Bi‑State officials report early safety gains as secured‑platform project expands; supply issues slow fencing
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Summary
Bi‑State Development Agency officials said the secured‑platform project (gating, fencing and cameras) has cut incidents at completed Metrolink platforms and will ultimately expand camera coverage from about 800 to 2,000 cameras, though supply‑chain delays for fencing panels require temporary barriers at some Missouri sites.
Bi‑State Development Agency security leaders told the commission that early results from the secured‑platform project (SPP) show substantial reductions in incidents at completed Metrolink platforms.
Kevin Scott, executive vice president for public affairs and security, said 11 stations are operating in an interim mode with gate staffing while contractors finish installations at the remaining platforms. He said preliminary figures at those finished locations show about a 50% reduction in overall incidents compared with earlier baselines.
The project includes high‑security gating, new validators, and an upgraded closed‑circuit television system. Scott said the agency has moved from roughly 800 cameras to a planned 2,000 digital cameras, all of which will feed a 24/7 camera center to provide real‑time views for dispatch and responding officers. "All 2,000 cameras are being fed into our 24 7 real time camera center," he said.
Tom Curran, executive vice president for administration, said 11 stations already have the new Metrolink validators installed (vendor Mesabi) and ticket‑vending machines are in prototype testing; a second TVM arrived Jan. 5 for configuration and a pilot of the first TBMs is scheduled for early February.
Scott cautioned that welded‑wire fence paneling sourced from Canada is delayed, affecting some Missouri locations. "We do not think that that's far behind, but we do have a plan to put in temporary fencing until the new permanent fencing comes in," he said. Construction firms Cosme Wagner (Missouri) and Millstone Webber (Illinois) are handling remaining installations.
Agency leaders said the SPP infrastructure work will position the system for the next phase of fare‑collection hardware and validators, and that live views from vehicles and platforms have already improved incident response. The commission asked staff to continue providing station‑level incident breakdowns and timelines for the final gate, validator and TVM rollouts.
The agency did not provide a final completion date for the entire SPP rollout; construction and vendor schedules remain subject to supply‑chain and connectivity issues. The commission was told the agency is prepared to open additional gated platforms as validators and TVMs come online.