Saint Louis Transportation

One more thing to consider while driving through St. Louis right now, Hwy 40 (otherwise known as 64) is closed in both directions from I-170(don't confuse with I-70) to Kingshighway. There are a few bridges across Hwy 40 that are inaccessible from time to time in this area. This construction will last until December 2009.

St. Louis is not a city that is well known for its public trasportation. The bus system has been around but not untill 15 years ago or so did the Metro Train system come in. This has been a great improvement for getting downtown for any baseball, football, or hockey games.

There are only 2 lines so you cant get confused. On the Missouri side one line ends at Lambert St. Louis International Airport and the other ends in Shrewsbury, MO. Going East accross the river the line ends at Scott AFB. Both lines going through downtown. It's quick and convient if you want to get to Forest Park, St. Louis Arch for a nice walk. Or if you're going to the car and boat show in the convention center. Some stations are underground and alot are above. Dress accordingly specially if its winter or raining out cause you will be out in the elements untill the train comes.

Tickets can be purchased at ticket vending machines at the entrance to all stations and must be validated before boarding the train.

1 Ride Ticket - $2.00 (reduced fare - $1.00)
2 Hour Pass - $2.25 (reduced fare - $1.10)
2 Hour Pass from Lambert Airport - $3.50 (reduced fare - $1.75)
One-Day Pass - $4.50

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Kudos to St. Louis - the entire Metro area - for backing and paying for a Light Rail system. It stretches all the way from Lambert Airport - and Shrewsbury in South County) to Clayton, the Wash U campus, the Central West End, through Downtown and across the Mississippi, and then all the way out to Scott Air Base in Illinois.

The trains and stations are (so-far) comfortable and clean, automatic ticket machines actually work, and there is regular and reliable service. I was able to take the Light Rail from my hotel in Downtown out to Washington U (where my college reunion was being held - for only $2.00 each way!

After freaking out about transportation options to & from St. Louis' Union Station & the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, I posted a query on the board here and received some excellent advice.

And actually, it was fairly easy. Of course, it helped that I ran into a Chicagoan transplanted "from" St. Louis so he showed me where & how to get the tix for the Metrolink (much easier system than Chicago's CTA, I must tell you - and much cleaner). You put your cash in the machine & choose your ticket options (we chose the $2.50 2-hour option) and you get your cash back. At CTA in Chicago you must have exact change or you lose your money. This isn't so cool when you need a 2-day $9 pass and only have a 10-er (Chicago must make a lot of extra money this way)!

Also, I was really impressed (see photo) with the policy of letting seniors & the disabled ride free - seniors can either show proof of age or their A.D.A. id card.

We got off at Lambert Airport, went downstairs & picked up a cab (immediately - so seamless) who took us out to the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. Cost us about $13 each including tip.

If you, also, are going to Lambert Airport be sure to check the front of the train as it pulls in that it has the airport's name on it as the line splits before it gets to the airport. You could end up in a totally different place than what you'd expect!

Photo: May 14, 2008

Was worried about going to & fro the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre & Union Station in St. Louis. But it turned out to be fairly seamless (although I chose the more expensive options of metroing out to Lambert Airport then catching a cab downstairs from there to the concert venue (cost us about $13 each including tip).

After the concert I chose to use County Cab. I called the taxi dispatcher from the concert who directed me to a Mobil/Burger King gas station (at the end of the parking lot, turn left and walk about a 1/2 mile along the road until you see the Mobil gas station with a Burger King inside). The cab rolled in about the time I walked there (about a 10 minute walk); 'twas $40 to get back to Union Station and I was back in town in about 30 minutes (oh, yes, I gave him a $10 tip, so $50 altogether). Again, a seamless operation.

I was really happy with the results. In fact, it turned out to be one of the most perfect days I've ever had (you know the kind)!

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I just came back froma trip to St. Louis where I took the Megabus from Cincy to Chicago, then from Chicago to St. Louis and back the same way (well, only backwards). I paid:
$8 Cincinnati to Chicago
$15 Chicago to St. Louis
$8 St. Louis back to Chicago
$15 Chicago to Cincinnati
$46 round-trip! Sure beats driving there with these new gas prices!! The first 10 seats for a trip go for a measly $1.

They have 3 areas they cover:
Midwest - Chicago is the hub center with destinations as far north as Minneapolis/St Paul, as far west as Kansas City, Mo, as far south as Memphis, TN, and as far east as Cleveland, OH
Northeast - NYC is the hub center for this region and goes as far north & east as Boston, as far west as Toronto, ON, as far south as Baltimore, MD
West Coast - the hub center here seems to be LA and goes as far east as Vegas, as far north as Oakland (where I hail from), and as far south as San Diego/San Ysidro

The only problem with Megabus is that none of these regions intersect. For instance you can go as far north & east in the midwest to Cleveland but you won't be able to go from there to the North East to get to say, NYC.

