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Metro Transit C.E.O. Explains Bus Route Cutbacks; Says N. County Least Effected
BY CAROL ARNETT
The Florissant City Council heard from Raymond Friem, the Chief Operating Officer of Transit for Metro, at this week’s council meeting. Friem was there to address cuts in Metro service that take effect next week.
Friem noted that in 1997, the federal government cut federal funding for mass transit, and Metro has been coping with the lack of federal funding ever since.
Friem said Metro had studied the bus and Metrolink routes to determine which were needed and which were heavily subsidized, or less profitable. Metro uses census data regarding income and car ownership to determine need. Metro also looks at employee reported information regarding where employees come from.
Based on this information, Metro decides which routes to either cut completely or cut the number of buses on the route. In addition to bus cuts, Friem said Metro would be reducing the number of trains on some Metrolink routes. “Where there used to be one every 15 minutes, now it will be every 20 in some cases,” he said.
“We are cutting primarily in South and West County,” Friem said, “not as much in North County.”
Councilman Tim Lee asked if Metro could increase fares to deal with budget shortfalls.
“There have been four increases in five years,” Friem said. “It is almost doubled when you look at transfers,” he said, noting that transfers used to be free and now have a fee.
Metro receives some funding from sales taxes, and Friem noted that the tax revenue has not increased.
Councilman Andrew Podleski noted that no routes in Illinois were cut. “That is because Illinois operates very differently,” Friem said. He said that Metro was well funded by the state and county government there. The county subsidizes Metro and pays the cost less any fares collected.
In other matters, the council:
o Passed a bill renewing the franchise agreement with Ameran UE for 20 years.
o Passed a bill appropriating $13,660 for matching funds for the Valley of Flowers Children’s Arts Programs.
o Honored Rob Jackson on becoming an Eagle Scout. Jackson, a senior at CBC high school,
built mile markers along the bike trail from Sunset Park to St. Ferdinand Park for his Eagle project. He thanked the city parks department and Ron Veetch for working with him on his project.
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