Here in St. Louis we have an ongoing light-rail system project called Metrolink.
This has been plagued by the same sorts of problems all big projects are subject to, cost overruns, property aquistions, labor disputes, complaints about the projected routes, etc.
Up until August 24th, the existing route has been a straight-line shot from the "East Side" (from around Belleville, Ill.) over the river and out past the airport here in St. Louis. Usefull to some degree for those along the route, but not much for me.
However, on the 24th, they opened the new addition. This runs from Shrewsbury (a small suburban community on the South side of the city) up through Clayton (the county seat and big-time buisness district) past Washington University (where I work) and on out to where it links up with the existing route near Barnes Hospital.
This made the thing very attractive to me, since I could:
1. Park for free at the Shrewsbury station, instead of paying the 400-dollar "staff" parking permit fee at the university.
2. Ride the Metrolink for free as an LEO.
Two days now, no problems, and I feel like a big-city commuter. I can even take my bike aboard for a quick ride to the police station. Looks like ridership is pretty good; the trains are pretty full on the ride back South.
These are electric trains, and the stations are well-designed; you just step off the train onto the station walkway.
We are being urged to "help out" with security at the two stations that adjoin the university property. These are large underground facilities that will no doubt attract drunken students, homeless folks, and cruising gang members.... We'll see.
So far, it looks like a nice system.
This has been plagued by the same sorts of problems all big projects are subject to, cost overruns, property aquistions, labor disputes, complaints about the projected routes, etc.
Up until August 24th, the existing route has been a straight-line shot from the "East Side" (from around Belleville, Ill.) over the river and out past the airport here in St. Louis. Usefull to some degree for those along the route, but not much for me.
However, on the 24th, they opened the new addition. This runs from Shrewsbury (a small suburban community on the South side of the city) up through Clayton (the county seat and big-time buisness district) past Washington University (where I work) and on out to where it links up with the existing route near Barnes Hospital.
This made the thing very attractive to me, since I could:
1. Park for free at the Shrewsbury station, instead of paying the 400-dollar "staff" parking permit fee at the university.
2. Ride the Metrolink for free as an LEO.
Two days now, no problems, and I feel like a big-city commuter. I can even take my bike aboard for a quick ride to the police station. Looks like ridership is pretty good; the trains are pretty full on the ride back South.
These are electric trains, and the stations are well-designed; you just step off the train onto the station walkway.
We are being urged to "help out" with security at the two stations that adjoin the university property. These are large underground facilities that will no doubt attract drunken students, homeless folks, and cruising gang members.... We'll see.
So far, it looks like a nice system.
Where I work, parking is $140 per month ($1680 per year).