![Pamica Isom, 52, of St. Louis, exits a newly installed turnstile on Monday, Sept. 9, 2024, at the Emerson Park Metro stop in East St. Louis. “I think [the turnstiles] are great because some of the things that have been going on the Metro,” she said. “Everyone just wants to feel safe.”](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/4e57a3d/2147483647/strip/true/crop/3000x2000+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F82%2Fe0%2Fc18036584c408f2653526171ad92%2F090524-bm-metro-6.jpg)
MetroLink riders getting on at the Emerson Park station in East St. Louis did so after rush hour Monday morning with the first set of increased security features.
This upgraded stop marked the first of MetroLink’s “secure platforms” — a $52 million upgrade for stations throughout the region that will include turnstiles, gates, fencing and checking tickets.
“People want to see security at every gate — you're going to see it,” said Kevin Scott, general manager of security for Bi-State Development, MetroLink’s operator.
By January 2026, MetroLink leaders hope to build the new safety measures at all 37 stations.
Monday’s upgrades at Emerson Park mark a change for ticketing with security guards manually checking fares.
Eventually, security guards will not check riders for tickets, and they’ll be replaced by machine readers. However, those changes won’t come until closer to 2026, Scott said.
Some MetroLink riders in East St. Louis on Monday said, right away, the new measures may be an inconvenience for commuters not used to them, but they like the idea of making public transportation safer.
“It’s for people’s protection, so I’m all about that,” said Monte Frazier, who lives in Collinsville. “If it’s for safety, even if it slows us down a little bit, I’m happy for that.”
Frazier, who recently moved from Houston, has been taking MetroLink to downtown St. Louis for work and said his rides have been safe so far.
However, some other riders believe the security measures aren’t worth it. For example, Jerry Taylr, who grew up in East St. Louis and now lives in St. Louis, said it’s a “waste of money.”
“All you're going to do is catch people getting on the train not paying the ticket,” he said. “Other than that, what is the camera there for?”
In Taylr’s eyes, the changes don’t solve the underlying problem of preventing crime.
Another commuter, Stephen Abney of Cahokia Heights, said he’s seen a number of people jump on the train without paying over the years, but he’s not convinced the changes will completely prevent that from happening in the future.
“I see just more of an inconvenience and people getting more frustrated,” Abney said.
Over the next three weeks, MetroLink will roll out similar changes to three other Metro East platforms: Jackie Joyner-Kersee in East St. Louis, Washington Park and College in Belleville. Operators selected the first group of Metro East locations to undergo construction because they required minimal redesign.
After that, the second set of upgraded platforms will be on the Missouri side of the Mississippi River: Delmar Loop, Forest Park-DeBaliviere, Central West End, Cortex, Grand, Union Station and Civic Center. Those stations should be complete by January 2025, Scott said.
The remaining upgrades in the MetroLink system will be all constructed in the third and final phase. The secure platform project got delayed a couple of months because critical electrical equipment did not get shipped on time.
Eventually, there will be 39 stations as the light rail expands east to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport.
