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Merseytravel Over 60s pass

Merseytravel offers free travel on all buses, trains and Mersey Ferries river crossings for anyone aged 60 or over who lives in Merseyside.

When you reach your 60th birthday you can apply  for a Merseytravel Over 60s travel pass. Once you reach State Pension Age you will be given your English National Concessionary Travel Pass which also allows you to travel on local bus services anywhere in England.

You can find out when you reach your State Pension Age on  the Government website.

When can I use it?

Merseytravel Over 60s pass -  All day on Saturdays, Sundays and bank holidays. Any time Monday to Friday, except for journeys which start between 6.30am and 9.30am.

How do I apply?

You can apply at a Merseytravel Centre or by post.

What do I need to take or send?

• A completed application form.  • A suitable passport-sized colour photograph of yourself, which must have been taken within the last 12 months (please make sure you write your name and date of birth clearly on the back of your photograph). Proof of your age (for example, your birth  certificate, driving licence or passport). • Proof that your address is in Merseyside (for example, a recent council tax bill, gas, electricity or water bill, driving licence, bank or building society statement, official tenancy agreement or letter from the Department for Work and Pensions). • If you are applying by post you must include a copy of your photographic identification, either a passport or photo card driving licence. If you do not have photographic identification, we will not be able to process your application by post and you will need to go to your local Merseytravel Centre to continue with your application.

Who to contact

• [email protected]

Where to go

Get directions to l20 4re using google maps, last updated.

Last updated: 30/11/2021

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Over 60s travel passes

Merseytravel offers free travel on all buses, trains and Mersey Ferries river crossings for anyone aged 60 or over who lives in St Helens Borough, for use anywhere in Merseyside.

When you reach your 60th birthday you can apply for a Merseytravel Over 60s travel pass, which can be used:

• on local buses within the Merseyside boundary
• on the Merseyrail network (City, Wirral and Northern lines within Merseyside and as far as Chester, Ellesmere Port and Ormskirk)
• on the Mersey Ferries for single river crossings (not River Explorer or Special Cruises).

Find out more and apply on the Merseytravel website (opens new window)

Merseytravel

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Merseytravel Concessionary Passes

Merseytravel offers free travel on all buses, trains and Mersey Ferries river crossings for anyone with certain disabilities who lives in Merseyside.

You may qualify for a English National Concessionary Travel Pass if you meet the conditions of any of the seven categories of disability defined in the Transport Act 2000. The seven categories of disability are listed below and the disability must be long-lasting (expected to last at least 12 months) or permanent.

Where can I use it?

On local buses in England, on the Merseyrail network as far as Chester, Ellesmere Port and Ormskirk and on the Mersey Ferries for single river crossings (not River Explorer or Special Cruises).

When can I use it?

On buses trains and Mersey Ferries in Merseyside - all day, every day of the week. On buses in England - 9.30am - 11pm Monday to Friday and anytime Saturday, Sunday and bank holidays.

How do I use it?

You should place your pass on the card reader on board the bus, at the rail gate or on the platform validator every time you make a journey. If there is no rail gate or platform validator on your train journey you must show it to a member of staff if asked.

Am I eligible?

You may qualify for a Merseytravel National Travel Pass if you meet the conditions of any of the seven categories of disability defined in the Transport Act 2000.

Category A - Blind or partially sighted Category B - Profoundly or severely deaf Category C - Without speech Category D - Disability or injury which has a substantial effect on your ability to walk Category E - Does not have arms or has long-term loss of the use of both arms Category F - Learning disability Category G1 - Would be refused a licence to drive a motor vehicle because of medical fitness Category G2 - Would be refused a licence to drive a motor vehicle because of severe mental disorder. The disability must be long-lasting (expected to last at least 12 months) or permanent.

How do I apply?

You can apply online, at a Merseytravel Centre or by post.

Who to contact

Other details, local offer.

Get directions to using Google maps

Merseytravel vows to continue to provide free travel passes for 60-year-olds

MERSEYTRAVEL has promised free travel passes for over 60s will continue despite national changes.

• 00:00, 1 APR 2010
• Updated 01:22, 8 MAY 2013

English National Concessionary Travel Scheme changes will see the age at which people are entitled to free travel rise from 60 to 65 over the next ten years.

However, it will not affect the people of Merseyside.

Councillor Mark Dowd, chairman of Merseytravel, said it will continue to provide free travel on buses trains and ferries for everyone over 60 or those who meet disability criteria.

