| Metro Transit | |
|---|---|
 | |
_(cropped).jpg) .jpg)   Metro Transit services: MetroLink, MetroBus, Call-A-Ride, Loop Trolley | |
| Overview | |
| Owner | Bi-State Development Agency |
| Locale | Greater St. Louis,Missouri–Illinois, U.S. |
| Transit type | Bus Light rail Streetcar Paratransit |
| Number of lines | 58 bus routes 2 light rail lines 1 streetcar line |
| Number of stations | 5,000+ (bus) 38 (light rail) 10 (streetcar) 25 (transit centers) 26 (park and ride lots) |
| Daily ridership | 64,600 (weekdays, Q2 2025)[1] |
| Annual ridership | 20,426,900 (2024)[2] 12,350 (2024, Loop Trolley)[3] |
| Chief executive | Taulby Roach |
| Headquarters | One Metropolitan Square 211 North Broadway St. Louis,Missouri, 63102, U.S. |
| Website | metrostlouis.org |
| Operation | |
| Began operation | 1963; 62 years ago (1963) |
| Reporting marks | BSDA |
| Number of vehicles | 22Siemens SD-400s 50Siemens SD-460s 276Diesel buses 24Electric buses 123Call-A-Ride vans 2GomacoBrill replica streetcars |
Metro Transit is the main public transit operator in theGreater St. Louis region, which spans the states ofMissouri andIllinois in theMidwestern United States. Its services includebus,light rail,streetcar,microtransit, andparatransit.
Metro Transit's service area includes the city ofSt. Louis and St. Louis County in Missouri and St. Clair County, Illinois. The agency is an enterprise of theBi-State Development Agency, aninterstate compact established in 1949. In 2024, the system had an annual ridership of 20,426,900, or about 64,600 per weekday as of the second quarter of 2025.
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The enterprise now known as Metro Transit was founded in 1963 when the Bi-State Development Agency, using a $22.5 million bond issue, purchased and consolidated 15 privately owned transit operators to sustain efficient and reliable public transportation in the region.[4][5] These services would operate under the Bi-State name until 2003, when the agency would beginoperating as Metro. In 2015, the Bi-State Development name would be resurrected for theparent organization and the public transit enterprise renamed Metro Transit.[6]
In the 1960s, after taking over the private operators, Bi-State consolidated bus lines and in 1966 shut down the St. Louis region's last streetcar service, theHodiamont line. Its right-of-way was paved over and replaced with buses.[4] In 2018,Great Rivers Greenway began soliciting feedback for turning the 3.5-mile (5.6 km) former transit corridor into a greenway.[7][8]
In the 1970s, the system became one of the first in the United States to use buses equipped with wheelchair lifts.[4] In June 1973, with a financial crisis approaching, Bi-State threatened to end all bus service at the end of that month.[9] In response, theMissouri General Assembly passed the Transportation Sales Tax Act allowing St. Louis and St. Louis County to levy a half-cent sales tax for public transportation.[10] With the additional funding, Bi-State lowered the bus fare from 40 cents to 25 cents.[4][9]
In the 1980s, Metro Call-A-Ride begandemand-response service to help people whose physical or cognitive disabilities prevented them from independently using regular fixed-route bus service. In 1986, Arts in Transit, Inc. was founded, which is a 501(c)(3) organization that ensures the integration of local art and design in the transit system.[11] In 1987, theEast-West Gateway Council of Governments completed a study that recommended light rail with an integrated bus network as the next step forward for the St. Louis region’s public transit system.[4]
