Metro Call-A-Ride

Metro Call-A-Ride

Company type	Paratransit service
Industry	Public transportation
Headquarters	St. Louis , United States
Area served	Greater St. Louis (city of St. Louis and St. Louis County)
Products	Paratransit services for disabled and mobility-limited passengers
Owner	Metro Transit
Number of employees	186 (2024)
Website	www.metrostlouis.org

Metro Call-A-Ride is a paratransit system managed by Metro Transit that operates within segments of Greater St. Louis. In , it achieved an annual ridership figure of 278,900, with an average daily usage of approximately 1,400 passengers as of .

Service

This service caters to individuals residing in the city of St. Louis and St. Louis County who have limited or no access to MetroBus or MetroLink, particularly serving disabled users unable to utilize these conventional transit options. Operations are confined to a 3/4 mile radius around MetroBus or MetroLink stops, restricted to the hours when bus and train services are active.

In April 2023, due to a shortage of operators, Metro curtailed the Call-A-Ride service area, predominantly impacting regions in southwest and far north St. Louis County, which led to considerable dissatisfaction among riders and community stakeholders.

By January 2024, the number of operators had increased from 102 in November 2023 to 124; however, this remained below the planned staffing level of 201. The agency prioritized minimizing trip cancellations before considering service area expansion. By autumn 2024, the percentage of denied trips had fallen dramatically from 42.5% to less than 1%, alongside an operator count rising to 186.

In 2025, Metro deployed upgraded scheduling technology that includes a smartphone application and an online portal for managing trips and enabling real-time tracking of vehicles, thereby improving both rider experience and operational performance.

Fleet

The Call-A-Ride fleet comprises 123 vans equipped with accessibility features such as lifts or ramps and designated priority seating designed to accommodate a wide range of passenger requirements.

Roster

As of fiscal year 2022, the Call-A-Ride fleet includes:

Fleet Number(s)	Quantity	Year Built	Manufacturer	Model	Engine	Seating	Notes
4330-4379	21	2009	ElDorado	Aerotech	GMC Duramax 6.6L	14
4401-4425	17	2008					4418 retired; auctioned July 2023
4430-4453	19	2008					4430, 4434 retired; auctioned July 2023
4501-4537	37	2015	Champion	Defender	Cummins ISB6.7
4601-4617	17	2016
4701-4722	22	2019	Arboc	SOI	Ford 3.7L
4801-4820	20	2020

External links

• Metro – Official website for Metro Transit
• Bi-State Development – Official website for Bi-State Development
• Citizens for Modern Transit – St. Louis transit advocacy group