Great graphical maps of Proposition A results.

I was reading an article on StlToday.com when I noticed someone in the comments links to some cool maps that show the results from both the votes on Proposition A and Proposition M back in 2008, and the change of the voting patterns between the two elections. I was surprised to see in how few areas the proposition actually lost this time, only in very far out West and South County. The victory in the percentage of votes was actually quite remarkable. It is quite a shift from November 2008 when only a few areas voted a majority to pass Proposition M (primarily the inner county areas where Metrolink runs, up through North County.) One big difference is the total number of votes cast, since November 2008 was a presidential election where 78.6% of registered voters cast votes, but this time only 22.1% cast their votes (which is still higher than they had expected.) I have always lived in either Clayton Township or Creve Coeur Township over the past 24 years, and those two townships voted for the sales tax both times, but I was surprised to see that the percentage "Yes" in Creve Coeur township (71.75%) was actually a little higher than the percentage in Clayton township (69.69%) where the Metrolink actually runs. Of course both of those were dwarfed by Hadley township (78.68%) right next to the city as well as University township (82.66%) both of which includes a ton of Washington University students, faculty and staff. The vast majority of the students here on campus were definitely voting for the proposition. Overall in the six central townships Proposition A passed with 72% versus 28% or an almost 3 to 1 ratio.

If all these mid county people are so "pro transit", though, why don't I see more of them on the Metrobus in the morning? I know in the evenings when I take Metrolink the trains are pretty crowded, but when I am riding bus (Red Line #2) north and east from Brentwood in the morning, there are only a handful of people who normally ride it (the one Blues fan who works at the Zoo, a teen going to school and the librarian in my building being the only other regulars.) I realize I come in to work earlier than many folks, but on the occasions when I park and ride the Metrolink at around the same time, it is always much more crowded than the bus. What do people have against the buses? They are actually quite clean and I find them quite punctual. It is much easier to find a seat for yourself on the bus than on the train, and you see more of the "street activity" than on the train when you are often either elevated above everything, or down in a tunnel where you cannot see anything. There used to be another lady who sometimes waited with me at the bus stop on Brentwood, but I no longer see her. (Maybe I frightened her off because I am so menacing). Once the old routes and schedules are restored I am not sure if other options will arise for me as well, since I may be able to take bus #1 (Gold line) north from Brentwood, and with the trains leaving every 10 minutes instead of every 15, I may be able to better connect from a bus to a train to take it into campus. Wow, I may have more public transit options than I need and even more multiple ways and times to commute to and from work without a car. Isn't that the way public transit is supposed to work? Fellow pro-transit supporters in St. Louis county, join me! Take the bus! Help show everybody that the bus is fine for anybody to ride!