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Citizens For Modern Transit’s Tom Shrout Has Retired

ABOVE: Cake at Tom Shrout's retirement party was made to look like a MetroLink train
ABOVE: Cake at Tom Shrout's retirement party was made to look like a MetroLink train

Earlier in the week Tom Shrout retired after 22 years as the head of the transit advocacy organization Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT). I always knew Tom had done a lot to get MetroLink light rail going but I learned in greater detail from the CMT board members (past & present) who spoke. Tom is a true transit user and advocate.

The follow are comments CMT’s Grace Corbin made at the annual meeting on 9/17/2010:

“For the last 22 years, Executive Director Tom Shrout has served at the helm of CMT – helping to make great strides in public transit for the region. When Tom took over the organization in 1988, the public transit system in St. Louis was very different. St. Louis had no light rail, no car sharing, low transit ridership, no real Amtrak station, and not much belief in the need for a good transit system for the region. Through his quiet steadfast leadership at the helm, the membership of CMT has helped to build the political and public will to change the landscape of public transit.

During his tenure, the region has seen the opening of not one but three light rail lines – spanning more than 40 miles, between 2 states and a river. There have been significant increases in bus and train ridership gaining national recognition. A car sharing program, WeCAR by Enterprise was inaugurated. With the passage of Prop. A., now there is the commitment on the part of the region to ensure a good public transit system to build livable communities with light rail. All the while, Tom led by example, taking MetroLink to work everyday, going to a one-car family, zipping around in WeCar. . . Tom believed that if we built transit, people would ride it and they did in droves.

Tom had the foresight for CMT to bank more than 8 miles of right-of-way for future expansion. This proved critical for the Cross county line. It was through his foresight and guidance, the CMT Board took a major financial risk this year to subsidize the educational campaign – “Some of us Ride it, All of us Need it” even though many said the campaign was naïve. The campaign was a huge success with people quoting it on the streets, in speeches, Facebook and everywhere we turned. Prop. A passed with 63 percent of the votes – all with Tom leading the public education charge.

Time and time again, Tom has proven that public transit, and in particular light rail is the way to build livable, sustainable communities – truly living and leading the mission of CMT.”

Fortunately Tom, and his wife Debbie, will continue living in the Central West End and Tom will sit on the CMT board. CMT has established the Tom Shrout Endowment Fund for educational purposes to move transit forward in the region. The goal is to raise $22,000.

L to R: University City Mayor Joe Adams, Debbie Shrout, and Tom Shrout
L to R: Former University City Mayor Joe Adams, Debbie Shrout, and Tom Shrout

Thank you Tom Shrout, you’ve made a lasting contribution to our region, each time I swipe my monthly pass on the bus or board a light rail train I will think of you!

– Steve Patterson

 

No Bike-N-Ride In St. Clair County Illinois

ABOVE: A bike rack on the front of a Metro bus at the CWE station
ABOVE: A bike rack on the front of a Metro bus at the CWE station

Using bike racks on the front of local buses is a great way to combine two efficient modes of transportation but interestingly those in St. Clair County don’t know the benefits.

Sometimes two-wheel transportation just isn’t enough to get you there. All MetroBus vehicles, except those in St. Clair County, IL, are equipped with easy-to-use external bike carriers. (emphasis added)

The above is the first sentence of Metro’s Bike-N-Ride page.  Really, no bike racks? Metro buses in Missouri all have racks as do buses operated by Madison County Transit.

ABOVE: A Madison County Transit bus at 5th & Missouri in East St. Louis IL
ABOVE: Bike rack on a Madison County Transit bus at 5th & Missouri in East St. Louis IL

I found it hard to believe that one county in our region had bus service sans bike-n-ride.  I had to see for myself.

ABOVE: Metro bus without a bike rack at 5th & Missouri in East St. Louis, IL
ABOVE: Metro bus without a bike rack at 5th & Missouri in East St. Louis, IL

Sure enough, the buses operated by Metro and serving St. Clair County IL don’t have bike racks.  I’ve been told if a bus from Missouri is reassigned to St. Clair County the rack is removed.  For me this is a “WTF?” moment.

