Security Upgrades Including Platform Access Gates, Fencing, and Cameras Led to a 42 Percent Reduction in Incidents on Light Rail in the St. Louis Metropolitan Region.
Metro Transit’s Secure Platform Plan Resulted in Secured and Monitored Entrances at All MetroLink Stations.
St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Boardings rise and ‘safety incidents’ drop at MetroLink stations with turnstiles
Summary Information
Operated by Metro Transit, MetroLink is the St. Louis metropolitan region’s light rail system, connecting 46 miles of rail across 38 MetroLink stations in Missouri and Illinois. The agency upgraded all its stations as part of a Secure Platform Plan (SPP), with the goal of delivering better service and increasing ridership by creating a more secure environment.
METHODOLOGY
The project had three phases: four stations were completed in Phase 1 (Fall 2024), seven were completed in Phase 2 (Spring 2025), and the remaining 27 in Phase 3 (expected to be complete by January 2026). Each station’s upgrades included platform access security gates, enhanced fencing to fully enclose platforms, and a modernized fare-collection system featuring mobile payment options, card readers and ticket vending machines. Stations were also equipped with passenger-assist telephones and an expanded network of CCTV cameras. As part of the SPP, a real-time camera center was established at Metro Transit’s central facility, with live access to all cameras in the system. The cameras have facial recognition and video analytic capabilities.
FINDINGS
- At the 11 upgraded stations, safety-related incidents decreased from 55 in January–May 2024 to 32 in January–May 2025, a 42 percent reduction.
- Systemwide (all 38 stations), incidents declined from 251 in January–May 2024 to 215 in January–May 2025, a 14 percent reduction
- Ridership at the 11 upgraded stations increased to approximately 1.37 million boardings from January through May 2025, reflecting ~15 percent growth compared to the same period in 2024.
- Systemwide ridership rose to about 3.1 million boardings from January through May 2025, an ~11 percent increase compared to the same period in 2024. Roughly 60 percent of total system ridership growth occurred at the 11 stations that had completed security upgrades.
Additional Source(s):
[1] “Secure Platform Plan Project,” Metro Transit – Saint Louis. Accessed: Nov. 19, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.metrostlouis.org/metroforward/spp/
[2] “Secure Platform Plan Continues to Show Positive Impact to Ridership and Customer Safety,” Metro Transit – Saint Louis. Accessed: Nov. 19, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.metrostlouis.org/news-release/secure-platform-plan-continues-to-show-positive-impact-to-ridership-and-customer-safety/
