COMMUTER CORNER

Did you know that taking transit to work can save you $600 a year?

According to the American Public Transit Association based on 2001 figures, the cost of operating a small car, including gas and oil, maintenance and tires is approximately 12.1 cents per mile and rises to 14.2 cents per mile for a sports utility vehicle. Someone who lives in Chesterfield commutes an estimated 36 miles per day - in a small car that is $4.36 per day or $1,134 per year on average. Taking the bus or train to work costs only $540 a year - $45 a month! As the gas prices rise, taking transit or bicycling will only save you more.

Congestion got you down? Breathe Easy with an alternative commute option

Nearly 70 new highway construction projects will begin in 2002 in the St. Louis area. According to the Missouri Department of Transportation, they will award more than $180 million to contractors to complete new highway construction projects in 2002 including projects on I-44, I-270, I-70, I-55, Rte. 21, Rt. 141, Lindbergh and many others.

Don’t let this congestion get you down - consider alternative commute options this summer. Already taking MetroLink, MetroBus, or bicycling to work? There are additional alternative commute programs that you can participate in to alleviate stress and congestion on your way to work. Many are very simple programs that can be instituted at the worksite for no extra cost. Ask your employer to consider one of the following programs today which will benefit you, your employer and St. Louis!

Flextime
Flextime programs change the starting and ending times of an employee’s workday but maintains the same total hours in a day or week. One version of flextime is known as “staggered hours.” Employees select or are assigned a new work schedule, beginning and ending earlier or later than their current schedule. Flex-time is an incentive to take the MetroLink or MetroBus to work allowing employees to catch an earlier or later bus depending on their schedules. It also alleviates congestion at peak commuting hours and costs nothing for an employer to implement.

Compressed Work Week
In this arrangement, all job responsibilities are maintained but the employee is generally in the office more hours on some days or fewer hours on others. For example, scheduled hours might be four ten hour days each week, the “4/10” or “4/40” model. This program costs nothing to implement.

Telecommuting
This program refers to the performance of work at a location other than the company’s traditional office site. Telecommuting can be done one to five days a week depending on the needs of the individual/company. The program eliminates work commutes all together on certain days of the week. Ask your employer for a pilot program this summer.

For online traffic information, visit gatewayguide.com. For additional information on construction projects in St. Louis this year, visit modot.state.mo.us.

Metro will conduct public meetings on June 23rd, 24th, and 28th, 2004 to solicit comments on a series of proposed changes to bus routes in downtown St. Louis. Any changes would go into effect on September 6, 2004.

In recent years, employment has shifted in downtown St. Louis. Major employment centers and hotels have been constructed south of Market Street and near the intersection of Jefferson and Market. New residential housing is being constructed in areas previously used for employment. Locust Street between 4th and Market has been permanently closed obstructing efficient routing for all MetroBus routes using Locust between Tucker and Broadway. Since the majority of transit users entering downtown come via MetroLink, the many overlapping bus trips have low usage. Finally, Metro will soon open a new transit center on 14th Street at the Civic Center MetroLink Station.

These changes prompt this proposal. Metro offers the following opportunities to make public comments on the proposed changes: Telephone Hot Line: 800-923-3029 TDD: 314-982-1555 or 618-875-1200 or by email.

Public Information Sessions

Wednesday, June 23
Cliff Cave Library
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Telegraph Rd., St. Louis, MO 63129

Thursday, June 24
St. Louis City Hall
12:00pm – 2:30 pm
The Rotunda, 1200 Market Street, St. Louis, MO

Monday, June 28th
Metro Headquarters
6:00pm – 8:00 pm
Board Room , 707 N. 1st Street St. Louis, MO

Routes that could be affected include: 04 Natural Bridge; 10 Gravois; 11 Chippewa; 41 Lee; 52 Forest Park; 73 Carondelet;74 Florissant, 32 Wellston-ML King and 94 Page; 80 Southampton and 99 Shaw-Russell; 97 Delmar; 10X South Grand and 11X Shrewsbury express; 173X Tesson Ferry, 240X Oakville and 340X I-55-Mehlville Express.