Construction on the region's first light rail line began in 1990 by reusing former railroad rights-of-way includingdowntown subway tunnels and theEads Bridge.[4] The first 13.9-mile (22.4 km) segment opened on July 31, 1993, between theNorth Hanley and5th & Missouri stations. The remainder of this initial alignment was completed on June 25, 1994, when the extension toLambert Airport Main opened. Three infill stations have been added to this original alignment.East Riverfront in 1994,Lambert Airport East in 1998, andCortex in 2018.[12][13] In 2001, MetroLink doubled in length with a 17.4-mile (28.0 km) extension toSouthwestern Illinois College inSt. Clair County. Two years later, a 3.5-mile (5.6 km) extension brought service toShiloh, Illinois.[12] In 2006, Metro opened the 8-mile (13 km) Cross County extension running from theForest Park-DeBaliviere station toShrewsbury, Missouri.[14]
After St. Louis County voters defeated Proposition M in 2008, Metro shelved all expansion plans and was forced to cut 24 Missouri bus routes.[15][16] In 2010, County voters passed Proposition A, a half-cent sales tax increase, to restore service cuts and fund system expansion under the banner of Moving Transit Forward.[17][18] In 2013, the St. Louis County Council authorized loaning Metro $400 million of surplus Proposition A funds to pay off debt related to the Cross County extension.[19] In 2017, St. Louis City voters passed Proposition 1, a half-cent sales tax increase estimated to generate $12 million per year for MetroLink expansion.[20] In 2019, the State of Illinois provided theSt. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) $96 million in funding to extend MetroLink fromShiloh-Scott toMidAmerica St. Louis Airport inMascoutah, Illinois. SCCTD began construction on the extension in 2023; Metro is expected to begin operating it in spring 2026.[21][22][23]
In 2021, Metro introduced the region's first electric buses: 40-foot and 60-footarticulated models.[24] In February 2022, Bi-State's board voted in favor of Metro taking over operation of the troubledLoop Trolley.[25] Later that year, Metro reopened the trolley and received a $1.26 million grant from theEast-West Gateway Council of Governments to operate the service on a seasonal schedule for the next several years.[26][27][28] In November 2024, Metro announced the Loop Trolley ended that season within budget and with a 44% increase in ridership.[29]
On July 26, 2022, aflash flood shut down MetroLink for nearly 72 hours and caused roughly $40 million in damage.[30][31] The flood damaged nearly 5 miles (8.0 km) of track bed, two elevators, two communications rooms, three signal houses and destroyed two MetroLink vehicles and a Call-A-Ride van.[32] By that September, normal Red Line service had resumed while restricted service continued on the Blue Line.[33] On July 31, 2023, Metro received $27.7 million in federal emergency disaster relief funding to help cover the cost of restoration.[34] In March 2024, Blue Line platform and speed restrictions were lifted after repairs on the last signal house were completed.[35]
In May 2023, Metro received a $196.2 million federal grant to purchase new light rail vehicles to replace the remaining SD-400 cars.[36] Six months later, Bi-State's board approved a contract withSiemens Mobility worth up to $390.4 million for as many as 55 battery-hybridS200 light rail vehicles with delivery expected to begin in early 2027.[37][36][38] In September 2024,turnstiles began initial operation at four Illinois stations as part of Metro'sSecure Platform Plan.[39][40] Seven Missouri stations are slated for completion by early 2025[41] with the remaining stations and an upgraded fare collection system expected to be in place by early 2026.[42][43][44]
Since 1963, Metro Transit has continuously provided bus service in the Greater St. Louis region. Metro currently operates 44 fixed bus routes in Missouri and 14 fixed bus routes in Illinois.[45] In September 2019, Metro launched Metro Reimagined, a restructuring of Missouri bus routes that increased frequency on busy routes and discontinued six low-ridership routes.[46][47] That same year, Metro also removed or relocated more than 360 of the system's 5,400 bus stops.[48] In June 2021, Metro introduced the region's first electric buses including 40-foot and 60-footarticulated models. The 60-foot articulated buses are used exclusively on the #70 Grand bus line, the region's busiest.[24]
