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St. Louis Needs Better Public Transit — and Bi-State Should Not Give Up | St. Louis

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Recent changes to both bus and MetroLink service have angered some public transit users.

Dear Bi-State Development, I am asking you, on behalf of this region, not to give up. I certainly don’t understand the intricacies of running a transit system. I only know the impact well-run (and broken) systems can have on an area. Personally, I have used transit systems in seven cities in three different countries. I have talked to and read others who use it both occasionally and daily. While I am not a researcher, economist, civil engineer or anything else that normally counts as a qualification for understanding and improving transit, I do my best to apply logic to my anecdotal and spurious research-based knowledge.

The past few years have had to be rough from a PR viewpoint. The recent single-car train experiments and the route and frequency reductions have certainly created a bad vibe with both online and offline reviews and comments of the system. I could speculate along with others who don’t know the whole story on the “why” of those and other choices. But again, I am going to ask for you to not give up. Just like you need us riders to pay the fares, we need you to stick around so we can.

I don’t want to get another car for our family (not to mention, I can’t afford another at today’s prices). As such, I am faced with two choices — take a bus to work, or ride a bike. I love riding bikes. I have been for three decades and hope to for many more. However, I would much rather be riding them for fun than necessity. Whether going fast on my road bike or enjoying a trail ride with my son, those are worlds better than commuting. But when I can get the 10 miles to work in 45 minutes by bike compared to using bus routes that will take almost half an hour longer, I am actually less tired biking 20 miles round trip than I would be from two and a half hours using the bus each day. If I were to lose the ability to bike, for my family’s sake, I would have to find a different job much closer to home. I simply would not be able to justify the hour of commuting a day. Unfortunately, this is not just about me. This is about the entire region. Even before inflation went out of control the past few years, many people simply could not afford to purchase, repair or otherwise use vehicles. Some have health issues that prevent them from driving. Still others do not want to contribute to pollution, traffic or other negative impacts of owning personal vehicles. I am not simply asking you to not give up on me. I am asking for you to not give up on all of us.

My firm belief is a strong transit system leads to a strong region. When I lived in Washington, I was 15 miles south of Seattle. However, I was able to take a bus for 30 minutes to the downtown to a job that allowed me to support my family. If that transit system didn’t exist, that would have severely impacted my ability to pay the rent without working multiple jobs and never seeing my family. Because of it, I had the ability to work where I wanted without worrying of how to get there. That is what I would love to see happen here. If the routes and frequencies were increased instead of decreased, that would help everyone in this region. 

First, workers would benefit from not worrying how they would get to work. They would also know they’re not limited in where they could work. For many, including me, job searching is directly impacted by distance. I have had to turn down at least two jobs that I can recall for that reason. Second, companies would benefit from having a broader pool of applicants. I am certain I am not the only one who could not accept a job because of distance. In fact, that’s even a question on many job applications, a variation of “can you make the commute?” If that was not part of the equation because of a strong transit system, then companies would very likely have a broader candidate pool from which to choose the best worker. Third, you, Bi-State Development, would benefit. If the transit system was robust and reliable, more people would use it. The more people using it, the more revenue you would see. The more revenue you see, the more robust and reliable you can make it.

This short list doesn’t cover how visitors from out of region would benefit, or the environment, or even drivers (more transit use means less traffic on the roads!). I know that many times it seems the riders are against you. But really, we are just conflicted, because the negative changes, regardless of justification, impact how we get around the region. I believe we are rooting for you. We want a symbiotic relationship. We don’t want to give up on you. Please, don’t give up on us.The RFT welcomes concise essays on topics of local interest. Contact Sarah Fenske at [email protected] if you’ve got something to say.

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Fenton Man Charged in Sword Attack on Roommate

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A warrant is out for a Fenton man’s arrest after he allegedly attacked his roommate with a sword. 

Police say that on Sunday, Angelus Scott spoke openly about “slicing his roommate’s head” before he grabbed a sword, raised it up and then swung it down at the roommate. 

The roommate grabbed Scott’s hand in time to prevent injury. When police arrived at the scene, they found the weapon used in the assault. 

The sword in question was a katana, which is a Japanese sword recognizable for its curved blade. 

This isn’t the first time a samurai-style sword has been used to violent effect in St. Louis. In 2018, a man hearing voices slaughtered his ex-boyfriend with a samurai sword. His mother said he suffered from schizoaffective disorder.

As for Scott, 35, the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office was charged yesterday with two felonies, assault first degree and armed criminal action. The warrant for his arrest says he is to be held on $200,000 bond.

