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October 30, 2009
Metro Links for October 30
Return to BlogHere are some interesting tidbits from around the internet to help you kick off your Halloween weekend.
- Metro President & CEO Bob Baer sat down with the Post-Dispatch’s “Along for the Ride” crew and discussed his recent decision to stay on permanently at Metro, as well as the agency’s fiscal future.
- Is it out with the hybrid, and in with the…nothing?
- The East-West Gateway Council of Governments has started a blog, Renewing the Region.
- Bike-share Vending Machines – a good idea/ Would it work here? Would you use them from time to time?
- MoDOT tv: Watch “The Life Cycle of a Highway“
- Enjoy some photos from last week’s Metrolink prom, here and here.
MetroLink Prom Queen, courtesy of Miss MetroLink
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Instead of “Bike-share Vending Machines”, how ’bout just some simple bike lockers at suburban metrolink stations, available for daily or monthly rentals?
Bike vending machines _seem_ like a good idea, particularly if they are near college campuses. But in the city? Sadly, I think we would see something happen similar to what has happened with a similar scheme in Paris, France.
Bikes in Paris
Secured bike storage would be nice, particularly at stations like North Hanley, Brentwood, and Shrewsbury. They could double as a place to store a 50cc scooter.
That’s a bummer story, RT. When I was in Paris over the summer I saw many of these bikes – both racked and being ridden – all over the city and thought it was a great idea. However, couldn’t something as simple as requiring a credit card on record as security stop such stupidity? Certainly there would be no throwing of bikes into the river if the person who checked it out had to pay the $400 to replace it.
I am, admittedly, a little cynical — but I can see the $400 security used as an excuse for some elements of society to “liberate” the bikes by less than legal means.
Could it work in areas of St. Louis? Sure. Clayton, and _maybe_ the heart of the CWE. Cant see it working too many areas beyond that, particularly as so much of St. Louis is suburbs without a recognizable “town core”. The bike racks in cities like Paris work because they take people places, and there are places to park/store/rack the bikes when done. If you are going to ride your bike to the grocery store, there might actually be a place out front you can lock it to. Try that here in St. Louis. St. Louis is also not the most “bike friendly” of towns.