The policy was introduced 22 years ago.

He said: “The additional costs because of changes to the English national bus scheme will be negligible.”

Merseytravel have estimated it would have to provide 3,000 passes a year for those eligible and Cllr Dowd said it has provided for this cost.

He said: “They are more than compensated for by the benefits, both social and economic, brought by free travel. For example, during the summer months our trains to Southport are filled with day trippers taking advantage of concessionary travel and these visitors are spending money in the local economy.

“Free concessionary travel brings social mobility to our senior citizens and allows them to enjoy a healthier and better quality of life.”

Prospective Labour MP for Sefton Central Bill Esterson said: “I think it is great that Mersey Travel is going to keep the passes for anyone over 60 as I know how many older people love to use them to get out and about. Labour on Merseyside is absolutely committed to free travel for the elderly, which is why Cllr Mark Dowd has confirmed that Merseytravel will continue the excellent support it provides to older people.”

The issue was voted on at this month’s full Council meeting where the Conservatives abstained.

Prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Sefton Central Richard Clein criticised Tories for not voting and added: “The current Labour Government has already announced changes which will see the age at which people are entitled rising to 65 over the next 10 years. The reality is if the Tories get into power, the scheme could be scrapped altogether.”

Prospective Conservative MP for Sefton Central Debi Jones, said a paragraph in the motion about a possible Tory government that were “unfounded and pre-emptive.”

She said: “Had this paragraph been omitted as requested we would not have abstained. I admire the stance of Merseytravel on this matter. The free pass is a lifeline to a lot of our older people. It gives them independence and in a lot of cases a social life as they are able to travel to libraries and interest groups.”

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What time is the solar eclipse? Search your ZIP code for a viewing guide

Get ready for a spectacular show: A total solar eclipse will occur above the U.S. on the afternoon of April 8. Most Americans will be able to see it in some form, but the distance between your location and the path of totality will determine how much of the sun will be covered by the moon. Many places in the U.S. − Rochester, N.Y., Cleveland, and Austin, Texas, to name a few − will see a total eclipse, in which the sun is completely obscured. Other locations will see a partial eclipse. Search for your ZIP code below or select a major city to reveal the time, duration, peak and percentage of the eclipse in your area.

What time is the eclipse? How long will it last? What will it look like?

Can't see our graphics? Click here to reload the page.

When is the eclipse?

On April 8 the moon will travel along the path of totality in North America starting in northern Mexico. The shadow of the moon will pass into Texas a little before 1:30 p.m. local time. It will then cover portions of the Midwest and East Coast and touch southeast Canada before it moves out to sea, according to NASA .

Learn more: What is the path of totality for the total solar eclipse? Follow as it crosses the US.

Lea en Españo l: ¿Cuál es la trayectoria de totalidad del eclipse solar total? Siga mientras cruza México y los EE. UU.

Are free eclipse glasses safe? How can I view the eclipse safely without glasses?

If you buy or are given eclipse glasses, be sure they are made by companies the  American Astronomical Society  and NASA have certified as safe. Eclipse glasses should all have the "ISO" (International Organization for Standardization) icon. The glasses also must have the  ISO reference number 12312-2 .

If you cannot find certified glasses, there are other ways to view the eclipse, including with a shadow box you can make yourself. Whatever you do, don't look at the sun without proper protection.

Learn more : What happens if you look at a solar eclipse? A viewing guide for this year's sky show.

Lea en Españo l: ¿Qué pasa si miras un eclipse solar? Una guía para ver el espectáculo celeste de este año.

How does an eclipse work? How often do eclipses occur? Where can I learn more about the science?

A total eclipse occurs when the moon appears the same size as the sun and blocks the entire disk, leading to a period of darkness lasting several minutes. The resulting "totality," when observers can see the outermost layer of the sun's atmosphere, known as the corona, confuses animals – nocturnal creatures stir, and bird and insects fall silent.

Learn more : A total solar eclipse will cross the US in April: Here's where and when to see it

Lea en Españo l: El eclipse solar total cruzará EE. UU. en Abril: dónde y cuándo verl

Contributing: Janet Loehrke, Javier Zarracina and Shawn J. Sullivan

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Visit lyubertsy, check lyubertsy hotel availability, popular places to visit.

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Visit the most iconic square in Russia, which is bordered by many of the city’s most famous landmarks.

• Bolshoi Theatre

A centerpiece of the Russian arts scene, this theater’s magnificent auditorium and top-tier productions will impress even the most jaded theatergoer.

