MSN: St. Louis Is One of 10 Cities with Great Transit
Return to BlogFrom MSN City Guides: Buses and Beyond: 10 Cities with Great Transit:
St. Louis — pop. 354,361
The Gateway City is working to reinvent itself, and its MetroLink light-rail system has played a crucial part. Ridership exceeded predictions, and advocates say that the system has helped attract new shops, offices, residences and hotels in both the Missouri and Illinois sections of the greater metro area. But after a November sales-tax referendum failed to get countywide support, the system had to raise fares and make major cuts in service. Still, observers say St. Louis is a great example of the positive impact that transit can have on development patterns.
The article describes the 10 transit systems as “the best U.S. public transit systems you never knew existed.”
Way to go Metro!
You can never argue with good press. The real trick is convincing too many people around here that Metro’s buses are as good as its trains, that public transit isn’t just for “those other people” and that public transit isn’t a gateway for criminals to get into suburban neighborhoods. From the “outside”, Metro looks better than it, unfortunately, does to too many local residents and voters. And, like they say, perception is reality, especially when it comes to supporting (or not) increased funding for a valuable public amenity!