News
Ride Metro to the Soulard Mardi Gras This Saturday
Metro is offering special shuttle service to the Soulard Mardi Gras on Saturday, February 25, making it easy for families, parade-goers and revelers to safely and conveniently enjoy all of the festivities. Metro will operate special Mardi Gras shuttle buses this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. between the Stadium MetroLink Station in downtown St. Louis and the Mardi Gras venue in Soulard. Round-trip passes for the shuttles are $6, but as an added benefit for Metro U-Pass users or riders who purchase Metro Monthly Passes, both passes will be accepted as valid fare to ride the shuttle at no additional charge.
The Mardi Gras shuttles will operate out of the Stadium MetroLink Station this year due to ongoing construction for the Civic Center Transit Center expansion project. The special shuttles will run every 15 minutes and will drop off and pick up passengers in Soulard on 10th Street between Carroll and Marion Streets, in the heart of the Mardi Gras celebration. The $6 round-trip shuttle passes can only be purchased on Saturday, February 25, at the Stadium MetroLink Station.
Riders who have a valid Metro U-Pass or Metro Monthly Pass can also use their passes as valid fare for the Mardi Gras shuttles. Passengers can simply show their U-Pass or February Monthly Pass to the shuttle operator and enjoy convenient service to and from the Soulard Mardi Gras at no additional cost.
MetroLink trains will operate every 20 minutes on the Red Line and Blue Line on February 25, with trains arriving every 10 minutes at stations between the Forest Park-DeBaliviere and Fairview Heights MetroLink Stations. MetroLink platforms will be monitored for crowds throughout the day, and extra MetroLink service will be added as needed.
At the end of the evening, the last eastbound train from the Stadium MetroLink Station to the Shiloh-Scott MetroLink Station will depart at 11:39 p.m., and the last eastbound train to the Fairview Heights Station will leave at 12:40 a.m.
Heading westbound, the final Blue Line train will depart from the Stadium MetroLink Station to the Shrewsbury-Lansdowne I-44 MetroLink Station at 12:02 a.m., and the last Red Line train to the Lambert Airport Terminal #1 Station will leave at 12:12 a.m.
Several MetroBus routes will be detoured on Saturday, February 25, due to the Mardi Gras festivities. Even with the reroutes in place, MetroBus is still a great option for riders who take the #8 Bates-Morganford, #10 Gravois, #30 Soulard, #40 Broadway or #73 Carondelet MetroBus routes, as those buses will still serve stops near Soulard and all of the excitement of Mardi Gras.
Everyone is asked to leave their backpacks and coolers at home since they will not be allowed at the Soulard Mardi Gras. No food, drink or alcohol is permitted on MetroLink, MetroBus, the Mardi Gras Shuttles or on Metro property.
For more information about the special Mardi Gras shuttles, riders can visit metrostlouis.org or contact Metro Transit Information at 314-231-2345 or 618-271-2345, Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For Mardi Gras parade information and other event times, visit mardigrasinc.com.
MetroBus Reroutes
Due to Mardi Gras festivities and the 2017 Grand Parade, the following MetroBus routes will be rerouted on Saturday, February 25.
#8 Bates-Morganford — from 3 a.m. until end of service
Eastbound: Regular route to Russell and Gravois, left on Gravois to Tucker, then resume regular route.
Westbound: Regular route to Tucker and 12th Street, continue south on Tucker to Gravois, then right on Russell and resume regular route.
#30 Soulard — from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Northbound: Regular route to Arsenal and 13th, left on 13th, left onto I-55 North, exit at Truman Parkway, right on Lafayette, left on Tucker, then left on Chouteau and resume regular route.
#40 Broadway — from 10:30 a.m. until 7 p.m.
Northbound: Regular route to Broadway and Arsenal, left on Arsenal, right on 13th, left onto I-55 North, take Walnut exit to Memorial Drive, left onto Walnut, then right on 4th and resume regular route.
Southbound: Regular route to Broadway and Walnut, left on Walnut, right on Memorial Drive to !-44/I-55, exit and left on Arsenal, then right on Broadway and resume regular route.
#73 Carondelet — from 3 a.m. until end of service
Northbound: Regular route to Lemp and Arsenal, right on Arsenal, left on 13th, left onto I-55 North, exit at Truman Parkway, right on Lafayette, then left on Tucker and resume regular route.
Southbound: Regular route to Chouteau and Tucker, right on Tucker to Gravois, left on I-55 South, exit and right on Arsenal, then left on Lemp and resume regular route.
About Metro
Metro is the operator of the St. Louis region’s public transportation system, which includes the 87 vehicle, 46-mile MetroLink light rail system; approximately 400 vehicle MetroBus fleet that operates on 79 MetroBus routes in Missouri and Illinois; and Metro Call‑A‑Ride, a paratransit fleet of 122 vans. Metro is an enterprise of Bi-State Development (BSD), which also owns and operates St. Louis Downtown Airport, the Bi-State Development Research Institute, the Gateway Arch Riverboats, and operates the Gateway Arch Trams and Revenue Collections Center. BSD also operates the St. Louis Regional Freightway.