Weekly poll: Where do you live?

In honor of the start of the 2010 Census, I want to know where you live.  I know quite a bit from my statistics about all readers, but those that take the time to vote each week in the poll (right sidebar) is only a fraction of the total readers for that time period.

The choices provided are:

• City of St. Louis
• St. Louis County (inside I-270)
• St. Louis County (outside I-270)
• St. Charles County, MO
• Jefferson County, MO
• Metro East (IL)
• Kansas City metro
• Other Missouri
• Chicago metro
• New York City metro
• Elsewhere in the United States
• Canada
• UK
• Country other than USA, CAN or UK
• Other:

The poll is in the right hand column.

– Steve Patterson

Poll results: reader’s bus ridership high

I was pleasantly surprised by the results of last week’s poll:

Q: Have you ever ridden a municipal bus?

1. Yes in St. Louis and other cities 181 [ 67%]
2. Yes but not in St. Louis 50 [19%]
3. Yes in St. Louis only 18 [7%]
4. No and I have no plans to ride a bus ever 13 [5%]
5. Not yet but I plan to do so 4 [1%]
6. Other answer… 3 [1%]

The three other answers were:

1. Rode in STL; vacationed in San Antonio
2. I certainly have and I was born in West County, went to public school
3. Yes, but never riding again

Only 5% had no plans to ride a bus for the first time.  Hopefully these folks will reconsider at some point.  I’m curious if they have ridden our light rail?

Nearly 20% hadn’t ridden a bus elsewhere but not in St. Louis.

– Steve Patterson

Poll: What activity do you want to see added to the Gateway Mall?

Now that I have been appointed to serve on the Gateway Mall Advisory Board I’m thinking about the master plan and what details still need to be worked out.  One of those is activities in some of the blocks.  As a representative of the people I know to get a sense of what you think is needed somewhere along the linear park.

The question is:  What activity would you like to see added to the Gateway Mall? Pick only one:

• Tennis
• Ice skating
• Skateboard/BMX park
• Picnic/BBQ area
• Basketball
• Level field for kickball, etc
• Minature golf
• Farris Ferris wheel
• Dog park
• Unsure
• Other

I have some strong feelings about what will work better than others but I want to get your viewpoint before I share mine.   The poll is open until the morning of Sunday March 28, 2010.  I will share the results on Wednesday March 31, 2010.  Please vote in the poll on the right and share any thoughts you have below.

– Steve Patterson

Water is wet and readers prefer Google Maps

Online maps it is not the most riveting subject, but still interesting.  I too use Google Maps as my online mapping service.  It is not always accurate; Google never did figure our the 2 year closure of I-64 while other mapping services offered alternate routes.  I assumed most everyone used Google Maps but I didn’t realize to what extent:

• Google Maps 113 [76%]
• MapQuest 25 [17%]
• Other answer… 5 [3%]
• Yahoo Maps 4 [3%]
• MSN Maps 1 [1%]
• I don’t map directions online. 1 [1%]

Four other answers were Bing Maps and one was the iPhone map, which is Google-based.  I had to look up #2 MapQuest to see who owned it: AOL.  I was never on AOL so that would explain why I never got hooked on their maps.

Competition is a good thing so hopefully other map services will keep Google on their game.  During the week the poll was conducted Google Maps made a big new addition:

“Google Maps started life in 2005 offering directions for drivers, added transit routes in 2007, expanded to pedestrian navigation in 2008 — and now it covers bicycles, too.” [Washington Post]

This service will need improvement but I’m very pleased to see the addition.  Happy mapping!

– Steve Patterson

Have you ever ridden a municipal bus?

In the last week it came to my attention that I know many people, including some supporting Proposition A, have never once ridden a city bus.  That was me well into my 30s. So my poll this week is trying to see if readers here have actually ridden a bus or not. The poll is in the right column.

I’m still no daily rider but I’ve ridden the bus in several cities so I feel I know enough to give a general overview.  Hopefully more experienced riders will add their tips in the comments below. The route number for the bus is show at the top and on the sides, #13 in the above example.  Where you have more than one bus using the same stop this is helpful so you get on the correct bus.  All our buses here have bike racks on the front. I was very nervous the first time I went to place my bike on the rack.

In these examples the rack is folded up since it is not in use.  Loading your bike just requires you to pull down the rack so you can load your bike.  Each rack will hold two bikes in opposite directions from each other. The rack has trays for the wheels and a bar to hold it securely in place.  For more information see Metro’s Bike-N-Ride FAQ page.

Regular adult fares are $2.00 and $2.75 with a transfer valid for a connecting bus.  Bus drivers do not give change so if you use three singles to buy a pass w/transfer you will not get any change. Unlike our light rail where you buy a ticket and just walk on, with a bus you pay as you enter.  The fare box accepts bills and coins.  Riders with passes just swipe their pass as they enter. See the Metro Fare Chart for all the details.

Riders are asked to exit the set of doors that are midway toward the back.  That allows new passengers to begin entering the bus.   Unlike our light rail, or commuter rail/subways in other cities, a bus doesn’t automatically stop at every stop.  A pull cord runs along each side of the interior of the bus.  You pull the cord to alert the driver you wish to stop at the next stop.

If you are among those that has never ridden a municipal bus I encourage you to do so.  I still prefer modern streetcars but the bus has a place in most transit systems.

– Steve Patterson