In 2020, the onset of theCOVID-19 pandemic caused a sharp decline in MetroBus ridership and initiated a labor shortage that had reduced Metro's ability to offer comprehensive service to passengers.[49][50][51] In an effort to recruit more drivers, Bi-State's board signed a contract in August 2023 withAmalgamated Transit Union Local 788, which approved salary increases and a signing bonus.[52] By the end of 2024, MetroBus had increased its operator ranks from 556 to 673[53] allowing it to increase frequency or add service on 35 Missouri and 7 Illinois routes, including the addition of four new routes.[54][55][56][57][58]
Since 1993, Metro Transit has operatedlight rail service in the Greater St. Louis region. Today, the system consists of theRed andBlue lines, with 38 stations and 46 miles (74 km) of track. The Red Line runs fromSt. Louis Lambert International Airport in northwest St. Louis County to Shiloh, Illinois, nearScott Air Force Base in southeast St. Clair County. The Blue Line, opened in 2006, connects Shrewsbury, Missouri, to the Red Line atForest Park-DeBaliviere. A 5.2-mile (8.4 km) extension of the Red Line fromShiloh-Scott toMidAmerica St. Louis Airport inMascoutah broke ground in 2023 and is expected to be operational by 2026.[59][22][23]
While officially light rail, MetroLink features many characteristics of alight metro orrapid transit service,[60] including a completely independent right of way, a higher top speed, and level boarding at all platforms.[61][62]
Since 1987, Metro Transit's Call-A-Ride demand response service has provided alternative transportation to residents who have limited access to MetroBus or MetroLink and/or disabled residents who are unable to use those services.[63] In April 2023, in response to operator shortages, Metro announced that it would reduce its service area for Call-A-Ride, primarily in southwest and far north St. Louis County, a move that drew criticism.[64][65]
Via Metro STL is an app-based, on-demandmicrotransit service provided byVia Transportation with Metro Transit. The service launched in June 2020 to serve exurban areas of St. Louis County with few bus stops and limited MetroLink service. It provides rides in three service zones; North, South and West.[66][67] In 2024, the service completed 277,623 rides.[68]
TheLoop Trolley is a 2.2-mile (3.5 km)heritage streetcar line that runs from City Hall inUniversity City to theMissouri History Museum andForest Park in St. Louis. The 10-station line travels alongDelmar Boulevard through theDelmar Loop and DeBaliviere Avenue between Delmar and Forest Park. Connections can be made to MetroLink at both theDelmar Loop andForest Park–DeBaliviere stations.
On February 18, 2022, Bi-State's board voted in favor of Metro Transit taking over operations after several financial setbacks and closures.[25] In August 2022, Metro reopened the trolley and received a $1.26 million grant from theEast-West Gateway Council of Governments to operate the service on a seasonal schedule for the next several years.[26][27][28] In November 2024, Metro announced the Loop Trolley ended that season within budget and with a 44% increase in ridership. Additionally, at its current service level further funding requests would not be necessary.[29]
Metro Transit uses aproof-of-payment system that requires riders to carry passes and present them on demand to security personnel. When boarding MetroBus, riders with valid passes present them to the operator and those without passes are able to pay exact change into the onboard farebox.[69] Beginning in 2024, MetroLink will convert to apaid access system as part of itsSecure Platform Plan.
