who may have become eligible by age since the last round of events that took place in 2008 and finished in Spring 2009. The recent service restoration also means that even more seniors can once again conveniently get where they need to go by using transit.

In addition to the upcoming registration events at area Schnucks stores, permits also can be obtained on any weekday, year-round, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. at the Downtown MetroRide Store, located at 701 Convention Plaza (at the corner of 7th and Washington inside America’s Center). You may reach the MetroRide Store by calling (314) 982-1495. The store is served by the Convention Center MetroLink Station and the #99 Downtown Trolley.

Metro’s free Reduced Fare Permit for Senior Citizens (age 65 and older) can only be obtained in person, and seniors will be required to present a government-issued photo identification card that verifies their age, such as a driver’s license, passport, state ID card or Alien Registration Card. Metro will take the seniors’ pictures on-site, and the permit will be mailed directly to the seniors’ homes. The permits are valid for 5 years.

For more information, or to find the most convenient registration location, seniors can visit www.metrostlouis.org and click on the “Senior Reduced Fare Permit” icon on the home page. Those without Internet access can call 314-231-2345, Monday through Friday between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Representatives of independent living retirement communities or other senior organizations can also contact Metro to inquire about scheduling an event at their facilities.