MoDOT recently released the draft environmental assessment report for the Park over the Highway project, one of the major elements of the Arch grounds renovation project led by CityArchRiver 2015, and is now soliciting public comments on the document. As proposed, the PotH project will build a one-block “lid” over the depressed lanes of I-70, close at least one block of Memorial Dr, remove the Pine St bridge over the highway, and make many other changes to highway infrastructure.

A public hearing will be held on August 29, 4-7 p.m. at 1520 Market Street. Comments may be submitted at the public hearing, mailed to MoDOT/CR, or submitted on-line by using this form.

MoDOT will provide a virtual public hearing website to display the information shared at the public hearing. That website will be launched on August 29.

If you are attempting to cross Lindell at Euclid and you see that the pedestrian signal is showing a solid red hand, chances are you can still safely cross the road. That is because the pedestrian countdown timer lies, reaching zero a full 15 seconds before the traffic light turns yellow.

Because the countdown timers at this intersection are so far out of sync with the traffic lights, I now completely ignore the pedestrian signals. I have seen other people ignoring the pedestrian signals and have even told people who stopped that they can safely proceed. What’s the purpose of having countdown timers if they are wildly inaccurate and ignored by the pedestrians they are meant to inform and protect?

The pedestrian countdown timers at this intersection are hardly the only ones I’ve seen that mislead pedestrians trying to cross the road. Long ago, I reported an issue with the countdown timers crossing DeBaliviere at Lindell in front of the Missouri History Museum; the intersection of Skinker and Forest Park has been a long standing issue; and countdown timers throughout downtown Clayton shortchange pedestrians by 6 seconds before the traffic lights turn yellow.

After reporting the problem with the countdown timers on Euclid at Lindell to the St. Louis CSB last month, the Traffic and Lighting division “supposedly” adjusted the timing of the signals. Supposedly is in quotes because, as of today, the pedestrian countdown timers still lie by the same 15 seconds as they did before.

A number of public meetings and open houses on various transportation topics will be held on Wednesday, June 20.

• Great Rivers Greenway will be hosting an open house to present plans and accept comments for an 8-mile trail extending from Downtown St. Louis to the River des Peres.

  Mississippi River Greenway: Downtown to the River des Peres
  YMCA Recreational Complex in Carondelet Park
  930 Holly Hills Dr
  4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

• Every year, East-West Gateway presents its report on how it plans to spend the St. Louis region’s transportation dollars for the next four years. This meeting is the last one being held in Missouri. Comments will be accepted until July 6.

  Transportation Improvement Program for FY 2013-2016
  Maryland Heights Government Center
  11911 Dorsett Rd
  4:00 – 7:00 p.m.

• University City is, once again, giving its residents (or anybody else) an opportunity to learn about and comment on the Loop Trolley project slated to begin construction by January 2013.

  Loop Trolley Public Meeting
  University City Library
  6701 Delmar Blvd, 2nd floor auditorium
  6:30 – 9:30 p.m.

Good statistics: #STL has 10th busiest (REAL) light rail system in nation, in 18th largest metro area. We should all be proud as hell.

— The Count (@countondowntown) June 6, 2012

Now I’m a believer in St. Louis’s MetroLink as an efficient and effective light-rail transit system, but I also understand that it has its limitations. Which is why I’m calling out The Count’s statistic as misleading.

Count On Downtown’s light-rail statistic comes from this Wikipedia article which is based on data from the APTA. Per the article, MetroLink is in fact the 10th busiest light-rail system in the country. As recently as 2008, MetroLink was ranked 7th (Dallas, Denver, and Salt Lake City have since surpassed St. Louis).

But just because they don’t have light-rail systems doesn’t mean that St. Louis is better than New York or DC. To measure only light-rail systems against each other ignores the fact that they often operate as a part of a larger transit network in a metropolitan region. When taking the total of all rail-based transit systems (minus commuter rail) in a metro area, St. Louis ranks 16th only just punching above it’s own weight in terms of population.

And with expansion of the MetroLink system stalled for the foreseeable future (Hello! Missouri legislature!), St. Louis’s ranking will likely fall to 21st in as little as 5 years.

The table below summarizes the top 25 rail-based transit systems excluding commuter rail, but combining totals from separate metropolitan transit agencies (e.g. Philadelphia). Cities marked with a caret symbol will likely eclipse St. Louis in the next 5 years.