Metro also accepts some fares fromMadison County Transit (MCT) on its services. MCT's 2-hour regional pass is accepted as full fare on MetroBus and MetroLink and its senior/ADA passes qualify as reduced fare on Metro services. In addition, Metro's 2-hour pass/transfer is valid for a single bus trip on MCT with no additional charge.[70]
Residents called tojury duty in Metro's service area may travel on MetroBus and MetroLink free of charge.[70]
| Metro Transit Fare Structure | ||
|---|---|---|
| Metro Fare Type | Mode | Current Fare |
| Cash Base Fare | Bus | $1.00 |
| Cash Base Fare | Rail | $2.50 |
| Cash (Reduced Fare)* | Bus | $0.50 |
| Cash (Reduced Fare)* | Rail | $1.25 |
| 2-Hour Pass/Transfer† | Bus/Rail | $3.00 |
| 2-Hour Pass/Transfer (Reduced Fare)*† | Bus/Rail | $1.50 |
| 2-Hour Pass (from Lambert Airport)† | Bus/Rail | $4.00 |
| (10) 2-Hour Passes† | Bus/Rail | $30.00 |
| One-Day Adventure Pass | Bus/Rail | $5.00 |
| Weekly Pass | Bus/Rail | $27.00 |
| Monthly Pass | Bus/Rail | $78.00 |
| Monthly Pass (Reduced Fare)* | Bus/Rail | $39.00 |
| Combo Pass | Bus/Rail | $98.00 |
| University Semester Pass | Bus/Rail | $175.00 |
| Metro Call-A-Ride | Call-A-Ride | $2.00 |
| *Reduced fares require a Metro reduced fare permit[70] † Two-hour passes can only be purchased as a mobile fare option on the Transit app[70] | ||
Metro Transit operates 308 vehicles for MetroBus, including 276 35- and 40-foot low-emission,low-floor diesel buses made byGillig; 10 electric 40-foot Gillig buses; and 14 electric 60-foot articulatedNew FlyerXE60 buses.[71] Electric buses are charged overnight at the Brentwood and DeBaliviere garages, while in-service charging is at the North Broadway Transit Center.[72][73] Each MetroBus vehicle has a two-bike bike rack, available first-come, first-served.[74]
Metro also operates 123 Call-A-Ride vans.[71]
All MetroBus and Call-A-Ride vehicles have an accessible lift or ramp and include priority seating.[75]
At its largest, Metro Transit operated a fleet of 87Siemens light rail vehicles for MetroLink, including 31SD-400 cars and 56SD-460 cars.[76] As of 2024, Metro operated 22 SD-400s and 50 SD-460s.[71] Two SD-460s were destroyed in a July 2022 flash flood.[77][78] Metro services trains at its Ewing and 29th Street railyards. All light rail vehicles areaccessible and include priority seating and spaces for those using mobility devices. Riders may walk bicycles onto the rear of the first train car and the front and rear of the second car.[75][74]
In May 2023, Metro received a $196.2 million federal grant to purchase a fleet of newSiemens S200 light rail vehicles to replace the remaining SD-400 cars.[36] Six months later, Bi-State's board approved a contract withSiemens Mobility worth up to $390.4 million for as many as 55 battery-hybrid light rail vehicles to replace aging rolling stock.[37][79] The onboard traction batteries would allow a train to travel 5 miles (8.0 km) without overhead catenary wire.[79][80] Delivery of the new vehicles is expected to begin in 2027.[38][36] Meanwhile, Metro is refurbishing many of the remaining SD-460 cars for continued use.
Metro currently operates twoGomaco-built Council Crest replica streetcars fromPortland, Oregon for the Loop Trolley.[81][82] Both vehicles were modified for wheelchair accessibility to meetADA regulations before entering service.[83] Previously, the district owned three ex-Melbourne, AustraliaW2-type streetcars that had operated on Seattle'sWaterfront Streetcar,[84] these three units were returned to Gomaco in 2024.[85]
Metro Transit has a similarlivery across all of its services except its battery-electric buses and the Loop Trolley. In 2019, Metro began phasing in a new livery for its vehicles.[86] Previously, MetroLink vehicles had a white base with a red stripe running horizontally beneath the windows that turned into a dashed blue stripe near each operator cab. The front included Metro's "M" logo centered between vertical blue, red, and white lines. MetroBus and Metro Call-A-Ride were similar, except the red stripe continued around the rear of the vehicles.
