Getting To Fair St. Louis In Forest Park

Fair Saint Louis begins today in Forest Park. The event is usually held on the Arch grounds but will be relocated to Forest Park this year and next year due to City+Arch+River construction.

For weeks now we’ve been hearing complaints about having to pay $30/car to park in Forest Park. I’m glad such a premium is placed on parking, this has hopefully forced people to consider transit, carpooling, etc.

For those who have mobility issues, there is is a substantial walk just to reach a gate. If you’re taking a friend or family member that has difficulty walking distances please consider taking their manual wheelchair along, no wheelchairs will be available in the park. The best view of the stage will be from the top of Art Hill, which is accessible using the trail & sidewalk network.

Links:

• Maps, directions & parking (special info for disabled near bottom)
• Events
• Park Neighbors, Q&A
• Other 4th of July events

We’re taking MetroLink to Forest Park tonight to see the fireworks, are you going to Fair Saint Louis?

— Steve Patterson

Readers: No Free Parking During Downtown Events

In the poll last week more than two-thirds of readers the voted clearly support Tishaura Jones’ decision to continue enforcement of parking meters.

Q: Should the St. Louis Treasurer suspend parking meter enforcement during downtown events?

1. No 99 [67.81%]
2. Yes 41 [28.08%]
3. Maybe 5 [3.42%]
4. Unsure/No Opinion 1 [0.68%]
5. Yes, but only for the Komen Race 0 [0%]

I agree with Jones and those who voted no, too many events to say parking is free. How far away from the event would be free? What about events held elsewhere, would those events also have free parking too? Look, I’m sorry the Komen Race organizers failed to make it clear to participants that on-street parking hasn’t been free since July 2013. The ticket is only $10, take transit or carpool next year.

— Steve Patterson

Fare Increase Starts Today

Metro’s new fares begin today:

The option most favored by the public was Option 2 which will raise the prices of the MetroLink one-ride fare, as well as the weekly, monthly, and university semester passes. The cost of the one-ride MetroLink fare will increase from $2.25 to $2.50. Weekly passes will increase from $25 to $27; monthly passes from $72 to $78; and the semester pass will go from $150 to $175.

The fare increase will not impact the $2 base MetroBus fare and the 2-Hour Pass/Transfer will remain at $3.00. The cost of the $7.50 Day Pass will not change nor will the current $4.00 Metro Call-A-Ride fare. (Metro)

The 2-hour pass is the same as a transfer, used on MetroBus or MetroLink light rail. This $3 pass/transfer allows riders who want to ride any combination of bus or rail, in any direction, within a 2-hour window, to do so for little more than the base fare. Those who don’t need more than a single ride in two hours can pay the one ride fare ($2 bus, $2.50 light rail).  I can imagine some weekly/monthly pass holders going to one ride or 2-hour passes, they’ll need to do the math to determine the most cost effective way for them to use Metro. I don’t use the system enough to justify a monthly pass.

One system similar in size to Metro is Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority (RTA). Their fares start at $2.25 for “Bus/Rapid/BRT” and are $2.50 for their “Park-N-Ride Bus.”   For transfers I looked at their FAQ:

Transfer Privileges are included in all RTA fare media: the All-Day Pass, 7-Day Flex Pass or Monthly Pass, and 5-trip farecards. RTA riders paying cash no longer receive transfers and should consider purchasing farecards or passes.

Interesting, if you buy 5 tickets in advance they each cost the same as one but include a transfer. I looked at 6-8 other systems and each has a unique way of handling the question of transfers. Some make everyone pay for a transfer but market it as being “free.” I like the option of just paying the base fare for most trips, upgrading to a 2-hour pass/transfer when I need to.

— Steve Patterson