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Caught on Video, Sheriff Says He’s Ready to ‘Turn It All Over’ to Deputy

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Video of St. Louis Sheriff Vernon Betts taken by a former deputy suggests that the sheriff has a successor in mind to hand the reins of the department over to, even as Betts is in an increasingly heated campaign for reelection. 

“I ain’t here for all this rigmarole,” Betts says in the video while seated behind his desk at the Carnahan Courthouse. “The Lord sent me here to turn this department around and I’m doing the best I can and I think I’ve done a good job. I’ve got about eight months and I’m going to qualify for my fourth pension.”

He goes on, “Right now I can walk up out of here and live happily ever after and forget about all this…and live like a king.”

The sheriff then says his wife has been in Atlanta looking at houses and that the other deputy in the room, Donald Hawkins, is someone Betts has been training “to turn it all over to him.”

Asked about the video, Betts tells the RFT, “My future plans are to win reelection on August 6th by a wide margin and to continue my mission as the top elected law enforcement official to make St. Louis safer and stronger. Serving the people of St. Louis with integrity, honor and professional law enforcement qualifications is a sacred responsibility, and I intend to complete that mission.”

The video of Betts was taken by Barbara Chavers, who retired from the sheriff’s office in 2016 after 24 years of service. Chavers now works security at Schnucks at Grand and Gravois. Betts’ brother Howard works security there, too.

Chavers tells the RFT that she was summoned to Betts’ office last week after Betts’ brother made the sheriff aware that she was supporting Montgomery. It was no secret: Chavers had filmed a Facebook live video in which she said she was supporting Betts’ opponent Alfred Montgomery in the election this fall. “Make the judges safe,” she says in the video, standing in front of a large Montgomery sign on Gravois Avenue. “They need a sheriff who is going to make their courtrooms safe.”

In his office, even as Chavers made clear she was filming him, Betts told Chavers he was “flabbergasted” and “stunned” she was supporting Montgomery. 

“I don’t know what I did that would make you go against the preacher man,” he says, referring to himself. He then refers to Montgomery as “ungodly.” 

Betts goes on to say that not long ago, he was walking in his neighborhood on St. Louis Avenue near 20th Street when suddenly Montgomery pulled up in his car and, according to Betts, shouted, “You motherfucker, you this, you that. You’re taking my signs down.”

Montgomery tells the RFT that he’s never interacted with Betts outside of candidate forums and neighborhood meetings. 

“I don’t think anyone with good sense would do something like that to a sitting sheriff,” Montgomery says.

Montgomery has had campaign signs missing and on at least two occasions has obtained video of people tearing them down. (Chavers notes that the sign that she filmed her original Facebook video in front of is itself now missing.)

One man who lives near Columbus Square says that he recently put out two Montgomery signs, which later went missing. “If they keep taking them, I’ll keep putting them up,” he said. 

Betts says he has nothing to do with the missing signs. In the video Chavers filmed in Betts’ office, Betts says that his campaign isn’t in a spot where it needs to resort to tearing down opponents’ signs.

“If you sit here long enough, a man is getting ready to come across the street from City Hall bringing me $500, today,” Betts says. “I’m getting that kind of support. I don’t need to tear down signs.”

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St. Louis to Develop First Citywide Transportation Plan in Decades

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The City of St. Louis is working to develop its first citywide mobility plan in decades, Mayor Tishaura Jones’ office announced Tuesday. This plan seeks to make it easier for everyone — drivers, pedestrians, bikers and public transit users — to safely commute within the city.

The plan will bring together other city projects like the Brickline Greenway, Future64, the MetroLink Green Line, and more, “while establishing new priorities for a safer, more efficient and better-maintained transportation network across the City,” according to the release. 

The key elements in the plan will be public engagement, the development of a safety action plan, future infrastructure priorities and transportation network mapping, according to Jones’ office.

The overarching goals are to create a vision for citywide mobility, plan a mixture of short and long-term mobility projects and to develop improved communication tools with the public to receive transportation updates. In recent years, both people who use public transit and cyclists have been outspoken about the difficulties — and dangers — of navigating St. Louis streets, citing both cuts to public transit and traffic violence.

To garner public input and participation for the plan, Jones’ office said there will be community meetings, focus groups and a survey for residents to share their concerns. The city will also be establishing a Community Advisory Committee. Those interested in learning more should check out at tmp-stl.com/

“Everyone deserves to feel safe when getting around St. Louis, whether they’re driving, biking, walking or taking public transit,” Jones said in a news release. “Creating a comprehensive transportation and mobility plan allows us to make intentional and strategic investments so that moving around St. Louis for jobs, education, and entertainment becomes easier, safer and more enjoyable.”

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