Next Tuesday, October 7th, is the third and final event Metro will host to get customer input into changes to MetroBus routes once the new Transit Center opens about a year or so from now. From the press release:
Metro transit is inviting MetroBus customers and the public to learn more about the new North St. Louis County Transit Center at three upcoming informal meetings. The new transit center, which is scheduled to open in fall 2015, will be located at 3140 Pershall Road between West Florissant Avenue and New Halls Ferry Road in Ferguson. The new MetroBus facility will feature an indoor passenger waiting area, public restrooms, concessions, and a free Park-Ride lot.
The new Metro transit hub will transform bus service in the North St. Louis County which is one of Metro’s fastest growing public transit markets. It accounts for 19 percent of MetroBus and MetroLink ridership.
Since North County MetroBus routes will change when the new transit center opens, the open-house style meetings will be an opportunity for customers to help plan and shape MetroBus service. There will be no formal presentations so Metro employees can talk with MetroBus riders about their transit needs in North County. Riders will be encouraged to discuss options on how MetroBus routes should connect with this new facility and the surrounding communities.
The first two were held at St. Louis Community College at Florissant Valley Student Center (September 30th) and North Hanley MetroLink Station (October 2nd). The 3rd will be at the Riverview-Hall Transit Center at 9021 Riverview Drive on Tuesday October 7th from 2pm-6pm.
The following nine MetroBus routes will get you to Riverview-Hall:
If you use public transit in North County it’s important Metro’s planners hear from you.
Transit riders look at information boards on Thursday October 2, 2014
Yesterday I stopped by the 2nd event, at the North Hanley MetroLink station. I learned Metro planners want to know the locations where people use transit. Routes will change once the new transit center opens, they want to supplement the rider information they already have.
A candidate forum will be held at 7pm tonight, Monday September 29, 2014, at the Carpenter Library
If you’re a registered voter in the 15th ward I urge you to attend the candidate forum at 7pm tonight, Monday September 29, 2014, Carpenter Library, lower level, 3309 S. Grand
Here are the four candidates, in reverse ballot order:
Can’t make it tonight but want to meet the candidates? The Royale St. Louis Bar & Grill has another forum on Thursday, October 2nd 9pm-10:30pm. Here’s the description of the Facebook event as of 9/18:
In a special election on October 7, voters if the 15th Ward will elect a new alderperson. Three candidates are running for the open seat, and this event will allow them to share their views and passions. The format will be simple: the moderator will pose questions with yes or no answers, and then allow each candidate time for the short one-word answer and an elaboration. People will leave knowing without a doubt where these candidates stand. Clear answers make informed voters who make a stronger city.
The Royale is a great venue because it serves Tower Grove South, the ward’s largest neighborhood. While currently located in the 10th ward, the Royale has been previously included in other wards before including the 15th, and has many patrons within the 15th. In 2023, when the city reduces from 28 to 14 wards, who knows — the Royale could be represented by one of the four stars of this evening’s event!
Neither the Royale nor the moderator have endorsed or otherwise supported any of the four candidates, or any committee that has endorsed or supported them. Fair and impartial, y’all.
If you’re a 15th ward voter please try to attend one or both of these events.
To my knowledge, the only one of the four I’ve met in person. I met Smythe through her work at Trailnet. As an independent candidate, Smythe submitted at least 106 signatures from valid 15th ward voters to be on the ballot.
Green also gathered & submitted signatures to be on the ballot.
Joshua D. Simpson
Website: unknown
Facebook Page: unknown
Twitter: unknown
I was unable to find online information on this candidate or how the GOP nominated him. I did find the St. Louis Republican Central Committee website and Facebook page, no mention of Simpson on either.
Democratic Committeeman Tod A. Martin & nominated McDaniel, the Committeewoman, for the ballot.
So there are the four individuals seeking to become the next alderman representing the 15th ward. If you’re a registered voter in the 15th ward I urge you to look into all four and consider attending the upcoming candidate forum on Monday September 29, 2014. 7pm @ Carpenter Library, lower level, 3309 S. Grand
The special election is in three weeks, Tuesday October 7, 2014.
Fair Saint Louis begins today in Forest Park. The event is usually held on the Arch grounds but will be relocated to Forest Park this year and next year due to City+Arch+River construction.
For weeks now we’ve been hearing complaints about having to pay $30/car to park in Forest Park. I’m glad such a premium is placed on parking, this has hopefully forced people to consider transit, carpooling, etc.
Layout of the fairgrounds within Forest Park
For those who have mobility issues, there is is a substantial walk just to reach a gate. If you’re taking a friend or family member that has difficulty walking distances please consider taking their manual wheelchair along, no wheelchairs will be available in the park. The best view of the stage will be from the top of Art Hill, which is accessible using the trail & sidewalk network.