The new livery is made up of a blue base with white accents. On MetroLink, the stripe was moved further below the windows so the word "metro" could be inlaid within it and the tops of the cars were painted black. Metro Call-A-Ride uses this same design. MetroBus includes two large white circles on either side of the bus. The horizontal stripe has been eliminated, save for a small portion on either side of the word "metro." All three services retained Metro's "M" logo on the front of their vehicles.[86]
Metro's battery-electric buses are a shade of lime green on the front and rear with shades of blue in the center accented by a green leaf pattern. A white stripe runs horizontally near the base with the word "metro" and an image of apower plug inlaid within it. This livery is part of a partnership withAmeren Missouri.[87]
In January 2024, the agency announced that it would cease to sell advertising that covers the exterior of buses and trains, citing aesthetic reasons. The 144 exterior advertisement spaces had generated up to $1.5 million annually through contractorVector Media but had also drawn complaints.[88]
Metro Transit's executive leadership is made up of President and CEO Taulby Roach and Chief Operating Officer Charles A. Stewart. As an enterprise of theBi-State Development Agency, Metro's leadership answers to Bi-State's Board of Commissioners.[89] As of 2024, the agency had roughly 2,000 employees.[90]
Security for the Metro system is provided by contracted uniformed police and Metro's own security guards. Known as "bumblebees" for their neon-yellow and black uniforms,[91] Metro security guards enforce fare collection and other rules, patrol trains, and help passengers. The system also has contracts for officers with theSt. Louis County Police Department, theSt. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Department and the St. Louis City Sheriff’s Department.[92]
Security features in vehicles, stations and transit centers include lights, closed-circuit television monitoring, emergency telephones, police and security patrols, and radio communication between operators and MetroBus and MetroLink control centers.[92]
Kevin Scott is the General Manager of Security for Metro Transit.[89]
Metro's operating budget is funded by sales taxes from the city ofSt. Louis andSt. Louis County and theSt. Clair County Transit District. Other funds come through federal and state grants and fare-paying passengers.[93][94] Metro's operating budget in FY2025 is $328,980,534 in addition to a 3-year capital budget of $1,037,311,983.[95] Combined sales tax appropriations between the three supporting jurisdictions is estimated at $312 million in FY2025 with federal grant revenue estimated at $4.2 million and Missouri state funding estimated at $750,000.[95][96][97] Passenger revenue is estimated at $21.8 million.[98]
In 1973, theMissouri General Assembly passed the Transportation Sales Tax Act which allowed St. Louis, St. Louis County andKansas City to levy up to a half-cent sales tax for public transportation.[9][10] In 1981, theIllinois General Assembly passed the Local Mass Transit District Act allowing counties to levy up to a quarter-cent sales tax for public transportation.[99][100] Additional ballot initiatives are listed in the table below:
| Sales tax ballot initiatives | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballot measure | Year | County | Sales tax | Result |
| Transportation Sales Tax Act[10] | 1973 | City of St. Louis | 0.5% | Passed |
| 1973 | St. Louis | 0.5% | Passed | |
| Local Mass Transit District Act[100] | 1981 | St. Clair | 0.25% | Passed |
| Proposition M[9][99][101][102][103][104] | 1993 | St. Clair | 0.5% | Passed |
| 1994 | City of St. Louis | 0.25% | Passed | |
| 1994 | St. Louis | 0.25% | Passed | |
| 1996 | St. Charles | 0.5% | Failed | |
| 1996 | St. Charles | 0.5% | Failed | |
| 1997 | City of St. Louis | 0.25% | Passed† | |
| 1997 | St. Louis | 0.25% | Failed | |
| 1997 | Madison | 0.5% | Failed | |
| 2008 | St. Louis | 0.5% | Failed | |
| Proposition A[102] | 2010 | St. Louis | 0.5% | Passed |
| Proposition 1[105] | 2017 | City of St. Louis | 0.5% | Passed |
| †[106] | ||||
In 2019, theSt. Clair County Transit District was awarded $96 million in Illinois infrastructure funding to build a 5.2-mile (8.4 km) extension of theRed Line fromShiloh-Scott toMidAmerica St. Louis Airport inMascoutah.[107] This extension will include two 2.6-mile (4.2 km) segments, a double-track and a single-track segment, along with a station at the airport.[108] Construction on the extension began in 2023 with Metro expecting to begin operations in early 2026.[109][22][23]
In 2023, Metro began a system-wide rehabilitation program that will last several years.[110] That spring, Metro began rehabilitating thedowntown subway tunnels,[111] including theLaclede's Landing,Convention Center, and8th & Pine stations.[112][113] Elsewhere,catenary wire, curve tracks, platforms, retaining walls, staircases, and system conduit are to be upgraded or replaced.[114][110]
