NextStop Blog
Rail’s History in Labor Day and MetroBus Reroutes for Labor Day Weekend
Return to BlogWhen you think of Labor Day, you may think of BBQs and parades, but you also might want to think of railroads. Labor Day became a federal holiday in 1894 by President Grover Cleveland, after the deaths of several labor strikers and law enforcement during the Pullman Strike in Chicago. Led by railroad car workers, the Pullman Strike reflected a country embroiled in labor issues, and Labor Day was part of the subsequent compromise with the federal government.
Today, residents across the bi-state region celebrate Labor Day in many different ways, and special events are great opportunities to get out and enjoy the food and fun in several communitites. Please take a look at the following events and subsequent reroutes for MetroBus. All of these events are still transit accessible (with bus route adjustments for street closures).
MetroBus and MetroLink will run on a holiday schedule on Monday, September 5 with Sunday timetables in observance of Labor Day.
St. Louis Labor Council Labor Day Parade – Downtown St. Louis
#41, #70, #74
#94, #95
#99 (Weekend congestion reroute due to street closings)
#4, #10
#11, #30, #32
Belleville Labor Day Parade – Belleville, Illinois
#1, #16
Gateway Cup- Benton Park Criterium Cycling Race
#30, #73
St. Louis Art Fair (Clayton)
#47, #97
#66
St. Clair Square Midwest WingFest (Fairview Heights, IL)
#12, #16
Also, transit to these great festivals:
Big Muddy Blues Festival
MetroLink Arch-Laclede’s Landing
Japanese Festival – Missouri Botanical Gardens
#14 (Saturday only), #80
St. Nicholas Greek Festival
#1, #95, MetroLink
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Why keep the weekend congestion details secret from the public on MetroBus Route #99? I know some streets are going to be closed, but why the secrecy of the reroute? That’s a good way to loose riders.
No secret Patrick. The reroute details were available on the link for the #99 and on the rider alerts.
Please register me for the emergency kit give away
You need to fill out the registration form on our website to be included in the drawings for the Red Cross Emergency Preparedness Kits. The next drawing is on Friday, Sept. 16. If you register before noon that day, your name will be in the next three drawings! Good luck to you.
Hi Courtney!
I think part of what Patrick is getting at is that while, as you state, the #99 changes were in the rider alerts section and the #99 link itself, they don’t “stick out” – you have to go looking for them. Even in this post – the #99 route is called out but has no link. I mean, the #99 has its own “come ride me” banner on Metro’s website. Surely you could have added something there that would indicate the changes, particularly given that this was a holiday weekend.
Since we’re talking about the #99…I was out Friday evening down on Washington Avenue. Lots of people were out, many dressed up for an evening out. Others had obviously walked from the Cardinals game. I saw the #99 pass approximately six times (counting both directions) – and exactly two riders. I saw the #32 come by once, and it was nearly full. Several things struck me – first, that it was great to see life in city. It would be nice to see all of downtown have the atmosphere that Washington Avenue has. Second, it was how cheap the #99 looks. I realize I have well-documented grievances with the #99, but the painted bus looked completely out of place when compared with the surrounding area, which has gone more upscale. It was very difficult to see the #99 as a serious attempt at transit in an area of the city that actually had people in it. To put it in perspective – there was a ballgame that night, and the #99 doesn’t pass too far from the stadium. Nobody took it.
New order of busses coming soon?
DII, we should receive more than a dozen new MetroBuses at the end of this month or early in October.