• St. Basil's Cathedral

Think of Russia and you probably picture this iconic building, whose onion-shaped domes overlook the Moscow skyline.

• Arbat Street

You can learn about the history of Moscow with a visit to Arbat Street. Take in the acclaimed theater scene in this culturally rich area.

• Armoury Chamber

Visit one of Moscow’s oldest and most revered museums and discover more about Russian royal life and military history.

• Cities near Lyubertsy

Dzerzhinskiy

• Places of interest
• Moscow City
• Lenin's Mausoleum
• Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy
• State Historical Museum
• Moscow State University
• Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts
• State Tretyakov Gallery
• Cathedral of Christ the Savior
• Victory Park
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• New Tretyakov Gallery - Museum of Modern Art
• Minin and Pozharsky Monument
• Triumphal Arch
• Luzhniki Stadium
• Ostankino TV Tower
• Sparrow Hills
• Novodevichy Convent
• Museum of Cosmonautics
• Moscow Botanical Garden of Academy of Sciences
• Russian White House

Additional information about Expedia Group

The Daily Iowan

House Republicans pass Area Education Agency overhaul omnibus in party-line vote

Iowa House Republicans pushed through a massive amendment to their plan to overhaul Iowa’s nine Area Education Agencies on Thursday.

The bill includes their AEA overhaul, a 2.5 percent increase to Supplemental State Aid used to calculate state school funding, and the house’s Teacher pay increase.

The bill would keep much of what Iowa House Republicans passed last month, and Senate lawmakers stripped when sending it back to the House on Monday.

The overhaul of Iowa’s Area Education Agencies is a top priority of Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds who announced the massive overhaul of the agencies in her Condition of the State address in January.

The reforms have received strong opposition from Iowans who say the bill will hurt Iowa students who receive special education services from AEAs. Some school superintendents have lobbied for the reforms saying they increase flexibility for schools with special education funding to better provide the services their students need.

The amendment that made the changes to the bill passed on Thursday, 51-42. All 34 House Democrats voted against the bill in addition to eight House Republicans that voted against the bill:

• Eddie Andrews, R-Johnston.
• Mark Cisneros, R-Muscatine.
• Zach Dieken, R-Granville.
• Tom Jeneary, R-Le Mars.
• Brian Lohse, R-Bondurant.
• Gary Mohr, R-Bettendorf.
• Ray Sorensen, R-Greenfield.
• Charley Thomson, R-Charles City.

With the amendment taken by the chamber, the bill keeps the majority of the House’s bill they passed last month intact. The bill would:

• Require schools to contract with AEAs for special education services.
• Give all special education funding designated for Iowa’s AEAs under current law to instead go to Iowa’s public school districts to contract for services.
• Require schools to spend 90 percent of their special education funding to go to AEAs, while 10 percent could be spent on third-party special education services.
• Raise teacher pay to $50,000 in two years and provide millions in funding to fund the teacher pay increase and increases to pay for paraprofessionals and other educational support professionals.
• Increase state funding to Iowa’s public schools, or Supplemental State Aid, by 2.5 percent. Which is half a percent less than House Republicans original proposal and in line with the governor’s budget.

House Republicans’ original bill would have kept federal special education funding with Area Education Agencies and given all state funding for special education to school districts.

Both proposals would expand oversight of AEAs by the Iowa Department of Education by creating a new division of special education in the department.

The bill also does not include a $15 per hour minimum wage for paraeducators and other educational support personnel, which is currently $7.25 or Iowa’s standard minimum wage, that was proposed in the original House bill.

The amendment to the House proposal was published online at 3:55 p.m. on Thursday, a little more than an hour before debate on the bill started, and House Republicans moved to limit debate by requiring debate to conclude at 6:30 p.m. the same day.

Reynolds thanked the House lawmakers who passed the bill late on Thursday, in a news release sent shortly after the bill passed the Iowa House Thursday evening.

“By reforming the AEA system, empowering school districts, and improving oversight and transparency, we are committing to better outcomes and brighter futures for Iowa’s students with disabilities,” Reynolds said in a news release. “They deserve nothing less.”

In a news release following shortly after the House closed floor debate, Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver signaled that Senate Republicans are likely to pass the bill, committing to start considering the bill early next week in the Senate.

​​“I am happy to see progress on AEA reform, raising starting teacher pay, and education funding,” Whitver said in the news release. “Senate Republicans will discuss the new version of the bill next week and I am looking forward to a resolution on these issues.”

