North South Metrolink Expansion
This is a copy of a letter I sent to the Post-Disptach on the subject of Metro Link expansion. It is self explanatory.
Written by Paul Dribin
I am writing to express my displeasure with the idea of Metro Link expansion and especially the north-
south route.
When you look at the overall costs of Metrolink and the number of people served it is a financial albatross which will only get worse. Expanding the routes will not help and will only hurt the problem. Security will continue to be a major issue.
More important, fixed light rail is an obsolete mode of transportation. It was really an early 20th century invention created to get masses of people to work when most everyone worked in the downtown and fewer people had cars. This is no longer the case. The job market is widely spread in the St. Louis region and we don’t have the population density to support light rail. The density in the city and county will probably lessen.
Finally new technologies are speeding the demise of Metrolink. More people work from home, work multiple jobs, or need a car to call on clients. Ride share services will increase their market share. Soon people will be able to call up self driving cars which will take you directly door to door. Why would someone ride Metrolink where you endure security challenges and the odds are you will still need transportation once you finish your ride.
If Metro wants to get ahead of the curve, they should dramatically increase bus service and even provide van pools for workers. They could invest in their own ride share and driverless car technologies so all our citizens can be served by these opportunities.
We should not be chasing federal dollars just because they are there. Redoing the same thing that did not work in the first place is the definition of insanity.
The St Louis Contrarian 