Transit Vision 2020

 The St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) Board voted to approve the adoption of the SCCTD Transit Vision 2020 Network Plan, featuring increased frequency on certain routes, expansion of service on weekends and improved service to area hospitals. The plan was presented at SCCTD’s board meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21, based on findings and analysis from Transit Vision 2020, a nine-month comprehensive study of the entire MetroBus system in St. Clair County. As part of the plan’s approval, the board also adopted a $29.6 million operating budget, an increase of 18.7 percent – or $4.7 million – over the prior year. As part of the plan, 18 MetroBus routes will be changed to better serve riders and increase ridership, with 15 of the route changes going into effect on June 15, 2020.

The SCCTD Transit Vision 2020 Network Plan was developed by Transportation Management Design, which conducted the initial study, in conjunction with SCCTD and Bi-State. The study reflects a 12% growth in ridership over the next one or two years.  The plan maintains coverage in key areas and invests resources efficiently where new coverage is warranted. There were numerous opportunities for community engagement throughout the process including an online survey, pop-up events and stakeholder meetings touching more than 1,500 riders, residents and business owners.  Highlights include increased frequency of several routes, including Route 1, East St Louis to Belleville, and Route 12, O’Fallon – Fairview Heights, all of which will operate every 15 minutes. The study showed that 60 percent of current customers will be within a quarter-mile of these frequent routes, and 64 percent are located within a half-mile. Every other route, except two, will operate consistently every 20 or 30 minutes on weekdays. Most weekend routes will also operate every 20 or 30 minutes during daytime hours.

A new route will be added to connect Memorial Hospital East and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital via the Frank Scott Parkway. A new #3 route will also create connections between East St. Louis and employment centers in Sauget, Cahokia, and North Dupo. Two routes will either be discontinued or replaced to streamline service to better serve customers. There will be new options for the riders impacted on these routes.

The plan also calls for continuing the SCCTD Flyer on-demand service in East St. Louis and extending its coverage zone into Alorton and the Golden Gardens neighborhood of Centerville. Route 21, the Scott AFB-Main Base Shuttle, and Route 21x, Scott AFB-East Base Shuttle are now served by ATS since April 2020. SCCTD and Bi-State will defer changes to Mascoutah, and Lebanon until late 2020 or early 2021.

“St. Clair County Transit District began reviewing and analyzing the current 18 fixed bus routes last June,” said Herb Simmons, Chair of the St. Clair County Transit District Board. “Since the last comprehensive plan was completed more than two decades ago, employment centers have developed in new areas and new housing stock has been added in outlying communities. SCCTD has an ongoing commitment to serve traditional communities reliant upon public transportation and is focused on serving employment, medical, education, and recreation centers. The changes in this plan reflect those values.”

Projected annual operating costs for the SCCTD Transit Vision 2020 Network Plan are $29.6 million. This new investment in service has the potential to grow ridership by as much as 12 percent annually over the next one to two years.

“Although there will be some elimination of two routes that are not as productive along with the addition of two new routes, the new plan calls for an additional $4.7 million in service by expanding weekend operating hours and offering some later evening hours,” said SCCTD Managing Director Ken Sharkey. “With the new routes planned for the service area and the addition of mobility on demand zones with our Flyer service, ridership is projected to grow, reversing a four-year decline. We will continually be tweaking the plan to ensure the best service possible in St. Clair County.”

 

New Route Changes effective June 15, 2020:

• MRTD now operates the MRTD Express, connecting to the #2 Cahokia route (which replaces the #2X Waterloo-Columbia Express which served the 5^th and Missouri MetroLink Station).
• #7 Fairmont City was discontinued and replaced by SCCTD Flyer.

Future Route Recommendations:

Due to the impacts of COVID-19 on area transit service, the St. Clair County Transit District will not plan implementation of any further recommendations from Transit Vision 2020 until Metro Transit resumes regular weekday service.  At which time, we will begin to plan for the further increases in service under Transit Vision 2020. Thank you for your understanding.

