Noxious Weeds Outside St. Louis’ Gateway Transportation Center

The city-owned Gateway Transportation — home to Amtrak, Greyhound, and Megabus — has a landscaped area between it and the adjacent Civic Center MetroLink station. The landscaping has never been noteworthy.  I was at the ribbon cutting in November 2008, but my exterior landscaping pics aren’t that old.

On the 7th of this month we were at the station early to catch our train to Chicago. I stopped to snap a pick of the…weeds.

Less than a week later I came down to the area the morning after the Blues won the Stanley Cup. I was quiet at Enterprise, but I really noticed the weeds from the MetroLink platform.

I sent these images to a landscape architect friend, she said it might have been intended as a native garden — but she sees “some thistles (noxious weed).” All landscaping requires regular weeding, something this hasn’t had.

The city issues citations to homeowners for less than this. If a homeowner had this as their yard the city would come mow it and send them a bill. This looks completely unkept, neglected.

It would be nice to see more attention paid to this area since it’s in such a highly-visible location. I can only imagine what our guests from Boston must’ve thought.

I don’t know if this landscaping is the responsibility of the city’s comptroller, Metro, or some other entity. I’ll send this post around today and hopefully someone will step up and get the landscaping cleaned up. Or the city will ticket itself?

— Steve Patterson

Elevator Problems Again Ruin Arrival At Gateway Transportation Center

In August 2017 I called The Gateway Transportation Center (Amtrak/Greyhound) Amshack #3, writing:

For at least 5 years the opener to the outside door leading from Civic Center MetroLink station hasn’t worked. Same with a urinal in the main men’s room. Our train from Chicago arrived about 15 minutes early on Sunday July 30th . The up escalator from the platform wasn’t working so everyone had to use the elevator up. Once over the tracks we needed to get down to the main station. The down escalators and elevator weren’t working — stairs were the only option. There were families with small children and I’m in my wheelchair. My husband goes down the stairs to see if anyone can help.

Earlier this month we took the train to Chicago — our first since last July. Upon arrival on Wednesday February 7th I was pleased the outside door opener had finally been fixed! I didn’t use the restroom so I’m not sure out the urinal. Both elevators worked fine  — the first up to the walkway over the tracks and the one to the 1st platform.

My renewed optimism for the station was shattered upon our return. Our train arrived about 30 minutes late — about 1am on Sunday February 11th. We’d just missed the last bus out of the adjacent Civic Center MetroBus Transit Center. We just wanted to get out to 14th Street so we could roll/walk home.

But like our return in July 2017 — an elevator wasn’t working. This time it was the elevator up from the platform. I knew the way to the end of the platform, through the employee parking lot, to the employee entrance — that elevator, not working last time, worked this time.

A building less than a decade old shouldn’t continually have problems. St. Louis has low standards.

— Steve Patterson

The Gateway Transportation Center Is Now Amshack #3

St. Louis’ first Union Station opened in 1875. but proved too small very quickly. The significantly larger Union Station we know at 18th & Market opened 19 years later on September 1, 1894.

The busy days of Union Station lasted through WWII, but then saw declines.

As airliners became the preferred mode of long-distance travel and railroad passenger services declined in the 1950s and 1960s, the massive station became obsolete and too expensive to maintain for its original purpose. With the takeover of national rail passenger service by Amtrak in 1971, passenger train service to St. Louis was reduced to only three trains a day. Amtrak stopped using Union Station on October 31, 1978; the six trains daily did not justify such a large facility. The last to leave Union Station was a Chicago-bound Inter-American. Passenger service shifted to an “Amshack” one block east, now the site of the Gateway Multimodal Transportation Center. (Wikipedia)

Ticket sales stopped inside the main building for a while, moving to a temporary building under the big train shed. But in 1978 service was moved to the first of two buildings commonly known as “amshack”. The first was a glorified portable building. complete with T1-11 siding.   The 2nd Amshack was of concrete block, opened in December 2004, still exists.

Amtrak service is in the Gateway Transportation Center, just East of Amshack #2, now used by Amtrak workers.

