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Metro Announces New Metro Reimagined Service Plan
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The final version of the Metro Reimagined Service Plan has been released, and new route information, maps and schedules are available. The new service plan will be implemented on Monday, September 30, and it will provide you with transit options that better meet your needs, with more frequent service, improved weekend service and more convenient options for getting around town.
“More than two years ago, we recognized that we needed to make significant changes to the MetroBus system to better meet the mobility needs of our riders. In response, we launched Metro Reimagined, an in-depth look at our transit system, to identify the enhancements we needed to make,” said Jessica Mefford-Miller, Executive Director of Metro Transit. “This has been a customer-focused approach from day one, and the new service plan we are launching in September will deliver the service our customers need – today and into the future.”
Under the new plan, there will be changes to every MetroBus route in Missouri. There is no impact to Illinois bus routes or MetroLink under this service change.
Research, customer engagement and community outreach identified faster, more direct trips and more frequent service as high priorities that bus riders want from their transit service. Through the newly finalized Metro Reimagined service plan, Metro Transit is increasing the frequency of most MetroBus routes.
Ten routes, which carry nearly half of current MetroBus customers in Missouri, are offering service every 15 minutes or faster on weekdays. In comparison, the MetroBus system currently only has one bus route that offers that 15-minute frequency. In addition, the new service plan includes 35 MetroBus routes that will offer 30-minute frequencies, instead of the 40-minute or 60-minute service many routes operate on today.
Weekend service is also being improved through the Metro Reimagined plan. Nearly all MetroBus routes will have Sunday service, including many routes that currently do not operate on Sundays. Service levels will also be consistent on Saturdays and Sundays. This improved service provides better options and more reliability for customers over the entire weekend.
MetroBus routes are organized into four categories through the new service plan:
- Frequent: 10 high-frequency routes offering service every 15 minutes or faster
- Local: 35 MetroBus routes offering service every 30 minutes
- Community: 6 routes providing important connections in low-ridership areas
- Express: 6 routes providing direct connections with limited stops to key destinations
Visit the Metro Reimagined page to learn specific details about these new routes and the new service plan. If you have any questions or need any assistance, reach out to one of our transit experts. Metro Transit Information is available Monday through Friday, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. by phone at 314.231.2345, by text at 314.207.9786, or through web chat by clicking the red chat icon in the lower right corner.
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As much as Metro Reimagined has some very interesting lines created better connectivity between the bus lines and improved service connections, but there are some errors made in the final plan that has eliminated any service down the Forder Road corridor in South St. Louis County that has some riders, as long time riders, the removal of the lines service Lemay Ferry and Forder areas of South St. Louis County, I do appreciate the creation of the #9 line and serving the areas along River Des Peres including commercial and residential areas since there was no runs along River Des Peres Blvd from Chippewa to Gravois who might utilize service, but to ignore the Forder Road corridor between Lemay Ferry and Telegraph was a poor move. Other than that, the Metro Reimagined plan has some great ideas.
How my wife going get to work how we going get to doctors office we are disabled adults that take 14 every day
The #30 Arsenal, #8 Shaw-Cherokee, #31 Chouteau and the high-frequency #95 Kingshighway are nearby routes that may be available options for you and your wife depending on where you live. Contact Metro Transit Information at 231.2345 (phone) or 207.9786 (text) – they will be able to help you plan a new transit commute. Metro Call-A-Ride might also be an option – for help understanding if it’s a good fit for your needs, contact our ADA Services team at 982.1510.
I am happy to see the #57 got it’s old route name back which was “Manchester” and the 49 is running at least from Northwest Plaza down to South County like it used to do. I am looking forward to going back to church once again now since the #56 will be running on Sundays!
There are no buses that will go down MorganFord anymore. The nearest bus for me is either the Kingshighway or Gravois. I will have to walk from MorganFord and Haven to theses stops.Safety is a big issues that you did not consider when you took the number 8 bus away.
Victoria, this has been a two-year process with various revisions along the way. Metro Planners, along with Metro Transit Operations, regional stakeholders and riders all provided their feedback to make this plan achievable. We’re here to help get you ready. Contact us and we’ll help you through it – 314-231-2345.
Am I to understand that the #97 will no longer be making stops at the Ladue Shopping center?
Ladue @Hunter WB stop ID 5274 & Ladue @Hunter EB stop ID 8307. If so, how is this not effecting people’s jobs and commutes? How are people getting to their Schnucks, Barnes and Nobles, Old navy, and so many more businesses jobs????
Dorthy, this is correct. The #97 Delmar will no longer serve Ladue Road near the Ladue Shopping Center. An alternative route would be to use the new #33 Midland route and walk part of the Centennial Greenway, which serves the shopping center. We’re happy to explore options with your further. Give us a call at 314-231-2345.
