Timeline: Metrolink Security Upgrades Beginning in Metro East
Date Posted: September 28, 2023
Posted In: News,
From KSDK: By next spring, some Metro Link riders will have to pay to pass through integrated fair collection gates and fencing to board trains and cameras will capture their every move.
The first $6.4 million contract of a $52 million plan to make platforms more secure has been awarded, and construction on four stations in St. Clair County is first on the to-do list.
“We need to make sure that the gating systems that we’re using work, that the layouts of the fencing in our security works,” said Kevin Scott, General Manager of Security for Bi-State Development. “All of these locations will also be configured with a roto walkthrough gate for large egress, ingress and egress for sporting events.”
Scott said this was going to happen quickly.
Funding for this massive project comes from a combination of sources: $17.25 million is coming from Bi-State Development and the American Recovery Plan, $12 million from bond refinancing proceeds dedicated to security, $12 million from federal stimulus money from Illinois and $10.75 million in private sector funding.
“The private funding stems from the business community’s belief that the Secure Platform Plan project is extremely important for the St. Louis region and essential to helping people to feel confident enough to use public transportation so they feel welcome and comfortable when riding MetroLink,” according to MetroLink’s press release.