I live in Illinois, but get into St. Louis often for concerts, shopping, and such. When I do, I love taking the light rail in, but that only works for hockey games – if we are going to the Symphony or other places, we drive as we don’t know any better options.

Prior to this move I lived in Seattle, which is comparably sized with some of the same challenges for non-auto-centric commuting. The Puget Sound area has invested heavily (and somewhat painfully) in expanding light rail and transit options, as have major area employers (Microsoft, Amazon, Google, etc.). I was there long enough to know how to get around the city without needing a car and a bank loan to park it. I don’t have that same knowledge of STL.

Both places I think would do well to make sure non-locals have access to info on options other than driving. It may already be available, but something like a day or weekend pass good on any bus or public transit option in the city would be nice to see. Make them available for purchase at every hotel in the city, as well as the airport, train, and light rail stations, right next to an ad and QR code for the transit app for routing.

This so uniquely American for me. Thank you for sharing this interesting story.

It’s still in early phases, but I’m stoked for the Jefferson Alignment to keep moving along: https://growingmetrolink.com/