You all are taking service away from areas where people voted for the sales tax increase, which made it possible to restore bus service, after the service reduction took place a few years ago. This is unfair to those individuals who will still have to continue to pay the sales tax, without having the bus service they were expecting to have from the sales tax increase, especially in areas that are transit starved.
My previous post should have also noted that some of the areas where service is being discontinued have a significant number of riders that are transit dependent, and indeed use public transit. Now they will have to continue to pay their share of taxes to support enhanced service for other areas hoping to increase ridership, which may not necessarily result from the enhancement. But most certainly, a loss in ridership will result due to the elimination of service to areas already being served by Metro.
I take the #47NCTC from Hanley Station. I get off on Elizabeth & Pershall before the Transit Center. This bus will be discontinued. Now I’ll have to take the #79. While I appreciate the increased frequency of this bus, instead of going down Pershall it goes down Dunn. I’ll have to get off on S Florissant now, adding about a half mile of walking to get home. From what I see there is no bus from N Hanley Station that goes down Pershall toward the Community College. My morning bus 174x has also been changed, won’t go as far as Market Street downtown, so now I have to take a bus to Hanley, then a train to get to the area of downtown I need to be. Not too thrilled about the changes..
I have been doing a bicycle/bus commute from Wildwood to Lambert since 2012. THe 57X has become my primary route the last 4 years. I was told earlier that the preliminary routes presented last year were just the “rush hour” runs and that more runs would be available. Apparently I was lied to. You have reduced the number of runs between Brentwood and Ozark trail by over 50% on a mileage basis and you don’t have enough separation between the morning and evening routes to make it possible. The earliest route now starts at 5:58. That is unacceptable for most of us. YOU WILL LOSE RIDERS….GUARANTEED…BUT MAYBE THAT WAS YOUR OBJECTIVE. Way to listen to your customers! I’m probably done with you if you don’t add an early route. This was all about cutting costs wrapped up in a fancy sales brochure. Some of aren’t that stupid.
Dennis, we encourage you to give our transit planners a call and they may be able to discover a new route for you. 314-231-2345
Metro Reimagined – New Schedule for 57x
For 1.5 years I have provided recommendations on changes that you could make to the 57x to SAVE Metro money and eliminate the 14 Eastbound routes you have going Eastbound on a daily basis.
My input fell on deaf ears. You continued to keep all of the routes and add additional length to the route by going through the city of Clayton (and increasing my commute time to my employment site (Washington University). The only feedback I received from Metro is that you added the additional routing through Clayton to INCREASE ridership!
I believe that you think that the “end all be all” was to hire a consultant (that who knows how much money you paid them) to come up with the Metro Reimagined plan.
I think you will find that you have missed the mark. Instead of INCREASING ridership I think that you will find that you will be DECREASING ridership. I do see that you will be saving Metro $$ by eliminating the Eastbound routes (going from 14 to 4)!
Westbound you are removing two routes (2:15p and 3:15pm). Yesterday on my westbound 2:15pm route I counted 10 people. The majority of the people on the bus work near the Clayton/141 businesses. Most are restaurant workers that need to be at their jobs EARLIER than 4:30pm or later…
I really LOVE riding the bus; however, with your NEW MetroReimagined schedule, I will need to drive to a Metrolink parking lot and take the train as my job requires that I arrive at least by 5:45am.
Perhaps you will also be able to let go of a surplus of your drivers since you will be eliminating so many routes thus saving Metro additional money.
Good luck and I hope that you will be able to produce metrics that will show you that your ridership will DECREASE instead of INCREASE.
Good morning Tracy and thank you for providing detailed feedback regarding the redesign of the MetroBus network in Missouri. Across the system, we are making enhancements on how the region gets to work, school and other important destinations.
When we started this process about two years ago, we asked the region what they wanted most from their transit system. Frequency was the common request, so made that priority number one. The final plan increases bus frequency from one route – the #70 Grand line – to 10 MetroBus routes. In addition, more than 30 routes will improve to 30-minute frequencies.
As you are well aware, the #57X Clayton Road will provide 30-minute service during the busiest parts of the weekday. Under the redesign, we’ve been able to streamline our express service to better accommodate current and potential riders.
Do keep in mind, this plan is being made using existing operating resources. That means that we had to make important system-wide decisions to bring the most value to the most people.
We understand that there may be some adjustments that need to be made and we’re here to help. Give us call at your convenience – 317-231-2345
Thank You. Myself and several individuals have responded that we would like an earlier route. Currently, myself and 3-4 others ride the 4:45am Eastbound. The new route will begin at 5:58am.