Beginning in 2025, Metro will start rehabilitating theUnion Station tunnel[115] with rehabilitation of the Cross County tunnels beginning in 2026.[116] The latter will include the renovation of theSkinker andUniversity City–Big Bend subway stations and the construction of a storagesiding near theRichmond Heights station.[116][117] In 2026, Metro expects to complete upgrades to the Supervisory Control Automated Data Acquisition (SCADA) and Public Address/Customer Information (PA/CIS) systems.[118] The upgraded SCADA/PA/CIS will operate as an integrated system that monitors and controls operations and will allow Metro to providereal-time arrival information to passengers, such as live displays at stations.[119]
In 2024, Metro Transit began addingturnstiles at all MetroLink stations as part of its $52 million Secure Platform Plan (SPP). Stations will also receive a new fare collection system, more fences, passenger-assist telephones, and more than 1,800 cameras to be monitored at a center opened in November 2022 at Metro's Central Garage.[43][120]
The SPP will be implemented in three "packages" with full operation expected to begin in 2026.[44] In September 2023, Bi-State awarded a $6.4 million contract to Millstone Weber LLC for the first package covering four Illinois stations.[121] The gates at these first four stations began operating in September 2024.[40][39] However, due to delays in implementing a new fare collection system, Metro staff will operate the fare gates manually at first.[44] The second package covers seven Missouri stations and is also slated for completion by early 2025.[41] The remaining stations and the upgraded fare collection system are expected to be operational by early 2026.[42][43][44]
In 2022, Metro proposed the Green Line,[122] a north-south on-street light rail line that would have lacked the rapid transit-like characteristics of the existing MetroLink system, instead resembling other U.S. on-street light rail lines.[123][124] Running 5.6 miles (9.0 km) primarily on Jefferson Avenue, the line would have served about 10 stations between Chippewa Street in South St. Louis and Grand Boulevard in North St. Louis.[125] In September 2023, Bi-State Development's board approved a 4-year, $18.9 million contract with the joint venture Northside-Southside Transit Partners to provide consulting services for the design phase of the project.[126] The 2023 design study estimated 5,000 daily boardings, $8–9 million in annual operating costs, and $1.1 billion in capital costs.[127]
In September 2025, Metro and St. Louis officials cancelled the Green Line project primarily due to cost concerns.[128] That month's Bi-State Development board meeting meeting saw commissioners vote to update the Program Management Consultant contract to evaluate alternative options for the project, with a focus onbus rapid transit.[129] In that same meeting commissioners approved a study for bus rapid transit in the Jefferson corridor, a project that could cost between $400 and $450 million.[130][131]
An extension of the Green Line into North St. Louis County had been explored. In 2023, four alternatives were proposed that would have continued the line from the Grand/Fairground station along Natural Bridge Avenue toward the county.[132] By 2024, County leadership had rejected all four routes primarily due to the unfunded 3-mile (4.8 km) gap between the Grand/Fairground station and the county line.[133] Additionally, concerns were raised about federal funding, ridership, right-of-way constraints and other factors.[133]
Many of these services were proposed after the passage of Proposition A in 2010 when Metro Transit released its 30-year plan,Moving Transit Forward.[134]
Moving Transit Forward identified five potential MetroLink extensions as part of its long-range plan: North-South, Daniel Boone, MetroSouth, MetroNorth, and Madison County.[135] Most of these proposals have never moved beyond the initial study phase because of uncertainties about funding, ridership potential, community support, and other factors.[136][137][138][139]
Moving Transit Forward also identified five potential bus rapid transit lines. Four would have run along highways that connect downtown St. Louis to its suburbs: I-44 to Eureka, I-64 to Chesterfield, I-55 to South County, and I-70 to St. Charles County. A fifth line would have run alongGrand Boulevard in St. Louis.[135] As of 2025, Metro and the City of St. Louis are studying a potential bus rapid transit line along Jefferson Avenue in place of the cancelled Green Line light rail project.[131]
Initially, two long-distancecommuter rail lines were proposed as part of Moving Transit Forward. Both would have run from theGateway Transportation Center in downtown St. Louis toAlton, Illinois, and thePacific, Missouri area.[135] Both routes carry existing Amtrak service. Neither has been studied for local commuter rail service.
| Lines |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Infrastructure | ||
| Rolling Stock | ||
| Rail Yards and Shops | ||
| Major Transit Centers | ||
| Connecting services | ||
| Other Connections | ||
| Expansions | ||
| Operators | ||
Italics denote lines or service which are planned or not operating Bold denotes primary transfers or terminals | ||