The Gateway Transportation Center is the City of St. Louis’ state of-the-art multimodal transportation hub. It is conveniently located in the heart of downtown St. Louis where Amtrak passenger train, Greyhound bus, and Metro light rail and bus service converge. This new facility provides passengers with a clean, safe, and friendly transportation center featuring 24-hour operations staff and security. (St. Louis Comptroller)

I was there on November 21, 2008 when St, Louis opened the new Gateway Transpiration Center with Amtrak & Greyhound bus. Megabus is a recent addition.

Since opening, I’ve used all three  — Megabus, Greyhound, and Amtrak. In the last 5 years I’ve had at least a dozen round trips from this facility. Most recently returning on Amtrak from Chicago on July 30th.

The Gateway Transportation Center is now, in my opinion, Amshack #3. It’s an embarrassing dump.

For at least 5 years the opener to the outside door leading from Civic Center MetroLink station hasn’t worked. Same with a urinal in the main men’s room. Our train from Chicago arrived about 15 minutes early on Sunday July 30th . The up escalator from the platform wasn’t working so everyone had to use the elevator up. Once over the tracks we needed to get down to the main station. The down escalators and elevator weren’t working — stairs were the only option. There were families with small children and I’m in my wheelchair. My husband goes down the stairs to see if anyone can help.

I knew a ramp existed at the East end of the platform, used ro drive golf carts up to assist those who can’t walk the distance. I make it to the employee parking lot but the elevator I need to get up to the station is the same one I couldn’t use to get down. The only option was to “drive” my wheelchair out of the parking lot, through the gate, to the street.

Though Amtrak is just a tenant, it would’ve been nice had they told me the elevator was broken as they got me off the train. I want to know why something is always broken at the Gateway Transportation Center. Is the Comptroller’s office incapable of managing the building? Is proper maintenance beyond debt and rent?

For many travelers this is their first experience in St. Louis. Welcome.

— Steve Patterson

New Switchback Ramp Between Civic Center MetroLink & Gateway Transportation Center Should Reduce Accidents

To reduce pedestrians being hit by light rail trains they’ve been making changes to conflict points, this is about the access to the Civic Center MetroLink Station from the Gateway Transportation Center, which opened in late 2008.

This change may also be related to the coming smart card technology, a reader is shown above. The question I have is will I have a problem passing through the Civic Center MetroLink to reach the Gateway Transportation Center?

— Steve Patterson

Readers Like St. Louis’ Gateway Transportation Center

In the poll last week readers liked our combined Amtrak & Greyhound station but were not impressed with the surroundings.

Q: St. Louis’ combined Amtrak & Greyhound station opened on 11/21/2008. Your thoughts on the station?

1. Can’t compete with the heyday of Union Station but it is a vast improvement over facilities for the decades prior. 84 [58.74%]
2. The station is OK but the immediate area needs attention. 33 [23.08%]
3. Other answer… 11 [7.69%]
4. James Howard Kunstler was right, it is an embarrassing eyesore. 8 [5.59%]
5. Unsure/no opinion 5 [3.5%]
6. I didn’t like it at first but I’ve warmed to it. 1 [0.7%]
7. I liked it at first but I’m less and less impressed as times goes on. 1 [0.7%]

The following are the “other” answers:

1. I LOVE IT !
2. Needs to be near the Metro, needs multilevel parking garage.
3. nice. but money should be invested in union station
4. Should of used Union Station
5. Why not re-use Union Station? It works, and would make it seem less empty
6. Where is the option for like?
7. It is an eyesore, and embarrassing that the original is so under-utilized.
8. functional, but architecturally weak
9. I like it, plain and simple
10. It’s not terrible, but an under utilized Union Station is criminal!
11. I have liked it all along.

Amtrak pulled out of Union Station in the early 70s, switching to a shack under the large train shed and finally to a “temporary” along the rail lines.  Union Station, a massive structure, was sold to private developers.  Additional structures have been constructed between the former station and the rail lines.  Amtrak doesn’t like to back into stations.  Need more reasons why not Union Station?

I don’t get the comment above, “Needs to be near the Metro.”  They could not be any closer together!

ABOVE: View of Civic Center MetroLink & bus transfer center as seen from the east entrance