Republicans: bill won’t hurt special education, will increase flexibility

Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Orange City, said “There’s absolutely nothing in [the bill] that hurts special education.”

Wheeler said he assigned himself the bill because of the effects reforms to AEAs could have on his 5-year-old daughter with Autism. He argued he wouldn’t push for legislation that could harm the services his daughter receives. Wheeler also said that he appreciates all the services that AEAs provide his family, but the system needs more flexibility.

“I assigned [the bill to myself] because I knew if this deals with special education,” Wheeler said. “This deals with my daughter’s future, but it also deals with so many of the different families and individuals that I know in the disability community and to say that this is: destroying them, an attack on them, disrupting them is ridiculous in my mind. I would never support or push for any piece of legislation that I thought would harm that community.”

Rep. Chad Ingels, R-Randalia, called Democrats comments “fear-mongering” and said that the bill doesn’t do what Democrats say.

“March Madness that’s what I would call some of the fear-mongering that we’re hearing today,” Ingels said. “It’s over the top. We are not dismantling the AEA system. I think there’s going to be challenges going forward. As we adjust to some changes in a system. There’s no money going away from that system. We’re just adjusting how it flows.”

Democrats: bill rushed that affects “most vulnerable” Iowans 

With a debate cut off sharply at 6:30 p.m. and an amendment that was publicly available less than an hour before the debate on the amendment, Democrats said the bill was rushed.

“Shame, such nonsense,” Rep. Sharon Sue Steckman, D-Mason City, said during the debate. “This is not the way we do business here for something this important for our children. We’re going to rush through this. It’s like a crazy March Madness.”

Rep. Ken Croken, D-Davenport, speculated that the motion limiting debate was due to a basketball game in Omaha.

Iowa State Men’s Basketball and the Drake Men’s basketball teams play at 6:35 p.m. and 9:05 p.m. on Thursday at CHI Health Center in Omaha.

Rep. Molly Buck, D-Ankeny, a public school teacher, said the bill would affect Iowa’s “most vulnerable population” by disrupting the AEA system that provides special education services for Iowa’s students.

“We are rushing through legislation that affects the most vulnerable kids we have in Iowa — our most vulnerable population,” Buck said. “The ones that can’t speak for themselves, the ones that can’t defend themselves. We’re stampeding toward a system that I am afraid will be in chaos at the end of this. I wouldn’t stand up and fight this hard against something unless I was truly worried about it.”

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Iowa House votes on new AEA overhaul bill as Senate waits. What's in the new proposal:

H ouse Republicans have passed a new version of their plan to restructure Iowa's Area Education Agencies, sending the bill back to the Senate as the two chambers struggle to reach an agreement.

The amended version of House File 2612 is the third version of the AEA legislation to pass out of either the House or the Senate this year. Republicans in both chambers have been making changes to the proposal as they try to find language they can agree on.

House lawmakers voted 51-43 Thursday to pass the bill. Nine Republicans broke from their colleagues and joined every Democrat in opposition.

In the lead-up to the 2020 election, all eyes are on Iowa. Get updates of all things Iowa politics delivered to your inbox.

What's in the newest House AEA bill?

The legislation would send the lion's share of money for special education services to the AEAs, retaining the agencies as the primary provider of those services to schools.

Districts would have jurisdiction over spending for media and general education services — currently provided by AEAs — and can stay with the agencies under a "fee for service" model or seek private contracts.

The new version of the legislation also raises minimum pay for beginning teachers to $50,000 per year, up from $33,500. And it includes money to increase experienced teachers' salaries and raise pay for non-salaried school staff, like paraeducators.

In addition to the teacher pay increase, the bill raises state per-pupil funding for K-12 schools by 2.5%.

The bill's floor manager, Rep. Skyler Wheeler, R-Hull, listed a series of "wins" he said House Republicans had secured in the bill.

"Yes, I believe you can make an argument this is going to improve outcomes for students with disabilities," he said. "Yes, I believe this is local control. Yes, I believe this provides certainty for the AEAs. And yes, I believe it provides certainty for families that have students with disabilities."

Democrats, who have staunchly opposed changes to the AEAs, accused Republicans of playing politics by passing a bill that the Senate hasn't agreed to.

