For a country that has always been proud of its history, America has the reputation of leaving behind one of its most important cultural artifacts. Project yourself back to the end of the 19th Century: merchandises, food, people and machines, zipping (although chugging would perhaps be a more apt term) across the Great Plains and the Manufacturing Belt.

Couples arrive decked out in tuxedos, dresses and fanciful regalia. Some eagerly start campaigning for king or queen. Camera flashes go off left and right. The stage is set for what seems like a typical prom. And then a Metro train rushes by.

We’ll all admit to it: St. Louis public transportation is currently in a state of disarray. St. Louis Metro posts losses every year, and service hours and bus routes have been cut since Proposition M failed in St. Louis County last November. Metro’s stops are often viewed as unsafe and plagued with crime, and the [...]

Metro’s service cutbacks may have gone into effect, but that’s not stopping a number of Washington University students and administrators from continuing to advocate funding for the transit agency.