Not in service
We’ve all seen “Not in Service” displayed on local transit buses. Local PBS station KETC went to Metro’s garage on DeBaliviere at Delmar (aerial image) to show us what happens to the buses when they return to the garage:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZG3eTDai-vU
Keeping transit on the street and rails is certainly a lot of work. For voters in St. Louis County, please keep this in mind as you go to the polls on April 6, 2010. Without funding the region’s mass transit will say “not in service” 24/7.
– Steve Patterson
Thanks for posting this, Steve!
I got a tour of the radio room not long ago, and they actually have computers in the engines of some of the newer buses that report problems to the garage before the operator can even detect them! The preventative maintenance program on both the buses and the light rail vehicles is incredible and they win all kinds of awards for it; and save tons of money and delays because there are hardly ever breakdowns. The people that run the garage and shop facilities are first class, and it's nice to see their work appreciated!
I need one of those vacuums for my house 😉
Don't worry… St. Louis will get some more stimulus money and quickly pump that directly into Metro, even if it gets voted down again, instead of funding other more important projects…
It looks like Metro garage is well run, it narrows the focus to the lack of solid urban and transit planning as the cause for Metros problems. Clearly the system is not seen as indispensable by the general public. The excuse is always money, but the inability to engage in creative thinking is the real problem.
Is this the ultimate design of a transit system with the funds available? Obviously the answer is no. If it was yes no one would be questioning the tax.