"We have received thousands of emails from constituents. Thousands of phone calls. We are stopped at the grocery store. The one thing Iowans are asking us to do is protect AEAs," House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, D-Windsor Heights, told reporters Thursday. "Iowans don’t want this. Republicans are bringing this to the floor today because they are scared of the governor and they are trying to play political games with kids with special needs in this state."

Negotiations over the AEAs have dominated the 2024 legislative session since Gov. Kim Reynolds announced a sweeping plan to overhaul the agencies in her Condition of the State address in January.

Reynolds' initial plan was met with widespread opposition from education groups, Democrats and even many Republican lawmakers, prompting them to rewrite large portions of the bill.

In a statement after Thursday's vote, Reynolds thanked House members and said the bill would "further strengthen Iowa's education system in meaningful ways."

"By reforming the AEA system, empowering school districts, and improving oversight and transparency, we are committing to better outcomes and brighter futures for Iowa’s students with disabilities," she said. "They deserve nothing less."

Will Senate Republicans pass newest plan after previous divide with House?

House and Senate Republicans have in recent weeks passed their own versions of the bill, and remain at odds over how to proceed.

Earlier this week, the Senate passed their own plan to restructure the agencies , which would require districts to make annual contracting decisions and pursue private agreements on special education, media and general education services.

That vote put the ball back in the House's court, with leaders in both chambers forced to negotiate on a compromise. The Senate will return to the Capitol next week to decide how to act on the latest plan, having been out of session Thursday as the House debated.

Asked during debate whether an agreement had been forged between House and Senate Republicans, House Majority Leader Matt Windschitl, R-Missouri Valley, said he couldn't "dictate what happens across the way" but hoped Thursday's vote was the last on the issue.

Asked after the vote if House Republicans' message to the Senate was "take it or leave it," House Speaker Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, told reporters "that's our expectation."

"Our expectation is it satisfies everyone at the table to be able to get a package that’s going to move forward and our hope would be make it to the governor’s desk," he said.

In a statement after Thursday's House vote, Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver, R-Grimes, did not commit to passing the bill but said he's hoping for a "resolution."

“I am happy to see progress on AEA reform, raising starting teacher pay, and education funding," he said. "Senate Republicans will discuss the new version of the bill next week and I am looking forward to a resolution on these issues.”

How would AEA services change under the Republican deal?

One of the biggest debates among Republicans this year is how school districts should pay for services offered by the AEAs.

The AEAs are currently funded through a combination of state, federal and local property tax dollars. The agencies offer special education services to school districts as well as media services and general education services.

The House bill passed Thursday would not make any change to funding for special education in the 2024-25 school year. In the 2025-26 school year and beyond, districts would receive the state special education funding that currently goes to the AEAs, but they would be required to send 90% of that money to the AEAs, while keeping the remaining 10% of funds.

"The mandate remains for special ed students that they will still get their services provided by the AEAs," Grassley said. "That was the number one priority in that conversation and we held the line on that and we were obviously successful."

In the 2024-25 school year, school districts would receive 60% of the state funding for media services and general education services and AEAs would receive 40%. Schools could choose whether to continue contracting with the AEAs for those services under a "fee for service" model, or use a private provider.

Beginning the following year, school districts would receive all the state funding for media and general education services and could choose whether to use the AEAs.

A Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll conducted in late February found a majority of Iowans (56%) have a favorable view of the AEAs, while 24% view them unfavorably and 20% are not sure.

Previous Republican plans in the House and Senate have diverged on how to fund and distribute services currently provided by the AEAs.

Under the plan passed by the Senate earlier this week, districts would have until Feb. 1 to make an annual decision whether to contract with the AEAs for special education, media and general education services. If they decline to do so, they could seek a private vendor.

More: As Reynolds pushes big changes to Iowa special education, most like AEAs, Iowa Poll finds

The newest plan approved by the House on Thursday also creates a task force to study and make recommendations on the AEA system, the sole aspect of the bill supported by Democrats.

Rep. Molly Buck, D-Ankeny, said Republicans should have pursued a task force without the bill's other changes that she said she believes will leave the system "in chaos."

"We are rushing through legislation that affects the most vulnerable kids we have in Iowa," she said. "Our most vulnerable population. The ones that can’t speak for themselves, the ones that can’t defend themselves."

Bill creates special education division in Department of Education

The Iowa Department of Education would gain more oversight over special education services in the state with the creation of a new Division of Special Education.

The bill would authorize the Department of Education to hire new 13 staff members in Des Moines and another 40 who would be based within AEAs around the state.