The additional 1 hour and 13 minutes will not work for me since I have to start my day much earlier than that. We have suggested to add an earlier route.
Suggestion for Eastbound: Begin at 5:00am
Suggestion for Westbound (keep the 3:15pm Westbound) that departs from Brentwood
Got it! I’ll pass it along to our planning team.
Good Morning Matt! Is there really a Planning Team? Because they just don’t seem to care about the early morning commuters on the 57X or the 58X. I understand low ridership but I have provided a suggestion with a solution but for some reason nobody is addressing our problem… there are 4 buses that currently operate between 0430 and 0520 in one service area: 0430 58X Clayton / Clarkson, 0443 57X Ozark Trial, 0500 58X Clayton / Clarkson and 0520 57X Ozark Trial these pickup stops are two blocks apart. So we are pleading with Metro to make a 57X run at 0430 or 0500 to pick up this ridership in order for us to get to work on time. I have even suggested a trial period of 90 days to see if it will generate enough ridership. I really don’t think that is asking Metro to break the bank.
Good morning Jim! We do have a planning team that is devoted to route planning, scheduling and long-term review. Do keep in mind, Metro Transit embarked on this comprehensive analysis more than two years ago. This process involved various stakeholder meetings as well as revisions made by riders such as yourself. The Metro Transit team has been able to incorporate a lot of this feedback into the final plan when applicable. Since this redesign is being carried out using existing operating funds, we have to be strategic about how resources are used so that they provide the most value to the most people. Thank you Jim for your thoughts and I’ll make sure they are sent to our Customer Service for documentation.
Good Morning Matt! Definitely a sad day in Mudville… so what you are telling me is … Metro has decided to take away every early morning possible bus run from us. Yet increased the opportunity for others that already had multiple bus/train options. I guess that falls in line with the multi- million dollar Civic Center station that doesn’t even have an elevator or enough room to handle all the buses…great planning. Believe this or not… all of us riders on the early morning 57X/58X knew when Metro started this reimagined it was to eliminate us as riders…congratulations.. again just another company saying they care about their customers but only if it benefits them.
Another good morning to you Jim as well! Metro Transit – through its comprehensive MetroBus redesign – has retooled the transit network to bring added value to greatest amount of people as possible. For many riders, this will actually include additional bus trips, higher frequency and bus service on the weekends. The Civic Center Transit Center – which reopened to the public in August 2017 – was funded primarily using federal capital funds. Bus service associated with the bus redesign is being paid for using existing operating funds. These funds are separate funds used to support separate initiatives. The Civic Center Transit Center does not have an elevator as an elevator comes with routine maintenance costs, which would require additional resources to support this amenity long term. The transit center complies with all ADA regulations. Lastly, we do care and we’re always here for you. At any time, you may reach out to us. Have a great weekend Jim!
You will certainly lose riders by eliminating bus service from areas which already have well established and loyal riders, who pay their fair share of taxes to support the bus system. You all seem to be banking on the concept that an increase in riders will result by reallocating resources from one area to another, which may not necessarily occur. These ongoing and constant changes in bus service, and the service areas affected by the changes, have been occurring since the Metro Restoration program, and the last report that I’ve observed a few months ago shows that your average weekday bus ridership numbers have dropped from 90,000-plus passengers to 70,000-plus passengers per day.
That’s a drastic drop in ridership and an indication of an organization that is spiraling. A further butchering of the system will only drive away more of the remaining loyal riders who already use the system. Further, from my observation of some of the routes that are slated to become high frequent routes, I notice many of the buses serving these routes are running half-empty, and would not justify the frequent service, especially at the cost of riders losing bus service in areas that are more transit dependent, and where these same riders are still paying their fair share of taxes to support service in other areas. It’s not fair.
Mike, thank you for your thoughts regarding the redesign of the MetroBus system in St. Louis County and the city of St. Louis. Over the last few years, Metro Transit has experienced a decline in ridership, due to various factors. In order to combat this, we evaluated how and where riders use the system today and what that might look like in the many years ahead. To do this, we embarked on an extensive process that resulted in more than two years of planning, research and public feedback. You may have seen these revisions as we moved through this comprehensive process. In the end, we incorporated many of what our riders and stakeholders wanted from their transit system, with the hopes of retaining and attracting riders. We are excited to offer 10 high-frequency bus routes (15-minute service) and more than 30 enhanced-frequency routes (30-minute service). In addition, bus service will operate faster, with more direct service to many important destinations. We understand this may take time to get used to and we’re here to help. Feel free to reach out to our Customer Care team at 314-231-2345. Thank you again for your thoughts Mike.
