Chouteau Needs To Go On A Diet

Chouteau is too fat! Not the late Auguste Chouteau — I’m talking about the avenue named after St. Louis’ founder. Chouteau Ave has four travel lanes plus generous parking lanes, it’s too wide. I couldn’t find the curb-to-curb width but the public right-of-way (PROW) is a massive 80 feet, encompassing the road and adjacent sidewalks.

Recent road diet projects on Grand and Manchester had the number of travel lanes reduced from four to two. I don’t think that’s necessary or even a good idea on Chouteau. It’s not lined with shops, although some do still exist in places. No need to make Chouteau into a low volume shopping street but there is no reason it’s can’t accommodate the current volume of vehicular traffic AND be less hostile to pedestrians.  This takes a corridor study.

Chouteau Ave extends east to the river and west until it becomes Manchester as it crosses Vandeventer, 3.4 miles long.  The far east end isn’t as wide and is located in what will become Chouteau’s Landing. A corridor study should focus on the 3 mile stretch from S. 4th on the east to Vandeventer Ave on the west. The issues are similar end to end but I’ll use examples for the 6/10th of a mile section between Truman Parkway/18th and Jefferson Ave.

Chouteau is marked as 35mph, but given the generous widths traffic goes considerably faster.

Unlike Gravois and other roads, the right side of the outside lane isn’t marked to separate it from the parking lane. Visually this tells drivers the right lane is more than 20 feet wide compared to the 8-10 feet sufficient for a 35mph road.

Only in a few areas does anyone park in the parking lane. , most of the time it’s vacant.  Key to calming the traffic speeds is to visually reduce the perceived width of the road. This is accomplished by striping the outside lane and blub outs from the curb so the parking lane isn’t viewed as another travel lane.

The bulb outs at Mississippi Ave had nothing to do with calming the speeding traffic but providing room for pedestrians to get around the decorative markers. Still, the push out into Chouteau is helpful but one little spot on one side only isn’t enough. Traffic has a clear shot between Truman Parkway and Jefferson, more than a half mile without a signal, stop sign or even a crosswalk. That’s right, if you live on Mississippi Ave in Lafayette Square the only two safe places to cross Chouteau Ave is Jefferson Ave or Truman Parkway.

If I wanted to have lunch at Eleven-Eleven Mississippi I’d get off the bus at the stop were I took the above picture, cross and head up the street right? Wrong. Even the able-bodied risk getting hit by a car trying to cross such a wide street with fast traffic. For me, using a power chair, I’d have to go 2/10th of mile back to Truman Parkway to cross then 2/10th of a mile back to Mississippi Ave. Realistically I’d get off the bus closer to Truman but you get the point — I wouldn’t cross here because it’s too risky. In fact — I couldn’t cross the street because there aren’t any curb cuts to make it possible.

The bulb outs at Mississippi Ave have curb ramps to make it possible to continue parallel with Chouteau Ave. A corridor study of the 3 mile length of Chouteau Ave would identify key points where crosswalks are needed. Those not at intersections, like Mississippi Ave, would have a yellow caution light flashing overhead. In the 6/10th of mile between Truman Parkway and Jefferson Ave I’d suggest two pedestrian crossing points: Mississippi Ave and 22nd Street, this would equally space them 2/10th of a mile apart. Too far apart for a commercial district but adequate for this area.

This came to me recently when I attended an event at the new Sheet Metal Workers hall at Jefferson. Despite all the money spent the sidewalk wasn’t replaced.

I asked Ald Kacie Starr Triplet about this at the event and she said the city will replace the sidewalk when funds are available. The sidewalk does need replacing but we should do so much more. I wouldn’t eliminate the parking lane but use bulbs to create end caps for parking and bus stop areas.

– Steve Patterson

Poll: Thoughts On The Loop Trolley Project

The project to build a short streetcar line on DeBalivere & Delmar is moving forward:

The Loop Trolley project, having amassed almost all the $43 million it needs, is ready to move into high gear.

