The Redbird Express shuttle will resume service March 30 for the St. Louis Cardinals’ opening day, after shutting down in 2022 due to a driver shortage.
The shuttle will now be operated by Windstar Lines rather than the St. Clair County Transit District and Metro St. Louis, and prices have increased threefold.
When the Redbird Express was operated by the St. Clair County Transit District and Metro St. Louis, tickets were $5 for adults and $2 for children ages 2 through 12, as of 2018. Now, ticket prices are $15 round-trip.
While the former Redbird Express received funding through taxes in addition to ticket prices, the shuttle is now privately run and will not receive public funding.
“Avoid the hassle of downtown parking and game day traffic. Instead, arrive curbside at the stadium in a luxury motorcoach! Rest easy knowing a professional driver will safely get you to and from the game,” the Redbird Express website reads.
Metro-east Cardinals fans can park at St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights and ride the shuttle to Busch Stadium. Drop-off is at Spruce Street between 4th Street and South Broadway, near Gate 6. Shuttle service begins three hours before game time and runs every 15 minutes; tickets are reserved for a specific departure time.
Wheelchair-accessible shuttle options will be available, Windstar Lines St. Louis General Manager Evan Beard said in an email to the News-Democrat.
Return service begins at the top of the 8th inning and runs continuously for two hours post-game, and passengers are shuttled back on a first-come, first-served basis.
Cash ticket purchases will not be available onsite.
“Our buses will be a combination of 56 passenger VanHools and 81 passenger double decker VanHools,” Beard said. “This will allow for increased seating capacity and efficiency.”
Before the Redbird Express shut down last year, an average of 1,350 people used the service each gameday, according to previous News-Democrat reporting. Opening days or games against the Chicago Cubs could see as many as 2,000 riders.
Bus driver shortages caused a last-minute shuttle cancellation in August 2019, leaving some fans feeling “disappointed” and “inconvenienced.” Bus driver shortages have affected the metro-east and other U.S. regions in a variety of ways, from MetroBus staffing shortages to school bus driver shortages and more.