More than 60 percent of voters in St. Louis City cast their support for Proposition 1 on April 4 for MetroLink expansion and economic development. The proposition will facilitate a half-cent sales tax increase in the city for “economic development purposes,” including a Northside-Southside MetroLink, neighborhood revitalization, workforce development, public safety, and upgrades to the city’s infrastructure.
The official ballot language read: Shall the City of St. Louis impose a sales tax at a rate of one half of one percent for economic development purposes including (1) North/South Metrolink, (2) neighborhood revitalization, (3) workforce development; (4) public safety, and (5) to upgrade the city’s infrastructure, with annual public audits
According to proponents of Proposition 1, about $12 million, or 60 percent of the tax increase, would go toward a MetroLink extension, and $2 million would go to neighborhood revitalization, job training, youth employment, public safety, and street and equipment repair and replacement.
Currently, there is a study underway in the City of St. Louis on the Northside-Southside corridor within the city limits for MetroLink expansion. St. Louis County will also have a MetroLink study underway in the next month looking at three corridors including MetroNorth east to the portion of the Northside corridor in St. Louis County.
“CMT strongly supports efforts to expand our existing public transportation system. It is critical that existing transit expansion planning initiatives—which in some cases are more than 20 years old—are updated with more current data about potential ridership and financing to objectively determine which projects should rise to the top of the region’s priority list. CMT notes that the East-West Gateway Board of Directors has not endorsed any route among those identified in the region’s long-range transportation plan. We have an opportunity here as a region to craft a route that may actually merge one or two corridors examined 2 decades ago. With that said, it is our hope and goal that the next project selected is a regional project providing public transit benefits to both the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County and takes into account not only the rides provided but the economic development and social equity opportunities of light rail ,” said Kimberly Cella, executive director of CMT.
| Yes – For the measure | 35,059 | 60.4% | |
| No – Against the measure | 22,998 | 39.6% |