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Articulated MetroBus Fact Sheet The region's first-ever articulated buses are now arriving in St. Louis. The bus, made of two sections linked by a pivoting joint, provides a cost effective way for Metro to increase capacity.

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These new buses will be used to ease overcrowding on the #70 Grand Line -- Metro's busiest route. The new 60-foot vehicles will accommodate nearly 25% more passengers than the 40foot buses currently serving that route today. Five of Metro's articulated vehicles will arrive in St. Louis in time to go into service on June 9, 2014. By the end of the year, Metro will have 15 articulated buses, enough to serve the entire #70 Grand Line. Each articulated bus has 54 seats and more room for standing passengers. Currently Metro's largest bus has 40 seats. Each bus costs approximately $430,000. The total cost to bring the 15 rebuilt articulated buses to the St. Louis region is approximately $6.4 million, half of what it would have cost to purchase the buses new. Everything is new inside the rebuilt vehicles from wiring to engines. This capital purchase is made possible through federal funding. Between now and June 9, Metro will train operators and mechanics, install advanced "smart" technology on the buses and prepare the them to go into service. The #70 Grand Line is approximately 10 miles long and has been the St. Louis region's busiest bus route for decades. The route currently serves more than 9,000 boardings on an average weekday. The articulated MetroBus vehicles are part of Metros ongoing effort to build a better transit system for the citizens of the St. Louis region