User talk:Matguy7071

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Did you really just edit your user page today to claim you're a "moderator" of Metro Transit Wikipedia pages?

You're not lol.

I know who you are, I see your comments on UrbanSTL all the time. You're not an authority on Wikipedia and certainly don't have the ability to block me from making edits. Lightmetro (talk) 20:42, 12 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]


Matguy7071 Response:

You are ABSOLUTELY CORRECT on all of the info above (except "knowing me")...
I am a member of UrbanSTL.
I am a Wikipedia contributor/editor.
I do work for Bi-State Development Agency (37 years).

I hold a masters in Transportation Engineering from the University of Alabama (Birmingham). BA in Urban Planning from the University of South Alabama (Mobile). Urban and Territorial Planning post graduate studies at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid (España). In 1997, I continued to update my studies in advanced education in urban planning and transportation at the University of Missouri College of Engineering.

I do NOT have authority to lock Wiki - however, will contact WIKI with my employment/career credentials to stop miss-information posted by other users abusing this system.
That being said...
As for the changes in terminology of LRT Light Rail and LRT Semi-metro systems, the Green Line will be LRT with street grade operations and low door boarding platforms (the most common used in most LRT systems worldwide). This has been at the fore-front of designing the new N/S line - since operations will be similar in vehicular design (with low grade boarding vehicles / platforms and lower speed operations. The concepts are being worked through and are at middle stages. If different vehicles are used on the new line, then those operations will have to be maintained and operated separately from the (Semi-metro) lines. The question is cost and *if* this will be higher operational costs without intergrading the systems (especially) the vehicles with current Metro line trains.
It is not only a question for St. Louis, it also is being a design and operations "challenge" or let's say "decision" (or consensus if you will) with/in Cleveland, Pittsburgh and Buffalo (as they are in stages of build out/expansion lines *see below)
In 1988, BDA was implementing one of the first LRT lines to be built in North America with all high-level boarding and complete right away, thanks to St. Louis' existing abandoned rail line(s) and two downtown UFT's, 1 central west end UFT, and 1 Union Station UFT (that was already designated a "subway" E/W tunnel. LRT's were not common when Metrolink's design was laid out (this is why Pittsburgh's T and Buffalo's Metro (also now using the terminology Semi-metro) are also older LRT systems that used similar infrastructure to put LRT (the newer more efficient rail sector gaining interest during the late 1970's and into the 1980's). The only separation between these systems and heavy rail lines at the time were more efficient vehicles, lower cost technology, lower running cost and maintenance. The only difference between these older LRT systems and rapid transit systems is RT usually has higher capacity and operates at higher speeds.
Since the mid to late 1990's LRT systems now are mostly built cheaper and are not separate grade, slower overall running times, intergraded with motor vehicle traffic and utilize the same traffic patterns of bus/autos.
in 1972 by the U.S. Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA; the precursor to the Federal Transit Administration would coin the terminology Light Rail. https://www.trblightrail.org/background
In 1989, the Semi-metro terminology was created by The U.S. Transportation Board for U.S. systems including: Metrolink, including Buffalo Metro Rail, and the light rail lines in Cleveland and St. Louis. "Semi-metro" Defined as: a type of urban rail transport, often involving trams or light rail trains operating partly on dedicated tracks (using tunnels or viaducts) to avoid conflicts with other traffic. These systems are seen as a middle ground between full rapid transit (metro) and Light Rail transit.
https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/sr/sr182/182-012.pdf
https://onlinepubs.trb.org/Onlinepubs/glossary/001.pdf
Cleveland's challenge of LRT and Semi-metro https://trid.trb.org/View/370913
( side note: if you have some reading time: in the 1980's, the designation or terminology of [{Semi-metro]] had already begun overseas on converting … light rail transit to semi-metro to pre-metro to light rapid transit. https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/11431 )
( side note: also light-rail transit system that was conceived as a pre-metro line with the option for eventual conversion to full metro or semi-metro status. : https://trid.trb.org/View/145768 )
In 1992, The Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) was initiated by three cooperating organizations:
The Federal Transit Administration, the program sponsor, which has provided approximately $8 million annually
The Transit Development Corporation, a nonprofit educational and research organization established by the American Public Transportation Association, which provides program governance through the TCRP Oversight and Project Selection (TOPS) Committee. The National Academies, acting through Transportation Research Board) TRB, which serves as program manager.
During the 1990's the terminology would remain mainly as LRT - due to the overall operations in respect utilizing a catenary system and newer lighter weight vehicles.
In 2004, the discussion began again on rail system designations in the USA. This with Sound Transit (Seattle) building of LRT using similar "original" or "older concepts" of LRT in right-away with higher speed operations.
https://trb.org/publications/tcrp/tcrp_rpt_102.pdf
It was at this point that the FTA and TRB councils would look back to the original terminology of Semi-metro 25 or so years back in 1989 and the designation of the older LRT systems and designs (and intergrading the newer LRT vehicles and operations into them). This is where we are today with the Green Line.
Since 2024, TRB's "semi-metro" is a recognized term used in transportation discussions, TRB-related documents, and used by systems allocated under the TRB Glossary terms which describe and categorize transit systems. The term falls within the broader definitions of light rail systems that are differentiated by its level of grade separation, right-away, tunnels (subways), and higher speed operations. The TRB focuses on clarifying existing terminology and developing consistent language within the transportation field.
From the US DOT and TRB: One of the key tools the TRB utilizes to achieve this is the Transportation Research Thesaurus (TRT). The TRT provides a controlled vocabulary covering all aspects of transportation, arranging terms in hierarchies to establish clear relationships between concepts. The TRT is regularly updated to reflect new terms and evolving understanding within the transportation field. Additionally, the TRB publishes various resources, including glossaries and research circulars, that address specific areas of transportation and provide clear definitions of terms to promote uniform understanding. The Transportation Research Board (TRB) uses the term "semi-metro" to categorize a specific type of urban rail transport; Cleveland, Ohio (Blue and Green light-rail lines), Buffalo, New York (Metro Rail), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Light Rail "The T") and St. Louis, Missouri (Metro-Link)" https://transportationops.org/publications/glossary-regional-transportation-systems-management-and-operations-terms-second#:~:text=Overview,Transportation%20Systems%20Management%20andOperations%20Terms.Matguy7071 (talk) 06:27, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Oh, I have an article from 1988 I kept from the STL Post-Dispatch (when we started working on Metrolink). The section is titled "Getting St. Louis on Track". In the article is refers to Metrolink as being a semi-metro (the terminology that was being used at the time for systems using LRT but not surface LRT). The article is in my archives somewhere - but it is really a cool article and depicts older drawings/concept of what the new downtown "subway" stations would look like. They look so 80's with back lit glass blocks along the walls and separations and the train concepts show Toronto's TCC cars with catenary lines. Anyway, I'll look for it can send send it to you. I am actually quoted in it as well.