Starting teacher pay would rise to $50,000 per year

The legislation would raise minimum pay for beginning teachers to $47,500 in the upcoming school year and to $50,000 the next year, up from $33,500 under current law.

It sets a minimum salary of $60,000 for teachers with at least 12 years of experience in the upcoming school year, before raising that minimum to $62,000 the next year.

And the bill has $22 million for schools to use to raise experienced teacher pay and another $14 million to increase pay for non-salaried school staff, like paraeducators.

Rep. Chad Ingels, R-Randalia, who has two children with Down syndrome, said he and other House Republicans are particularly passionate about increasing paraeducator pay.

"While AEA personnel are extremely valuable, paraeducators are there every day beside my kids. And they’re underpaid," he said. "They can go down to Casey’s and make more. They can go to Walmart and make more."

The bill would also increase state per-pupil aid to schools by 2.5%, or about $82.4 million in new money.

The version of the bill passed by the Senate would have increased beginning teacher pay to $46,250 per year, with no minimum for experienced teachers and no additional funds to give pay increases to other school staff.

The Iowa Poll found 76% of Iowans favor raising minimum teacher pay to $50,000 per year, while 22% oppose the increase and 2% are not sure.

More: Most Iowans support raising starting teacher pay to $50,000, Iowa Poll finds

Democrats criticize last-minute amendment from Republicans

Alongside criticisms of the plan to restructure AEAs, Democrats on Thursday also decried Republicans' timeline for debate and voting.

The language of the revised bill was not published online until shortly before 4 p.m. Thursday, with debate starting roughly an hour later. Republicans quickly voted to set a "time certain" to end debate at 6:30 p.m.

Konfrst accused Republicans of "shoving this bill down our throats" without giving Democrats or the public time to weigh in.

"They are dropping a 49-page amendment with the three most important issues to educators and kids in this state and expecting us to vote on it in a couple hours," Konfrst said. "You can’t tell me this is for Iowans. You can’t tell me this is for Iowa kids. This is for the governor. This is for politics and it shows you who they work for."

Melissa Saitz, a spokesperson for House Republicans, said GOP lawmakers have worked hard for weeks to hear feedback on their proposal.

"As the Democrats know, nothing in the amendment to the AEA bill is new policy," she said in a statement. "These are concepts that have been debated on the House and Senate floor and in the committee process. Iowans have been able to weigh in on these pieces of policy for weeks."

Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at  [email protected]  or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on Twitter at  @sgrubermiller .

Galen Bacharier covers politics for the Register. Reach him at  [email protected] m   or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier .

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa House votes on new AEA overhaul bill as Senate waits. What's in the new proposal:

• Articles   >

The Moscow Metro Museum of Art: 10 Must-See Stations

There are few times one can claim having been on the subway all afternoon and loving it, but the Moscow Metro provides just that opportunity.  While many cities boast famous public transport systems—New York’s subway, London’s underground, San Salvador’s chicken buses—few warrant hours of exploration.  Moscow is different: Take one ride on the Metro, and you’ll find out that this network of railways can be so much more than point A to B drudgery.

The Metro began operating in 1935 with just thirteen stations, covering less than seven miles, but it has since grown into the world’s third busiest transit system ( Tokyo is first ), spanning about 200 miles and offering over 180 stops along the way.  The construction of the Metro began under Joseph Stalin’s command, and being one of the USSR’s most ambitious building projects, the iron-fisted leader instructed designers to create a place full of svet (radiance) and svetloe budushchee (a radiant future), a palace for the people and a tribute to the Mother nation.

Consequently, the Metro is among the most memorable attractions in Moscow.  The stations provide a unique collection of public art, comparable to anything the city’s galleries have to offer and providing a sense of the Soviet era, which is absent from the State National History Museum.  Even better, touring the Metro delivers palpable, experiential moments, which many of us don’t get standing in front of painting or a case of coins.

Though tours are available , discovering the Moscow Metro on your own provides a much more comprehensive, truer experience, something much less sterile than following a guide.  What better place is there to see the “real” Moscow than on mass transit: A few hours will expose you to characters and caricatures you’ll be hard-pressed to find dining near the Bolshoi Theater.  You become part of the attraction, hear it in the screech of the train, feel it as hurried commuters brush by: The Metro sucks you beneath the city and churns you into the mix.