ABOVE: Metro bus without bike rack at the Belleville IL MetroLink station
ABOVE: Metro bus without bike rack at the Belleville IL MetroLink station

Don’t blame Metro, they are under contract with the St. Clair County Transit District:

The St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) was created in 1981 under the Illinois Mass Transit District Act. SCCTD does not operate any buses directly but has executed contracts with others to provide transportation service for the fifteen townships that make up the District. The fifteen Townships in the District include:Belleville, Canteen, Caseyville, Centreville, East St. Louis, Engelmann, Lebanon, Mascoutah, O’Fallon, St. Clair, Shiloh Valley, Smithton, Stites, Stookey, Sugarloaf

How is it possible that a transit board, appointed by the chairman of the St. Clair County board, could short change so many?  So I asked why no bike-n-ride.  I received a very prompt reply:

“Because the chairperson of the st. Clair county transit district board does not want them on the buses. Her name is Delores Lysakowski. You can contact her mon- fri at 618-628-8090.”

ABOVE: bikes at the Belleville IL MetroLink station in St. Clair County
ABOVE: bikes at the Belleville IL MetroLink station in St. Clair County

So one person decided an entire county should receive a different level of bus service than others in the region! Thankfully she hasn’t disconnected the wheelchair lifts — yet. If you disagree with Delores Lysakowski’s decision to prevent bike-n-ride in St. Clair County, please contact St. Clair County Transit to let them know.

– Steve Patterson

 

Metro Transit Agency Fills In Gaps In St. Louis’ Sidewalks

ABOVE: new sidewalk at N 14th & O'Fallon St.
ABOVE: new sidewalk at N 14th & O'Fallon St. extends to a bus stop

Transit needs to meet the needs of its customers.  One need is to be able to reach the transit vehicle. In many parts of the city the sidewalk network is incomplete or so poor it is no longer passable. Metro, our local transit agency, has stepped up to do what it can do to fill in gaps here and there.

Ideally this intersection, N 14th & O’Fallon, would get new sidewalks when a new urban building is constructed. But that is years away, if ever.  We can’t wait for new structures to get new sidewalks.

– Steve Patterson

 

Forced into the street again

July 30, 2010 Accessibility, Public Transit Comments Off on Forced into the street again

Last week I posted about being forced into the street to reach the bus stop on 14th Street between Washington Ave and Delmar.  The issue was a major lack of wheelchair curb cuts at 14th & Lucas, the alley/street to the north of Washington Ave.  So Friday when I wanted to take the same bus from the same stop I knew I need to approach from another direction.

ABOVE: 14th & Delmar
ABOVE: lack of curb cuts at SW corner of 14th & Delmar

I crossed Washington Ave to the north at the crossing at 16th Street.  One block east on Washington and then north on 15th one block to Delmar. Heading east to 14th it didn’t take long for me to see I was going to have issues crossing 14th Street.

The SE corner where I was headed has a curb cut.  Interestingly, neither street – Delmar or 14th — has a curb cut to correspond with the SE corner. So again I was back in the street, in drive lanes instead of crosswalks, to reach the bus stop.  Trust me, “driving” a wheelchair on the road is not a comforting feeling.

Yesterday I caught the same bus south of Washington Ave, next to the main library. Much easier access! All bus stops should be accessible. Remember, my access issues are not the fault of our transit agency, Metro – the city has failed to ensure access by missing curb cuts in a few places.

– Steve Patterson

 

Forced into the street to reach the bus stop

Last Saturday I decided to catch the #30 Soulard bus northbound to go to Old North St. Louis.  For new readers, I often use a motorized wheelchair to get around.

ABOVE: 14th & Lucas
ABOVE: 14th & Lucas

So you can imagine the challenge of getting past 14th & Lucas to reach the bus stop  on the curve, just before the building in the background.  I ended up going in the street until I got to a drive just before the stop.  My only alternative was to go several blocks further in the opposite direction. The lack of accessibility was no fault of the transit agency.  No, the blame is squarely on the city.  Just a hundred feet away is Washington Ave where tons of money was spent some years ago on a fancy streetscape.  So if I stay on one street the accessibility is decent.

– Steve Patterson

 

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