Metro Employee

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So you work for Bi-State? So you’re basically saying you get to determine what is published on this page based on your employment at the agency in question?

Wikipedia definitely has rules against that. Lightmetro (talk) 23:21, 13 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Managing a conflict of interest

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Information icon Hello, Matguy7071. We welcome your contributions, but if you have an external relationship with the people, places or things you have written about on the page Metro Transit (St. Louis), you may have a conflict of interest (COI). Editors with a conflict of interest may be unduly influenced by their connection to the topic. See the conflict of interest guideline and FAQ for article subjects for more information. We ask that you:

In addition, you are required by the Wikimedia Foundation's terms of use to disclose your employer, client, and affiliation with respect to any contribution which forms all or part of work for which you receive, or expect to receive, compensation. See Wikipedia:Paid-contribution disclosure.

Also, editing for the purpose of advertising, publicizing, or promoting anyone or anything is not permitted. Thank you. SounderBruce 00:16, 15 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Idiot

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“Oh, I have an article from 1988 I kept from the STL Post-Dispatch (when we started working on Metrolink). The section is titled "Getting St. Louis on Track". In the article is refers to Metrolink as being a semi-metro (the terminology that was being used at the time for systems using LRT but not surface LRT). The article is in my archives somewhere - but it is really a cool article and depicts older drawings/concept of what the new downtown "subway" stations would look like. They look so 80's with back lit glass blocks along the walls and separations and the train concepts show Toronto's TCC cars with catenary lines. Anyway, I'll look for it can send send it to you. I am actually quoted in it as well.”

So let me get this straight…you’ve apparently worked for Bi-State for 32 years but are relying on PD archives for sources? I’ve literally got a full copy of the 1987 DEIS with all the renderings to boot. I can’t imagine being your age and being so god damn ignorant. Lightmetro (talk) 02:44, 16 August 2025 (UTC)[reply]