Proposition A brings significant St. Louis public transit improvements

Written by jrood

February 14, 2001 In the 100 days since the voters of St. Louis County invested their trust and new financial resources in Metro through passage of Proposition A, the agency has taken real and meaningful steps toward keeping its pledges to all of the residents of the St. Louis region, President and CEO Robert J. Baer said.

More MetroBus stops and
routes. Increased frequency for MetroLink trains. The Downtown Trolley and the
Forest Park Shuttle. Realistic plans for more service restoration and
expansion. New jobs. A no-nonsense budget.

In fact, the agency is
ahead of schedule. "We told the community we would complete service restoration
in three phases through November, but we’re going to get it done in two phases
by August 30 – three months ahead of schedule," Baer said. "That’s the kind of
service the new Metro is delivering and the kind of commitment we’ve made to
the St. Louis region. In the 100 days since Proposition A passed on April 6, we’ve
made real, measurable progress on many fronts. We’re keeping our promises and
we’re delivering real results for the people of our bi-state area.

Ray Friem, Metro’s chief operating
officer, pointed to implementing the first phase of service restoration on June
28 as the most obvious improvement since St. Louis County voters overwhelmingly
passed the half-cent sales tax in Proposition A. Even though the revenue from
Proposition A will not begin arriving until the fall, Metro made a number of
important improvements, such as the permanent restoration of service to and in
some cases expansion of 20 bus routes, as well as increasing MetroLink train
frequency by 25 percent. By the end of July, Metro will be able to announce
even more improvements to be made in the final round of service restoration on
August 30.

Baer noted that Metro’s
accomplishments in the last 100 days go beyond transit-service restoration.
Among the important progress toward keeping Metro’s pledges to the people of
St. Louis, he cited:

• Fiscal responsibility
and transparent, efficient operations. Baer said Metro passed an austere budget
for FY 2011 that includes reductions in expenditures, salary freezes and only
mission-critical hires. He also said several other financial changes are in the
works to improve Metro’s immediate and long-term financial stability, such as
restructuring one series of outstanding bonds and improving the security used
on an outstanding lease transaction. "Metro is committed to demonstrating that
we are a good steward of the public’s funds," he said.

• New jobs. Baer said
Metro is hiring 120 new operators and other support staff needed to restore
service. But he said it is also important to note the other workers in the
community who Metro is able to connect to their jobs.

• Customer service. Baer
said service restoration is only part of Metro’s focus on customer service. He
pointed to the construction of a pedestrian walkway that opened just before
Fair St. Louis to provide a safer, more direct route for visitors to access the
Gateway Arch grounds from Laclede’s Landing, through the Arch parking garage. "The
pedestrian traffic through that walkway has been amazing," he said. "It’s a
real help for not only tourists unfamiliar with the riverfront, but also for
everyone trying to reach the Arch grounds safely."

• Realistic and
economically feasible plans for service expansion. Baer said that, as Metro
promised, planning has begun on ways to expand bus service, possible new
extensions for MetroLink and innovative new transit services such as Bus Rapid
Transit. He emphasized that no expansion, including for MetroLink, will be
undertaken unless Metro has the financial resources and federal collaboration
for construction and operation.

• Bringing federal grants
and jobs to St. Louis. Baer said Metro is preparing to begin a two-year,
comprehensive rehabilitation of the historic Eads Bridge with $25 million in
federal economic stimulus funds that also will provide approximately 800 jobs
for the region. Metro also received almost $5 million in federal grants through
Homeland Security in May for several safety and security projects. These are
just two examples of attracting federal dollars to help the region improve its
infrastructure and create jobs.

"We’re bringing a new
spirit and a new energy to rebuilding and expanding the St. Louis region’s
public-transit system," Baer said. "In these first 100 days since April 6,
Metro has kept its promises to our customers and to our community. That’s what
St. Louis will continue to see as Metro focuses on moving the region forward
through building a world-class public-transit system that helps attract
economic development and quality jobs to the region."

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