• Route 1 – Main Street-State Street: Improved Frequency. Route 1 will operate with 15-minute service all day on weekdays and every 20 minutes on weekends.
• Route 2 – Cahokia: New Alignment with Improved Frequency. This route will be streamlined to more directly and frequently serve Falling Springs Rd and Camp Jackson Rd on all trips and connect with Route 6/8 on Clarita Street. Route 2 will operate every 20 minutes, seven days a week.
• Route 3 – Sauget-Dupo: New Route. This peak-only route will serve portions of the former Routes 2, 2X, and 22X and create connections between East St. Louis and employment centers in Sauget, Cahokia, and North Dupo. Route 3 will operate every 30 minutes in the AM and PM peaks on weekdays only.
• Route 4 – 19^th & Central: New Alignment with Improved Frequency. This route will be streamlined along its eastern loop to allow for improved frequency. Route 4 will operate every 20 minutes on Monday through Saturday and every 40 minutes on Sundays.
• Route 5 – Missouri Ave: New Alignment with Improved Frequency. This route will be streamlined to allow for improved bi-directional frequency. Route 5 will operate every 20 minutes on Monday through Saturday and every 40 minutes on Sundays.
• Route 6/8 – Rosemont-Alta Sita: Combined Route with New Alignment and Frequency. Routes 6 and 8 will be combined in order to better match regional travel patterns and provide more frequent service. Route 6/8 will also connect with Route 2 at Clarita Street to allow for improved connections to more destinations. Route 6/8 will operate every 20 minutes, seven days a week.
• Route 9 – Washington Park: New Alignment with Improved Frequency. This route will serve portions of Washington Park formerly served by Route 6 and offer improved frequency. Route 9 will operate every 30 minutes, seven days a week.
• Route 11 – Memorial-O’Fallon: New Route. This route will create a new connection between Memorial Hospital Station and St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and O’Fallon via Frank Scott Pkwy while retaining some of the route segments formerly served by Route 12. Route 11 will operate every 30 minutes, seven days a week.
• Route 12 – O’Fallon-Fairview Heights: New Alignment with Improved Frequency. This route will be streamlined in order to offer more frequent and direct service between Fairview Heights and O’Fallon. Route 12 will operate with 15-minute service all day on weekdays and every 30 minutes on weekends.
• Route 13 – Caseyville-Marybelle: New Alignment with Improved Frequency. This route will be streamlined to provide more frequent and direct service. Portions of the route south of Washington Park Station will have access to Route 6/8 or new MOD service. Tucker Dr. will only be served during commute times. Route 13 will operate every 30 minutes, seven days a week.
• Route 14 – Memorial Hospital: New Alignment with Improved Frequency. This route will be streamlined to provide more frequent and direct service to the most popular portion of the route and remain on North Belt W/Old St. Louis Rd. Route 14 will operate every 30 minutes, seven days a week.
• Route 15 – Belleville-Shiloh-O’Fallon: New Alignment with Improved Frequency. Streamlining this route to remain on Cross St. south of O’Fallon will allow for an optimized schedule with more predictable arrivals. Route 15 will operate every 30 minutes on weekdays and every 60 minutes on weekends.
• Route 16 – St. Claire Square: New Alignment with Improved Frequency. This route will be streamlined to allow for more frequent service in Belleville (new Route 23) and improved weekend service. The new southern terminal will be Belleville Station, with the remainder of the route served by Route 23. Route 16 will operate every 30 minutes, seven days a week.
• Route 17 – Carlyle Plaza-17^th Street: New Alignment with Improved Frequency. This route will be streamlined to allow for more frequent service while still only using one vehicle. Route 17 will operate every 90 minutes in each direction on Monday through Saturday.
• Route 22X – Sauget Industrial Parkway: Replaced. Sauget Industrial Parkway will be served by the new Route 3, maintaining the connection to MetroLink.
• Route 23 – Belleville-SWIC: New Route. This route connects SWIC and the MetroLink station with residential areas south of Carlyle Ave and Belleville Station. Separating this route from Route 16 allows for improved frequency between these important areas. Route 23 will operate every 20 minutes, seven days a week.

 

GET INVOLVED

The SCCTD Transit Vision 2020 website will be continually updated as the study progresses, with project data and information available to the community. From this site, you will be able to:

• Review study-related data
• Access interim and final study products
• Keep up to date with public outreach events
• Participate in online surveys
• Submit comments and questions regarding the study
• Sign up for the project email list
• Take the survey
  

Opportunities for public involvement occured throughout the project, with both in-person events and ongoing engagement online. These community events included pop-up kiosks at transit stations, meetings with community organizations, and open houses.

In addition to the variety of public events, feedback could be submitted and still can via email (info@scctd.org), through our office (located at 27 North Illinois Street, Belleville, IL 62220), by calling (618) 628-8090 between 8:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by connecting with us on Facebook.