Here in middle America, all the hottest trends seem to arrive late. Capri pants, yellow cars and a light rail public transportation system all came after other large cities in the country had accommodated such trends years before. Now, almost 15 years after MetroLink began operation, the trend of public transportation still has yet to truly catch on.

There are a myriad of reasons why commuters shun the public transportation system in St. Louis, but there are also a number of reasons why such snubbing is ill-advised. Every driver knows that gas prices, far from dropping, will only continue to rise in the foreseeable future. As these prices rise, commuters should rise to the occasion and try alternative forms of transportation, such as Metro buses or the MetroLink.

Public transportation also, to some degree, improves the public health. Walking from a bus stop to a MetroLink station, or to another destination is an activity that many sedentary Americans do not experience on a day-to-day basis. The exercise, combined with fewer carbon emissions from cars, leads to a city environment that is healthier and revitalized by street-level pedestrians.

Yet another reason area commuters should give public transport a chance is the sense of community it fosters. Riding a bus or train requires interaction with other people, which can often lead to interesting stories, friendships or a way to idly pass the time. Only by more people riding on the public transport services can those services lose the stigma of being for the sole use of the “lower classes,” and rise above social trepidation. The transportation class system was destroyed many decades ago when European cities began their own public transportation methods.

The public transport system in St. Louis is not without its faults. Often the bus routes are not conducive to riders’ convenience, but the Metro website offers a simple utility in which one can enter a starting point, and a desired destination, and the site will map out the appropriate route. Mapping a route doesn’t get much easier.

A significant failure in the St. Louis system is its safety. Saint Louis University is located in close walking distance to a MetroLink stop, but until the stop feels safe, students will instead opt to take advantage of the SLU shuttle program. The bus shuttle takes students to many destinations where the MetroLink stops, including Brentwood Promenade and the nearby Galleria.

SLU could help the city increase ridership on the light rail system by offering students free MetroLink rides, instead of the bus shuttle service. The University should encourage MetroLink to light up the Grand station-much in the same way as the “shady” Shell station was brightened two years ago-and paint pedestrian crossing stripes across the Highway 40 on-ramp. Perhaps, with those two vital improvements, SLU students would be more keen to try their hand at public transportation.

With the Highway 40/Interstate 64 construction-and subsequent closings-continuing for the next few years, it is time for St. Louisans and SLU students to realize that public transportation is not a passing trend like those regrettable bell-bottoms. Public transportation is here, and it is here to stay. Try taking a ride, and you just may get hooked.