With the recommendations of our born-and-bred Muscovite students, my wife Emma and I have just taken a self-guided tour of what some locals consider the top ten stations of the Moscow Metro. What most satisfied me about our Metro tour was the sense of adventure .  I loved following our route on the maps of the wagon walls as we circled the city, plotting out the course to the subsequent stops; having the weird sensation of being underground for nearly four hours; and discovering the next cavern of treasures, playing Indiana Jones for the afternoon, piecing together fragments of Russia’s mysterious history.  It’s the ultimate interactive museum.

Top Ten Stations (In order of appearance)

Kievskaya station.

Kievskaya Station went public in March of 1937, the rails between it and Park Kultury Station being the first to cross the Moscow River.  Kievskaya is full of mosaics depicting aristocratic scenes of Russian life, with great cameo appearances by Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin.  Each work has a Cyrillic title/explanation etched in the marble beneath it; however, if your Russian is rusty, you can just appreciate seeing familiar revolutionary dates like 1905 ( the Russian Revolution ) and 1917 ( the October Revolution ).

Mayakovskaya Station

Mayakovskaya Station ranks in my top three most notable Metro stations. Mayakovskaya just feels right, done Art Deco but no sense of gaudiness or pretention.  The arches are adorned with rounded chrome piping and create feeling of being in a jukebox, but the roof’s expansive mosaics of the sky are the real showstopper.  Subjects cleverly range from looking up at a high jumper, workers atop a building, spires of Orthodox cathedrals, to nimble aircraft humming by, a fleet of prop planes spelling out CCCP in the bluest of skies.

Novoslobodskaya Station

Novoslobodskaya is the Metro’s unique stained glass station.  Each column has its own distinctive panels of colorful glass, most of them with a floral theme, some of them capturing the odd sailor, musician, artist, gardener, or stenographer in action.  The glass is framed in Art Deco metalwork, and there is the lovely aspect of discovering panels in the less frequented haunches of the hall (on the trackside, between the incoming staircases).  Novosblod is, I’ve been told, the favorite amongst out-of-town visitors.

Komsomolskaya Station

Komsomolskaya Station is one of palatial grandeur.  It seems both magnificent and obligatory, like the presidential palace of a colonial city.  The yellow ceiling has leafy, white concrete garland and a series of golden military mosaics accenting the tile mosaics of glorified Russian life.  Switching lines here, the hallway has an Alice-in-Wonderland feel, impossibly long with decorative tile walls, culminating in a very old station left in a remarkable state of disrepair, offering a really tangible glimpse behind the palace walls.

Dostoevskaya Station

Dostoevskaya is a tribute to the late, great hero of Russian literature .  The station at first glance seems bare and unimpressive, a stark marble platform without a whiff of reassembled chips of tile.  However, two columns have eerie stone inlay collages of scenes from Dostoevsky’s work, including The Idiot , The Brothers Karamazov , and Crime and Punishment.   Then, standing at the center of the platform, the marble creates a kaleidoscope of reflections.  At the entrance, there is a large, inlay portrait of the author.

Chkalovskaya Station

Chkalovskaya does space Art Deco style (yet again).  Chrome borders all.  Passageways with curvy overhangs create the illusion of walking through the belly of a chic, new-age spacecraft.  There are two (kos)mosaics, one at each end, with planetary subjects.  Transferring here brings you above ground, where some rather elaborate metalwork is on display.  By name similarity only, I’d expected Komsolskaya Station to deliver some kosmonaut décor; instead, it was Chkalovskaya that took us up to the space station.

Elektrozavodskaya Station

Elektrozavodskaya is full of marble reliefs of workers, men and women, laboring through the different stages of industry.  The superhuman figures are round with muscles, Hollywood fit, and seemingly undeterred by each Herculean task they respectively perform.  The station is chocked with brass, from hammer and sickle light fixtures to beautiful, angular framework up the innards of the columns.  The station’s art pieces are less clever or extravagant than others, but identifying the different stages of industry is entertaining.

Baumanskaya Statio

Baumanskaya Station is the only stop that wasn’t suggested by the students.  Pulling in, the network of statues was just too enticing: Out of half-circle depressions in the platform’s columns, the USSR’s proud and powerful labor force again flaunts its success.  Pilots, blacksmiths, politicians, and artists have all congregated, posing amongst more Art Deco framing.  At the far end, a massive Soviet flag dons the face of Lenin and banners for ’05, ’17, and ‘45.  Standing in front of the flag, you can play with the echoing roof.

