St. Louis County Council Places Transit Tax On The Ballot

I just got this from Citizens for Modern Transit this morning:

The St. Louis County Council voted in December to place a ½ cent general sales tax on the ballot on April 6 for transit operations and expansion including MetroLink. Without the passage of this measure, Metro will be cutting more than 30 percent of it service to area residents – a significantly larger cut than in 2009 which had devastating effects on area employees and employers. Without the passage, these effects will be even greater.

If you would like to volunteer to help on the measure, contact info@cmt-stl.org.

The passage of this tax is absolutely necessary to the sustained growth of the St. Louis region. The train and bus system – along with other services like Call-a-Ride – are an integral part of the transportation infrastructure. These services need to be expanded, not contracted, to help St. Louis attract new jobs and maintain the ones it already has. If you have any time, please email the address provided above to see how you can help. I’m sure Metro and Citizens for Modern Transit could use every ounce of help it gets. I’m also fairly certain that you could do things as simple as write letters to help the cause.

If you want to learn more about Metro, all it has to offer and what it could mean to the region in the future, visit The Greater St. Louis Transit Alliance. Here you’ll find statistics on Metro, a list of all the organizations that support this tax and much more. This tax was on the ballot last November and failed by only a small margin. Don’t think of this as another cost during a recession but rather a small investment by each of us that will have lasting economic benefits for the entire region.

The voters of St. Louis City have already approved this measure but need the County to pass it as well to make it happen. I’m not sure what the new proposition will be called but if you’re a registered voter in St. Louis County please vote yes. Please talk to your friends and family about the measure too. If you’ve ever been to a big, vibrant city you have undoubtedly noticed an efficient and comprehensive public transit system. One can not exist without the other. Go Metro!