NextStop Blog

Passengers like Ta Lisa depend on Metro transit to get to work, school and other important destinations. We hope you enjoy her story, and we’re interested in your transit story too. Email mrhibbard@bistatedev.org, and we may share your story in a future “Passenger Profile.”

Ta Lisa is a pro when it comes to riding public transit. She’s been using MetroLink and MetroBus to travel throughout the region since she was 17 years old.

Back when MetroLink first opened in 1993, Ta Lisa lived in St. Louis and relied on the new light rail system to get her across the Mississippi River each day of the week. For her, it was a quicker alternative.

“It beats the traffic,” she said. “It’s convenient.”

Today, Metro is still her go-to transportation option. On a typical work day, Ta Lisa catches the #8 Alta Sita near her home and rides to the Emerson Park MetroLink Station. From there, she rides the train to Union Station and hops on the #32 ML King-Chouteau to get to work.

“It gets me straight there,” she said. “The buses and trains are pretty much on time.”

Since Ta Lisa has been a Metro passenger for quite a while, it’s no surprise she has some travel tips.

“Don’t think you can get to your bus stop late and catch the bus,” she said, “because that bus will come on time.”

She also reminds passengers to always validate their fare and to be a courteous passenger.

“Try to be polite to those around you,” she said. “You never know if someone is having a bad day or whatever, but we are all sharing the same space, the same area.”