NextStop Blog

Once again, Metro is offering a shuttle to and from St. Louis Mardi Gras in Soulard. Don’t bother with traffic and parking. Let us drive you!

Metro Transit is offering special MetroBus shuttle service for Mardi Gras revelers to safely and conveniently get in and out of Soulard in St. Louis for the 2013 parade and celebration on Saturday, February 9.

Mardi Gras shuttle passes cost $5 each and will be valid from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. for roundtrip travel on designated shuttles providing service between Soulard and the Civic Center MetroLink Station, located at the corner of South 14^th St. and Spruce St. in Downtown St. Louis. The shuttles will run every 15 minutes and will drop off and pick up riders at 10th St. and Marion St. near the Soulard Farmers Market.

Riders can get to the Civic Center Transit Center by MetroLink or MetroBus and can then either buy a pass for the Mardi Gras Metro Shuttle or Mardi Gras goers can also choose to take regular MetroBus routes that service the Soulard area. The #8 stop at 12th and Russell is 4 blocks away from the parade route and the #10 at Gravois and Tucker is also about 4 blocks away. The #30, #40, and #73 routes are along the parade route and will be rerouted but they will still get you close to the celebration. Check back for reroute updates.

Mardi Gras passes will be sold in advance starting this Friday, February 1 at the MetroRide store located at 7^th St. and Washington Ave. in Downtown St. Louis.

They will also be available for purchase on the day of the official Mardi Gras celebration – February 9 starting at 9 a.m. at the following Metro transit center locations: North Hanley, Delmar Loop, Central West End, Clayton, University City-Big Bend, Skinker, Brentwood, Shrewsbury, Grand, Civic Center, East Riverfront, 5^th and Missouri, Fairview Heights, Memorial, Swansea, College and Shiloh-Scott.

The Mardi Gras passes are valid ONLY for rides on the special MetroBus Mardi Gras shuttles, and are not valid for regular MetroBus or MetroLink service. In addition, no regular Metro tickets or passes can be used on the special shuttle.

No alcohol is permitted on the shuttles, MetroLink trains, Metro vehicles, or Metro property.

In addition, extra MetroLink service will be provided that day.  Trains will run every seven and a half minutes from 8:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. between the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station and the Fairview Heights MetroLink Station. Fifteen-minute service will be provided from 8:30 a.m. until 10 p.m. on the MetroLink system outside of that area– west of the Forest Park-DeBaliviere MetroLink Station to Lambert Airport Main Terminal, west of the Forest Park-DeBaliviere station to the Shrewsbury MetroLink Station, and east of the Fairview Heights MetroLink Station to the Shiloh-Scott MetroLink Station.

After 10 p.m., MetroLink will operate regular Saturday night service.  At the end of the evening, the last eastbound train from the Civic Center MetroLink Station to the Shiloh-Scott MetroLink Station will depart at 11:41 p.m., and the last eastbound train to the Fairview Heights station will leave at 12:38 a.m. with MetroBus shuttle service to Shiloh-Scott Station.                        

Westbound, the last train from the Civic Center MetroLink Station to the Shrewsbury MetroLink Station will depart at 12:13 a.m., and the last train to the Lambert Airport Main Terminal will leave at 12:21 a.m.

For more information on the MetroBus Shuttle Pass or the Mardi Gras shuttle schedule, call 314-231-2345. For Mardi Gras parade information and other event times, visit www.mardigrasinc.com.