The weekly poll that started on Sunday morning is about parking, but there’s more on the subject. First, St. Louis Treasurer Tishaura Jones is hosting an open house tonight:
The City of St. Louis Treasurer’s Office will conduct a town hall meeting to give the public the chance to meet the vendors participating in the parking technology field tests in downtown and the Central West End.
The meeting will be June 24 at the Central Library in downtown. A meet and greet with the vendors will take place at 6 pm, with a presentation to begin at 7 pm. The companies participating in the town hall are: Xerox, Duncan Solutions, Aparc Systems, and a joint proposal submitted by T2 Systems, Inc., Republic Parking System and Digital Payment Technologies. (source)
As of yesterday morning, tonight’s open house still wasn’t listed under the “Upcoming Events” heading. The above quote is from the blog post listed under “News” 0n May 29th, not holding my breath they’ll list the event as an event. The open house seeks feedback on the field tests of new parking meter technology. First, a little help with some of the jargon you’ll hear.
“Multi-space parking meters” includes two very different types: pay-per-space and pay-and-display. With the former each parking space is assigned a number for you to use when paying at a pay station, the latter you pay at a pay station but get a receipt to stick inside your car window to show payment, spaces aren’t formally designated. The pay-and-display form of multi-space parking meters aren’t being tested in St. Louis. Everyone should be familiar with single space meters.
A flaw recently occurred to me in the design of the pilot project to study two types of technology (Single space meters & Pay-per-space/multi-space stations) from four vendors. Two areas areas of the city were selected to try these: the Central West End (CWE) and Downtown. The problem is someone decided to test both vendors with single space meters in the CWE and two out of three pay-per-space stations downtown. One vendor, Xerox, being tested at Euclid & Laclede, has both single space meters & pay-per-space stations. To control for different conditions, users, etc. one of each type of technology should’ve been placed in each neighborhood, no single space meters are being tested downtown.
Single space meter being tested on Laclede accepts credit cards & mobile payments…coins too
The most recent numbers compares the four vendors to each other, with no reference to historical revenues for the test areas with the current meters. Is one higher because of the technology or because that spot is busier?
The latest numbers on the four vendors, distributed earlier this month at the Parking Commission meeting. Received vis a Missouri Sunshine Law request. Click image to view 2-page PDF on Scribd.com
As you can see above payment by coin (red) is larger than credit card (blue), with mobile payments barely registering. It’s expected after a system is selected that credit card and mobile payments will make up the bulk of the revenue. None accept bills.
Thankfully the Treasurer’s Office realized they need parking professionals to guide the city into the future…at least with respect to parking, they recently announced a firm to act as a consultant:
Desman Associates responded to a request for proposal (RFP) to hire a consultant to evaluate the City’s current on and off-street parking programs and to recommend improvements to the parking system. Desman Associates has conducted several parking studies in St. Louis, including studies for Ballpark Village, the Peabody Opera House, Grand Center, and Washington University.
“The parking study will be used to reform the current parking system and offer guidance as we look to implement new parking technology and modernize an outdated system,” said Tishaura O. Jones, Treasurer of the City of St. Louis. “We look forward to working with Desman Associates to create a first class parking operation for the City.”
DESMAN Associates, is a professional corporation with more than 100 professional and technical personnel. The firm is a leading national specialist in transportation improvements and the planning, design and construction administration of functionally efficient, attractive and cost effective parking facilities. Since the firm’s inception in 1973, DESMAN has served public, private and institutional Clients and Owners throughout the U.S. and abroad and has provided planning, design, and restoration services for over 1,500 parking projects.
DESMAN operates from the nine following office locations:
New York*
Chicago
Cleveland
Washington, D.C.
Hartford
Boston
Denver
Ft. Lauderdale
Pittsburgh
DESMAN Associates is also recognized as a certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) by many states, municipalities and other government and public agencies that may help clients meet or exceed their affirmative action goals and policies.
* Corporate office
I’m not sure if representatives from Desman Associates will be at the open house tonight, I’ll be there (Central Library) to meet the four vendors at 6pm and see the presentation at 7pm. Remember, when Tishaura Jones ran for the office in 2012 she said repeatedly she didn’t want to be a “parking czar.”
UPDATED 6/25/2014 @ 7:30am, after talking with teams last night:
The Xerox team is advocating a mixed approach for St. Louis with some multi-space stations and some single space, depending on the conditions. Block faces with few spaces the single space meters are more cost-effective to install. Other teams indicated they also advocate using both even though they’re only testing one type.
In cities where a mobile app can be used everywhere the use rate ranges from 10-50%, right now so few meters accept mobile payments few have bothered to set up accounts.
I was highly impressed by all four teams, the two mobile companies, and the town hall event.Kudos!
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