Ploshchad Revolutsii Station

Novokuznetskaya Station

Novokuznetskaya Station finishes off this tour, more or less, where it started: beautiful mosaics.  This station recalls the skyward-facing pieces from Mayakovskaya (Station #2), only with a little larger pictures in a more cramped, very trafficked area.  Due to a line of street lamps in the center of the platform, it has the atmosphere of a bustling market.  The more inventive sky scenes include a man on a ladder, women picking fruit, and a tank-dozer being craned in.  The station’s also has a handsome black-and-white stone mural.

Here is a map and a brief description of our route:

Start at (1)Kievskaya on the “ring line” (look for the squares at the bottom of the platform signs to help you navigate—the ring line is #5, brown line) and go north to Belorusskaya, make a quick switch to the Dark Green/#2 line, and go south one stop to (2)Mayakovskaya.  Backtrack to the ring line—Brown/#5—and continue north, getting off at (3)Novosblodskaya and (4)Komsolskaya.  At Komsolskaya Station, transfer to the Red/#1 line, go south for two stops to Chistye Prudy, and get on the Light Green/#10 line going north.  Take a look at (5)Dostoevskaya Station on the northern segment of Light Green/#10 line then change directions and head south to (6)Chkalovskaya, which offers a transfer to the Dark Blue/#3 line, going west, away from the city center.  Have a look (7)Elektroskaya Station before backtracking into the center of Moscow, stopping off at (8)Baumskaya, getting off the Dark Blue/#3 line at (9)Ploschad Revolyutsii.  Change to the Dark Green/#2 line and go south one stop to see (10)Novokuznetskaya Station.

Check out our new Moscow Indie Travel Guide , book a flight to Moscow and read 10 Bars with Views Worth Blowing the Budget For

Jonathon Engels, formerly a patron saint of misadventure, has been stumbling his way across cultural borders since 2005 and is currently volunteering in the mountains outside of Antigua, Guatemala.  For more of his work, visit his website and blog .

Photo credits:   SergeyRod , all others courtesy of the author and may not be used without permission

Home buyers and sellers to be spared standard broker commissions under $418 million settlement

The National Association of Realtors has agreed to a landmark settlement that would eliminate real estate brokers' long-standing commissions, commonly of up to 6% of the purchase price.

Instead, home buyers and sellers would be able to negotiate fees with their agents upfront. If the $418 million legal agreement is approved by a federal court, consumer advocates predict the ranks of real estate agents will thin, further driving down commission prices.

"For years, anti-competitive rules in the real estate industry have financially harmed millions," said Benjamin Brown, managing partner at the Cohen Milstein law firm and one of the settlement's negotiators. "This settlement bring sweeping reforms that will help countless American families."

The NAR acknowledged the pending settlement in a statement Friday and denied any wrongdoing.

"NAR has worked hard for years to resolve this litigation in a manner that benefits our members and American consumers," said Nykia Wright, interim CEO of NAR, whose previous chief stepped down late last year amid fallout from a federal lawsuit.

"It has always been our goal to preserve consumer choice and protect our members to the greatest extent possible. This settlement achieves both of those goals," Wright said in the statement.

Currently, a home seller is essentially locked into paying a brokerage fee for listing their property on a multiple listing service, or MLS — usually 5% or 6% depending on their geographic area. Upon selling, half of the fee goes to a listing agent representing the seller, while the buyer's agent gets the other half.

The practice — which has become standard in the real estate industry in recent decades — led to accusations that some buyers' agents were steering prospects toward more expensive homes. In October, a federal jury found the NAR and some major brokerages liable for colluding to inflate commission fees, ordering the trade group to pay a historic $1.78 billion in damages .

"It's a bribe," Doug Miller, an attorney and longtime consumer advocate in the real estate industry, said of the commission-splitting arrangements. "You're paying someone to negotiate against you. There's no good reason for sellers to pay buyer-brokers."

If the settlement is approved, brokerage commissions would be stripped from MLS sites and opened up to negotiation with sellers, among a series of other changes. Homebuyers, too, would be able to negotiate fees more easily if they choose to sign up with a broker — though experts say the new arrangement may incentivize more buyers to forgo brokers entirely.

The new brokerage-fee changes would begin to take effect within months of the settlement's approval. A preliminary hearing to approve the deal is slated to take place in the coming weeks.

CORRECTION (March 15, 2024, 2:27 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated when a federal jury found the NAR and some major brokerages liable for colluding to inflate commission fees. It was in October, not November.

Rob Wile is a breaking business news reporter for NBC News Digital.