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Public Safety Update: Metal Detectors, More Law Enforcement and Secure Platform Plan
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Metal Detector Pilot Program
A new pilot program was announced today that will bring metal detectors to the MetroLink light rail system. The mobile metal detectors will be randomly rotated through various MetroLink locations in Missouri and Illinois, and transit riders will walk through them to gain access to the platforms.
The pilot program is in partnership with Metro Transit’s three law enforcement partners – the St. Louis County Police Department, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, and St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department. Police officers will assist in staffing the metal detector checkpoints.
“We are constantly making security adjustments and upgrades so that our customers and team members feel safer on the system,” said Taulby Roach, President and CEO of Bi-State Development. “This is a new security element and yet another tool we can use to enhance the Secure Platform Plan project moving forward to help make our mobile transit community safer.”
More Law Enforcement on the System
Taulby Roach also announced today that Metro Transit will be spending up to $750,000 in overtime for officers from the three law enforcement partners to patrol trains and MetroLink platforms this summer when more riders are anticipated to be on the transit system taking MetroLink to sporting events, concerts and festivals, especially in the downtown St. Louis corridor. MetroLink customers have asked for more police officers to be on the trains and MetroLink platforms, and officers working overtime will increase the visibility of law enforcement partners on the system over the summer months.
Secure Platform Plan Update
Last week, Kevin Scott, General Manager of Security at Bi-State Development, updated the Board of Commissioners on the progress of the Secure Platform Plan. The Secure Platform Plan is part of the a multi-tiered strategy to create a more secure transit environment by creating centralized, highly secure customer entrances at all 38 MetroLink stations.
The project has been divided into a total of six construction packages, comprised of four to eight MetroLink stations each. Stations have been selected for the first two packages. Package #1 includes the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center, College, Emerson Park and Washington Park MetroLink Stations. The design phase for this package is on track to be completed this summer, which will allow for bidding for a construction contractor in late summer 2023. Construction at the four stations in this package is expected to be completed in Spring 2024.
The Forest Park-DeBaliviere, Central West End, Cortex, Grand, Union Station, Civic Center and Delmar Loop MetroLink Stations have been selected for Package #2 of the Secure Platform Plan. The design phase for this package is scheduled to be completed in Fall 2023, with construction at those seven MetroLink stations expected to be completed in Summer 2024.
Metro Transit has been diligently collaborating with design consultant HNTB to identify the most appropriate gating and fencing solutions for the Secure Platform Plan. HNTB’s primary recommendation of a roto-gate, complemented by a swing gate for ADA and emergency access was selected by Metro Transit. Following a comprehensive analysis and scoring criteria, welded-wire fencing was selected that provides both optimal security and visual appeal for MetroLink.
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This just makes people feel not only less safe but also like prisoners. Constitutional carry on public transit now! The police will never protect anyone but themselves they have no duty to. It is up to individuals to protect themselves. If I have to stop carrying to ride metro I’ll just go back to driving.
HOPE IN JUNE THE SCHEDULE TIMES REMAIN THE SAME FOR YOUR # 31 BUS. Take this to work weekdays and weekends and everything seems fine…….thanks, tom
Why are we spending money on this when the service keeps getting cut? None of this matters if the system doesn’t achieve it’s core function of moving people around conveniently and reliably. I don’t own a car and like using transit but even I will not choose metro as my preferred method of getting around because busses coming every 30 -60 minutes is unacceptable. How are you going to attract new riders if you can’t retain old ones? A better use of these funds would be getting bus and train service to every 3-5 minutes by hiring more drivers by actually paying them competitively. These are real things that we could actually be doing now with this money instead of this security theatre