Matthew, the high frequency and enhancement of the routes under the redesign program certainly will not benefit or attract new riders from areas where service is being eliminated, or where current riders will not longer have access to. I hate to say but it seems like it all comes down to what appears to be politically correct for the agency, and not being concern to what is in the best interest of the entire region in general. There will be large chunks of areas in north county, which makes up approximately 25 percent of Metro’s total ridership, without viable access to bus service, but they will have to continue to pay taxes, in order to help keep the buses running.
Mike, thank you again for additional feedback. Of the 10 high-frequency routes, seven route will serve northern portions of the City of St. Louis and portions of North County. In addition, several enhanced-frequency routes will continue to serve portions of North St. Louis City and North County. Since this redesign is being carried out using existing operating funds, we have to be strategic about how resources are used so that they provide the most value to the most people.
I am so frustrated that you end all of your posts with “We understand this may take time to get used to and we’re here to help. Feel free to reach out to our Customer Care team at 314-231-2345.”
Why would we reach out to the Customer Care team when we have provide you with suggestions and recommendations that fall on deaf ears??Give me a valid reason why I would want to talk to customer care?
We have provided your organization with our feedback but you have only “pat answers”. From my perspective, you are only attempting to satisfy a larger audience.
I think it all comes down to your lack of operating budget but you are going to continue to decrease your ridership as well as decrease your revenue by eliminating specific times and routes.
Why didn’t you start think about being strategic about your planning 7 years ago when I started riding the bus – may you would have more money in your operating budget now? You may not be in the mess you are in now.
And, don’t give me:
“In the end, we incorporated many of what our riders and stakeholders wanted from their transit system, with the hopes of retaining and attracting riders.”
Good luck with that!!!
It’s a darn shame.
Tracy, thank you for reaching out and reading through the comments in regards to the MetroBus redesign. I’m sorry you are frustrated about how I’m responding to riders.
During this part of the process, it is critical that riders understand the changes and start planning their transit commutes accordingly. The time for suggestions and recommendations have passed. As mentioned in previous comments, this has been over a two-year process and we’ve incorporated rider feedback at various steps along the way. I’m sorry you feel that your thoughts are falling on “deaf ears.” That simply is not the case.
This bus redesign is being support via Metro Transit’s current operating budget, and thus we have to be strategic in the way we deliver enhanced service while staying within our financial boundaries.
Metro Transit is constantly reviewing its service plan throughout the year. Metro Transit has four times it can modify schedules, routes and service frequency via Quarterly Service Changes. Transit agencies across the country embark on comprehensive transit planning about every 10 years.
Thank you again Tracy for your thoughts. Feel free to reach out to us anytime.
Thanks Matthew.
Well, if you want me to send you my NUMEROUS emails that I have sent you over the course of the past 2 years I could do that. I have provided MANY MANY suggestions on how to decrease your costs by eliminating redundant routes and eliminate the unnecessary routing through the city of Clayton.
You probably have a file on me with all of my feedback!
As far as providing feedback on the Metro Reimaged routes/times… how would we be able to provide feedback on the times/routes until you published them which was 3 weeks ago?
It would not have made any difference on the feedback that I provided 3 years ago OR 3 weeks ago!
Tracy, no need to send me your emails – please be sure there were sent to our Customer Care team at [email protected].
As mentioned before, we provided lots of opportunities for ridership feedback in response to the MetroBus redesign. It would have been at that time that you would have provided your feedback.
Again, passenger input, community outreach, research data and system analysis all provided valuable information which Metro Transit used to finalize the Metro Reimagined plan. I am sorry to you don’t feel that way.
Hi Good afternoon!
I am a regular rider on Bus #58X twin oak express. I am very excited about the new schedule and new route. However, I just found that the new schedule eliminated the last 58X morning bus, which leaves Clarkson & Hwy 40 at 6:25am, 30 minutes earlier than now (6:53am). I wonder if you could reconsider to change the last bus to around 6:50 to 7am. The reasons are:
1. Right now there are many people taking the last morning 6:53am 58X bus. Eliminating this bus require us to take the 6:25am bus, which is too early for many of us who have kids at home.
2. There will be too many people taking 6:25am bus, and that will force some of us to stand instead of sit for the hour long ride.
3. There are 5-6 people who works at WashU. The “new” last bus will arrive at Central West End at 7:37am and the earliest afternoon bus will not be there until 4:24pm. That means we will have to work almost 9 hours each day. Delaying the last morning bus by 30 minutes will solve this problem. The alternative is to move the first afternoon bus 30 minutes earlier.
Thank you very much for your time and consideration