UNIVERSITY SOLVES POTENTIALLY COSTLY WAGE DISPUTE: LET THE PASSENGERS PAY FOR METROLINK

It was reported Tuesday that passengers on MetroLink, the light rail system that runs through St. Louis, were lining up at double the rate originally projected. According to Jack Leary Jr., head of the Bi-State Development Agency, 23,000 riders a day are boarding the train.

"Two days last week we topped 30,000 riders," Leary said. "That tops our year 2000 goal."

While Leary calls this "a resounding success," we'd like to make one small point. MetroLink continues to lose money at an enormous rate, and the state is still planning to look to rural regions to pay for it. We're happy for the passenger success of MetroLink, but please, raise the fees! Those riding it should be the ones paying for it, not those of us in the rest of the state.