Construction is expected to begin late this year, with the trolleys in operation about a year later. (STLtoday.com)

A couple of open houses were held evenly to review the project.

Not everyone is impressed:

The proposed initial service plan is still less than stellar. It’s still proposed to run 11am to 6pm Sunday to Thursday and 11am to midnight Friday to Saturday. Trains will arrive only every 20 minutes and take 20 minutes to travel end to end. Its fares will not be integrated with Metro, separate tickets will be required. (Gateway Streets)

Initial vehicles will be restored “heritage” streetcars, at a cost of about $150,000 each, per the consultant I spoke with. The good news is now the line and maintenance facility are being designed to handle the modern Škoda streetcar in use in cities like Portland OR and Tacoma WA.  These new vehicles cost several million dollars each so the significantly cheaper old vehicles are the only in the initial budget.

Even though I love streetcars I haven’t been excited about the Loop Trolley, until now. I know the higher operating costs of the heritage cars will lead to them being replaced in time. Ideally modern cars will be part of an expansion of the line further east on Delmar. Wheelchair lifts on the heritage cars won’t be convenient but the low floor of the future modern streetcars will be great for quick entry/exit of passengers.

The poll this week seeks your thoughts on the project at this point, vote in the right sidebar. Results on Wednesday April 18th.

– Steve Patterson

Scooter Sales Were Up In Big in 2011

Last year motorcycle sales were basically flat but according to the Motorcycle Industry Council models that sipped gas saw big increases:

Collectively, the dozen leading brands included in the MIC’s Retail Sales Report were up 0.3 percent in 2011, compared to the year before. Fuel-efficient models did especially well. Among these brands, scooter sales rose 11.8 percent and dual-purpose bike sales were up 14.2 percent. The MIC will announce first-quarter 2012 sales for these particular brands, which represent most of the market, on April 20. (Source)

This means other models saw decreases for the total market to remain flat. The scooter I had for nearly three years was great transportation, the miles per gallon was around 80-90!  The last year I owned it I didn’t have a car — it was my only motorized vehicle.

I’ve not kept up on scooters since I had to stop riding in 2008 but there are many models available. Interestingly Honda lists the 2009 Metropolitan as the most recent version of that model.

Laws vary from state to state (list) but I liked that Missouri didn’t require registration of low speed 50cc models like my Metropolitan. Like using transit riding a scooter required you to adjust shopping trips, namely more frequent smaller purchases. The scooter did give me 24/7 mobility on my schedule.

The scooter I had couldn’t exceed 30mph or so. As a result I didn’t venture out of the city often. When I did it was on weekends or I took back routes to reach my destinations. Depending upon where you drive and your storage options a scooter might be a good choice for you.

– Steve Patterson

22nd Street Interchange Should Be Completely Eliminated

Over the last year or so the ramps on & off I-64 (Hwy 40) at 22nd have been closed as MoDOT makes repairs to infrastructure. Paul McKee’s plans for this area called for a nice boulevard and new on/off ramps at the highway. I don’t think the ramps are needed at all.  See aerial.

I use 22nd to get on and off the highway but taking Jefferson Ave is no big deal, I’ve had to do so often over the last 12-18 months when the ramps have been closed.

The Jefferson Ave overpass and exits should be rebuilt. Right now on/off ramps only serve the interstate west of Jefferson. I’d add ramps to serve the interstate east of Jefferson and create a single point intersection.  Rather than maintaining this little used, little needed infrastructure the land could be developed.

Such a development could make Union Station part of a new neighborhood of offices and apartments.

– Steve Patterson

Communicating How To Ride The Bus?

Metro’s website explaining how to ride MetroBus is very inadequate — all text — no images or video (live html or archived PDF). Let’s take a look at the all text page section by section:

Plan Your Trip

Use the online Trip Planner, check out the Schedules & Maps or contact Metro Transit Information at 314-231-2345 or 618-271-2345 to plan your trip on MetroBus.

