Blog

Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) announced it has commissioned a study of potential funding strategies designed to support public transit in the St. Louis region. The organization will partner with Transportation for America to conduct the six-month study.

The study will aim to assess current fiscal capacity for transit expansion and operation, analyze the best practices of transit strategies nationwide, and examine potential changes to state constitutional language or statutes that would create additional funding sources for public transportation. In addition, it will aim to develop a revenue model to project receipts from different sources and develop a menu of possible funding strategies based on the analysis and findings for local consideration.

Currently in the St. Louis area, there are several potential transit expansion corridors and service innovations which have received extensive review by the region’s transportation planning organization. These include the Northside/Southside and Daniel Boone light rail projects and the St. Louis Streetcar project, but an overall lack in funding has prevented any large-scale capital public transit project from moving forward. By commissioning this funding study, CMT is hoping to begin the process of  building the case for, and developing, long-term, sustainable public transit financing.

“Public transit is the key to bringing our community together, and CMT is committed to working with various partners in the St. Louis region to support the community’s existing bus, light rail and Call-A-Ride services,” said Kimberly Cella, Executive Director of CMT.

MetroLink provides more than 17 million rides a year, making it the 8th largest light rail system in the U.S. In addition, MetroBus has 75 routes and 100,000 daily boardings, making it the 30th largest bus system in the nation.

“In the jurisdictions where Metro is funded to operate, we have a proven record of success,” notes Bi-State Development Agency/Metro President and CEO John Nations. “In fact, 95 percent of St. Louis City and St. Louis County residents can reach 95 percent of the jobs in those areas, and that is a major factor in spurring economic growth.”

“Unfortunately, significant investment and expansion of transit does not happen overnight,” said Rose Windmiller, chair the CMT Board of Directors. “We are at a crossroads in the region with regards to transit.”

CMT points to the proposed Northside/Southside light rail project from Florissant Valley Community College to South County as an example of the need for funding. The region has listed this as an ‘illustrative’ project, meaning it is a regional priority but has no funding attached to move it forward. The project would require an environmental impact study that would take almost two years and $4 million to complete, followed by $2 billion and another four to five years of work to build it out, according to the metropolitan planning organization.

The funding study will kick off in this month and conclude in June 2015. For more information on the study or CMT’s efforts visit www.cmt-stl.org,

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us