And it has even motivated citizens to vote for increased taxes so it can grow. MetroLink is fast. It s not terribly expensive. It s also disabled-accessible. The floors of the cars and station platforms are on the same level, and the stations have ramps or elevators or both.
Security is a high priority.
Fare collectors may show up on the cars, or they may not. One never knows. The money saved in ticket-takers is spent on security officers who make sure no unruly soul sullies MetroLink s reputation, explained Tom Shrout, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit of St. Louis. That reputation is so good now, he said, that people who originally said, Don t put any trains in my back yard, now want to know when MetroLink will be coming in their direction. If Shrout talks like a proud papa, that s because Citizens for Modern Transit first proposed building a rapid transit line along old railroad rights of way back in the early 80s.