Simple as that? Not exactly? You’ll be given a list of possible routes that you’ll need to sort through to see which is best for you. Some have more walking or transfers than others.

Catch the Bus

Arrive at the bus stop at least five minutes ahead of the scheduled arrival time. As the MetroBus vehicle approaches, signal the operator that you are wish to board the bus by standing or raising your hand.

Before boarding MetroBus, verify that the lighted sign above the windshield shows your desired route number and destination.

You’ve got to know the direction your bus will be headed to entire you are at the right stop. Many stops serve more than one route, which is why you’ve got to verify the route number on the bus.

Purchase Your MetroBus Fare

If boarding the MetroBus using a valid transfer or previously purchased ticket, give it to the MetroBus operator as you board. If using a valid Metro pass, swipe it in the fare box or present it to the MetroBus operator. 

Otherwise, purchase fare upon boarding. Exact cash is required; the fare box accepts dollar bills and coins. MetroBus operators cannot make change. If you qualify for a reduced fare, present your reduced fare identification to the MetroBus operator. If you need to connect to another MetroBus route or MetroLink, notify the operator you need a transfer.

So many unanswered questions: What’s a transfer? Previous ticket from where? What does the farebox look like? What are the fares? How do I know if I might qualify for a reduced fare?

Enjoy Your Trip

Once you have boarded, take a seat, watch for your stop and enjoy the ride. MetroBus operators will announce all major intersections.

Remember, using radios without ear plugs, smoking, eating and drinking are prohibited on all Metro Transit vehicles.

If you want to be able to hear the bus operator announce intersections you’d better pick a seat very close so you can actually hear them. Even if you do hear them it might be announced as you pass it, too late to stop. Pull the cord and get off at the next stop and walk back to wear you wanted. It’s best to know the streets and area.

Choose Your Stop

MetroBus vehicles are equipped with either cords that run along the top of the windows or vertical strips positioned between the windows. Pull the cord or press the strip to signal the MetroBus operator that your stop or destination is approaching. Depart from the front or rear door.

Mostly it’s a pull cord, wheelchair users should use the strip rather than cord because it sounds a different tone so the operator knows you need to exit so they will position the bus to permit the lift/ramp. It’s best to exit the rear door as that allows new passengers to board at the same time, you might have to ask the operator to open the rear door.

Have Any Questions?

If you have any questions about using MetroBus service, contact Metro Transit Information at 314-231-2345 from Missouri or 618-271-2345 from Illinois.

I’ve got a question, why put something many find confusing and intimidating into a text only page? Even then, why not link to other pages for information on fares and such? Better yet, why not use photos and/or videos to take some of the mystery out of riding the bus for potential new riders?

Here are a few examples from other cities:

Oklahoma City (OK)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IqBYs17J94

Minneapolis-St. Paul (MN)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns-v8_7qAN4

Stevens Point (WI)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gSkwbXbWdU

The Stevens Point website has the same video available in Hmong and Spanish.  These examples are not massive bus systems. Metro St. Louis has a YouTube channel with 19 videos but you won’t find anything helpful like the three examples above.

Years ago when I wanted to learn how to use the bike rack on the front of the bus I was frustrated by Metro’s text-only approach so I turned to YouTube for instruction. For over four years now Madison County Transit across the river in Illinois has had a bike and bus video — narrated by my friend (and MCT employee) SJ Morrison:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyyZYduZqYY

My only suggestion is to not board to tell the operator you plan to load your bike. Make eye contact with the operator and load your bike while others are boarding. If you are the only person boarding at that stop it’ll be obvious to the operator you’ll be loading your bike.

I’d like to see Metro St. Louis use photographs and videos to demystify the bus riding experience. I know personally it’s very easy once you learn but before then it’s very intimidating.

 – Steve Patterson