FERGUSON, Mo. — On Monday, nearly 450 MetroBus stops will be either removed our relocated as part of the Metro Reimagined plan. The plan aims to shorten ride times, maximize resources and eliminate stops that are too close together with too few riders.
In March, when the plan was initially announced, Erica Brooks told 5 On Your Side her route, 79 Ferguson, would be eliminated. The plan's website states the route running through the Dade and Suburban neighborhood was being canceled because of low ridership.
Since March, Brooks worked with fellow bus riders, community activists and the City of Ferguson to fight to keep her bus route and the bus stop located at Dade and Suburban Avenues. Brooks said, after creating multiple petitions and working with Metro, the transit company gave the community three options for their route.
The community selected an option, the third of the three, that keeps the route serving South Florissant Road and Suburban/Dade running.
Brooks said Metro executives held a meeting with the community in late June, where they confirmed they would implement the plan selected by the community.
"It was the community meeting on June 28 when she confirmed that," Brooks said.
On Thursday, an alert was posted to the 79 Ferguson bus route page announcing the removal of the stop located at Lakeview Drive and North Florissant as the only change to the stop, effective Monday.
Brooks admitted she and other bus riders initially thought the notification meant that their stop was being moved to that intersection. Upon learning that only one stop, not her stop, is being removed and her route will remain, Brooks said she wants the confirmation in writing from Metro before she can feel at ease.
"They need to make it clear that they are going to do what they told us they will do," Brooks said.
She wrote an email asking for confirmation from Metro.
Metro confirmed with 5 On Your Side that the 79 Ferguson route will remain, with the only change being the removal of the Lakeview Drive/North Florissant stop. The company also confirmed bus riders impacted by that stop removal have alternate route options within 1,000 feet both north and south on North Florissant.
Metro released this statement to 5 On Your Side;
“We are regularly evaluating ways we can improve operations and provide better service for our customers. These upcoming bus stop changes will address spacing between bus stops, and will allow us to improve the speed and efficiency of our customers’ trips by relocating or removing stops that are too close together. To identify these stops, we evaluated more than 5,400 bus stops in St. Louis City and St. Louis County, giving special consideration to accessibility, amenities and proximity to employment, residential areas and other important destinations.
Any rider who has questions or concerns about their bus stop can contact Metro by phone at 314-982-1406, by text at 314-207-9786 and by email at planning@metrostlouis.org.
A representative from Metro told 5 On Your Side the initial 450 stops being impacted was reduced after the company re-evaluated following community concerns.