The great thing about Megabus (besides it being so darn cheap) is that it runs from downtown in one city to downtown to another. For instance, in Cincinnati, it stops right in front of Carew Tower at 4th & Race, at Union Station in Chicago, and at Union Station in St. Louis.

Although the seats themselves aren't that comfortable, I find that if you take the night run there are so few people you can lay down on one seat and stretch your legs out to the one across the aisle!

Be forewarned: Union Station does not have luggage lockers! I called ahead of time to find out & because I wasn't staying overnight was forced to bring just a few things in a carryon bag (one I bought at the BHV in Paris - thanks, madaboutparis!)

Photos: May 14, 2008

Lambert is divided into two terminals: the much larger Main Terminal and the smaller East Terminal. With few exceptions, the Main Terminal hosts all airlines except Southwest, which is the primary tenant of the East Terminal.

In the Main Terminal, ticketing is on the upper level, while the concourses & baggage claim are on the lower level. There are 4 concourses labeled A - D. For connections, Concourses B, C & D (plus the East Terminal's E Concourse) are in the same security area. Concourse A, however, is in a separate security area, so you'll need to go back through security if your connection takes you between Concourse A and any of the other concourses. There are numerous dining & drinking options in the Main Terminal, both inside & outside of the security area. The options are more numerous and, for the most part, better inside of the security area.
There is a MetroLink station connected directly to the Main Terminal. Located on the upper level, it's easy to find by following the well-marked signs. There are ticket machines & a validator immediately inside the red station entrance (on the left). There is another ticket machine at the top of the escalator and validators outside on the platform. If you're watching the schedule, trains usually arrive 5 minutes before the next scheduled departure. Since this is the end of the line, the train will sit and be available for boarding until it's scheduled departure time. While the station platform is outdoors, if the weather is bad there is a small area to stand inside and watch for the next train to arrive.

The East Terminal is much smaller than the Main Terminal and primarily hosts Southwest Airlines. Ticketing and the single concourse, labeled E, are on the upper level. Baggage claim is on the lower level. For dining & drinking, only a Starbucks exists outside of the security area; all other options (bagels, fast food, sit-down, bar & more Starbucks) are inside of security.
The East Terminal also has a dedicated MetroLink station, but it's located across the parking lot from the terminal. Ticket machines & validators are up on the platform. To reach the station, exit the terminal on either the upper or lower level and follow the signs across the parking lot. If the weather is bad, using the covered lower level is a good choice. Unfortunately, the station itself is outside and only has a bit of rain protection.

The two terminals are connected through Concourse D, but be warned that it's a pretty long walk. Even with some moving walkways along the way, it can take 10 minutes or more to get between the two terminals. The advantage of walking is that this is all inside the security area which includes access to Concourses B, C, D & E. An alternative to walking is the free airport shuttle bus that runs continuously between the MT12 exit on the lower level of the Main Terminal and the ET12 exit on the lower level of the East Terminal. While MetroLink connects the two terminals, the shuttle bus has the advantage of being both free and more conveniently located.

There is Wifi access available in both terminals. And while it's not free ($7.95 per day; supports accounts with Alltel, ATT, Boingo, Concourse, iPass, Optimus, Orange France, Sprint, T-Mobile & Verizon), it does provide free access to the websites of the airport, Metro (St. Louis' public transportation provider) and various other St. Louis attractions. So if you're only looking for travel information you may be able to find it without having to pay for access.

MetroBus is the name of St. Louis' local bus service. While it covers almost everywhere a visitor will want to go, most of the lines only run twice per hour. So planning your route & schedule in advance by consulting the maps & schedules on Metro's website is a must to avoid wasted time (unless you're a LOT more patient than I am). If you're arriving in St. Louis at Lambert-St. Louis airport, you'll be better served by starting your trip on MetroLink than MetroBus.

Single ride fares are $1.75. This is for one ride on one bus; no transfers. For trips requiring more than one bus line (or combining MetroBus with MetroLink) you'll need to buy the more expensive "Multi-Use Transfer" fare for $2.25. This fare provides unlimited travel in any direction of any MetroBus or MetroLink line for 2 hours from when it was purchased.

Fares are purchased from the driver when boarding the bus (through the front door). Change is not given, so plan ahead or be prepared to pay extra. No physical ticket is given for a regular fare; only for Multi-User Transfers.

If you are planning to make several trips in a single day (that can't be completed within the 2 hours of a Multi-User Transfer), then a One-Day pass can be a good value at $4.50. Unfortunately, you can't buy these on MetroBus buses; they're only available at a MetroLink station. There's also a 7-Day pass available if you're here for a longer visit, but again they're only available at a MetroLink station. The student fares advertised on Metro's website are only valid for students of participating schools and are not a general "student discount".

If you're really an advance planner and can determine how much you'll be riding, you can order One-Day passes and books of 10 Two-Hour passes (at a discounted price) online and have them mailed to you before your visit (Two-Hour passes are the same as Multi-Use Transfers).