2/3 Of St. Louis' Mass Transit System Just Disappeared!

[BlooInBloo]

Holy shit.

http://www.eschatonblog.com/2009/03/really-awesome-public-policy.html

"Starting Monday, St. Louis' mass transit system will reduce service radically. The service area for this multibillion-dollar regional asset will shrink by two thirds, literally overnight.

The Metro transit agency faces an operating deficit of $45 million this year, which is expected to reach $50 million next year. Nearly one in every four of its 2,300 employees will be laid off in the coming weeks. Many highly skilled and productive employees already are being poached by transit systems in other regions.

Service will end at 2,300 of the 9,000 bus stops and shelters on Missouri's side of the system; service in Illinois, which is fully funded, won't be affected. A bus fleet of 320 will shrink to about 140. MetroLink light rail riders will see one-third fewer trains during rush hour. Call-A-Ride service for the disabled will be slashed."

[rucky]

1. I thought that's what the rescue funds were for?

shit fire.

[Kdillard]

3. Good question what happened to the funds ?

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Not enough to save mass transit in St Louis

[1]

10. the funds can't be used for operations, just new infrastructure...

[Kdillard]

2. Scary. We are hoping to avoid that in New York.

[BlooInBloo]

4. I would have assumed NYC losing any significant part of its transit wasn't an option.

[proud2BlibKansan]

7. People in St Louis drive cars

In NYC not so much.

[Kdillard]

8. They are trying to avoid it but whatever they do will involve some service cuts, fare increases and

and some job loss.

[BlooInBloo]

11. Ok. Shitty, but infinitely better than 2/3 of it up-and disappearing.

[marmar]

6. New York would grind to a halt with a huge cut in transit......

..... though I understand they're jacking the fares up quite a bit.

[we can do it]

5. The Black Hole In This Country Keeps Growing Money, Buses, Jobs Disappear

[ColbertWatcher]

12. This is a result of the federal budget going to Iraq.

The federal government cut money that would have gone to the states, which have in turn been forced to cut programs to make up for the losses, thus leaving the cities to pay for everything, or start cutting.

[Fovea]

13. So tell me again why we need a military base

for every nation in the world, and then some?

[BlooInBloo]

14. It's never made all that much sense.

[proud2BlibKansan]

15. To keep that military industrial complex strong

:patriot:

[Fovea]

18. That my dear, may be the most cogent answer all day.

But then again, you are all that.

Reminds me of that Robert Wison quote -- 'support your state police for a better police state."

[depakid]

16. That's the sort of thing that happens when Congress cuts 40+ billion in federal revenue sharing

out of the stimulus.

Heck of a job!

[Jkid]

17. Are they're insane?!

What about people who rely on transit because they can't afford to drive their cars anymore or just want to get to their jobs?

[BlooInBloo]

21. No, they're broke.

[dysfunctional press]

19. that headline may be somewhat misleading...

Service will end at 2,300 of the 9,000 bus stops and shelters on Missouri's side of the system

i don't know ANYTHING about st.louis public transit system, or of the types of cuts they're going to make-
but just because a bus makes fewer stops along it's route- if that's part of what's happening- it wouldn't really be right to say that equates to the 'service area' shrinking. for instance- if buses stopped avery two blocks, and then changed to every four blocks- that wouldn't mean that the service area had been cut in half- just that some people would have to walk farther, or wait longer- if the number of buses on a route were cut as well.
admittedly- when actual routes are cut entirely, it's a different story- unless there was already a lot of overlap, route-wise, and whole areas don't lose service completely.

[Hannah Bell]

20. 25% of emplyees laid off, 320 busses to 140, 1/3 fewer trains in rush hours, disabled service cut.

not misleading, & not just cutting some stops.

[dysfunctional press]

22. yes, misleading...

"25% of emplyees laid off, 320 busses to 140, 1/3 fewer trains in rush hours, disabled service cut"(not eliminated completely).

25% is not 2/3...
180 is not 2/3 of 320...
1/3 is not 2/3...

and if the 'service area' is cut by 2/3, that would mean that they must be just about only be serving the central city...do the commuter trains only go out to 1/3 the distance into the suburbs that they used to? :shrug:

[MyUserNameIsBroken]

24. From St. Louis

The commuter trains didn't go out that far to begin with, on the Missouri side at least.

The service area being cut was not densely served as it is in the City of St. Louis (which is not part of St. Louis Co., long story). However, many routes were eliminated in full, both in the central service area and stretching out to the suburbs, or had the suburban ends lopped off, cutting them in half.

At this point, few buses go more than about ten miles from Downtown, none more than twelve (on the MO side).

There is a back story, though: a sales tax increase to maintain service was defeated in November. The primary reason is that the local transit agency, Metro, had just lost a lawsuit against the group of contractors that had gone over budget extending the light rail service. The judgment cost Metro a couple of hundred million dollars in legal fees they had to repay the defendants, and virtually any goodwill it might have had left in the community.

[file83]

23. Bailout the Corporate Fat Cats, let the poor figure out how to get to work on their own.

Makes perfect sense. This way the poor will be motivated to buy more GM cars!! :crazy: