GRANITE CITY – With the Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Bridge closing next week and remaining closed for an entire year, Madison County Transit (MCT) is urging residents to consider using alternative transportation modes for traveling to and from Downtown St. Louis.
On Monday, August 27, the MLK Bridge – which carries thousands of Southwestern Illinois residents each day – will be closed entirely for repairs to the bridge approaches. The closure is expected to create traffic delays in to and out of Downtown St. Louis for the duration of the repair work. To reduce the number of single occupancy vehicles on the road and provide commuters with a more affordable and efficient transportation alternative, MCT offers the following transportation options:
MCT Express Bus Service
MCT offers frequent, affordable, limited-stop, peak-only, commuter bus service to and from convenient locations in Madison County to 15 stops in Downtown St. Louis.
- #1X Riverbend Express: Serving Godfrey, Alton, East Alton, Wood River, and Granite City
- #5 Tri-City Regional: Serving Granite City, Madison, and Venice
- #14X Highland Express: Serving Highland, St. Jacob, and Troy
- #16X Edwardsville Express: Serving Edwardsville, Glen Carbon, Maryville, and Collinsville
RideFinders
MCT also operates RideFinders, the carpool, vanpool program for the 9-county St. Louis region. RideFinders is a free public service that works with more than 900 St. Louis area employers to promote and form carpools for the purpose of reducing traffic congestion and improving air quality. RideFinders offers employers:
- A free online ride-matching service
- Up to four free Guaranteed Rides Home each year in the event of emergency
- Designated parking signs for carpoolers and vanpoolers
- Lunch & Learns or tabling at employer events or fairs
“Fewer lanes across the Mississippi River will cause traffic congestion and delays for commuters, unless we as a region make an effort to reduce the number of cars on the road,” said MCT Managing Director Jerry Kane. “Instead of tackling the traffic and driving alone, now is the time to take back your commute by trying transit or carpooling.”
To learn more about these and MCT’s other transportation services, commuters or employers can visit www.SharetheRideSTL.org. For MCT Express bus information, call 618-797-4636 and for information about the RideFinders carpool and vanpool program, all 618-797-4600. Questions can also be directed to: info@mct.org.
Madison County Transit (MCT) provides multi-modal transportation services for Madison County, Illinois. MCT operates a fixed-route bus service, connecting to MetroLink; express weekday commuter service directly to and from downtown St. Louis; and seasonal express service to the Muny. For elderly and disabled residents who are unable to use the fixed-route buses, MCT provides complementary door to door service. MCT is also responsible for the construction and maintenance of more than 130 miles of bikeways that comprise the MCT Trails system, as well as overseeing RideFinders, the St. Louis region’s FREE carpooling and vanpooling program.
