Metro Turns Things Around for a Sweeter Commute

After a wave of violent crimes were reported on the Metro, beginning in 2016 until recently, the perception St. Louisans had about the safety of the Metro drastically changed.

Despite the city’s efforts to make the Metro safer by various methods, such as increasing patrols, ridership is still lower than it has been in the past. In an effort to bring trust back into the community, the Transit Advisory Working Group teamed up for the “Wake up to a Sweeter Commute” event, which took place from 6:30 to 8 a.m. on Valentine’s Day.

TAWG includes The MetroLink Police Unit, Citizens for Modern Transit, Metro Transit, St. Clair County Transit District and the University of Missouri–St. Louis. These St. Louis organizations teamed up to form TAWG in an attempt to improve safety and restore confidence in public transportation.

A St. Louis police officer shares conversation with a commuter.

“We have a very solid system in our region, and the ‘Wake Up to a Sweeter Commute’ events are a fun way to recognize this and reinforce why so many are crushing on transit,” said Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit.

St. Louisans getting ready for their early morning commute across 14 different transit centers received Valentine’s Day boxes carrying various candies and free passes, along with the opportunity to snap a photo in one of the various photo booths placed in certain locations to remember a sweet moment.

“The goal behind this effort is simple – we want Metro Transit riders to know we appreciate them, while raising awareness about the many benefits of public transit,” said Taulby Roach, president and chief executive officer of Bi-State Development. “We show this appreciation by providing customers what they want, not only a safe ride, but a comfortable ride.”

Participants who rode the Metro could take pictures in the booths and upload their photos to #CrushingOnTransit and mention why they appreciate public transportation.

#crushingontransit this morning with @STLMetro pic.twitter.com/hKCCqkmNDF

— Whitney (@DoubleDub23) February 14, 2019

#CrushingonTransit this morning. #Shareyourlove of STL Transit today. Why do you love the Bus or MetroLink? pic.twitter.com/xePvm5WVH3

— CMT St. Louis (@CMT_STL) February 14, 2019

“We may have never bumped into each other without riding that bus.” https://t.co/PYgZfnfd86 #ValentinesDay2019 pic.twitter.com/zBS5BoiDrM

— Metro (@STLMetro) February 14, 2019

Samantha Gaddis

News writer/Videographer who is passionate about social issues impacting the community, both internationally and locally. As a growing journalist, I was fortunate enough to spend part of my summer at The School of the New York Times, where I honed my skills with some of the most respected journalists in the industry, covering pivotal issues in today’s society.