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MetroLink and MetroBus Riders Can Access Free Wi-Fi on the Transit System
Free Wi-Fi is now available on all MetroBus and MetroLink vehicles on the Metro Transit system which serves the St. Louis region in southwestern Illinois and eastern Missouri. The launch follows a successful pilot program and delivers on one of the top customer amenity requests by Metro Transit riders during their commutes –Wi-Fi service. Passengers can conveniently connect to the internet to access email, study, watch videos or stream music, read the latest news or a book, listen to their favorite podcast, visit and post on social media sites and more, all from their personal mobile devices on nearly 400 clean-burning diesel and battery electric buses and 83 light rail vehicles. Metro has partnered with T-Mobile to provide this customer-focused service.
“More than 92% of our transit riders have a smartphone, and they rely on connectivity to harness the full power of their technology, especially when they are on the move,” said Taulby Roach, President and CEO of Bi-State Development, which operates the Metro Transit system in the City of St. Louis and in St. Louis County in Missouri and in St. Clair County in Missouri. “We’re happy to provide this added convenience through T-Mobile for our customers, whether they are using the internet for work, school or entertainment. We know that having reliable internet access can be a bridge to brighter futures and we’re excited to offer yet another mobile customer amenity.”
“So much of what we do – work, school, entertainment, travel – depends on access to reliable, high speed internet,” said Edwige A. Robinson, SVP of Field Technology Engineering for T-Mobile. “Working with Metro Transit to provide this connectivity option across their transportation fleet supporting the southwestern Illinois and eastern Missouri area is a part of the inclusive 5G for all future T-Mobile is working so diligently towards.”
To access the free Wi-Fi service, passengers on MetroBus and MetroLink open the Wi-Fi option on their mobile device so it can scan the available networks, then connect to “Metro Public Wi-Fi” and a login screen will appear. Once riders agree to Metro’s Terms of Use policy, they will be connected to the network during their transit trip.
Metro’s Wi-Fi service makes purchasing daily and monthly transit easy too through the Transit App. The Transit app can also be used for trip planning, including trips that combine Metro Transit with ride-sharing.
Metro Transit secured more than $1.3 million for the Wi-Fi project through two grants from the Federal Transit Administration, matching funds from St. Clair County ($63,464), and funds from Proposition M ($253,855). The next phase of the project includes plans to install Wi-Fi service on Metro Call‑A‑Ride vehicles and also calls for nine Metro Transit centers to be added as Wi-Fi connection hubs for customer convenience between their trips.