On January 21, 2021, President Biden signed an executive order directing federal agencies to “require masks to be worn in compliance with CDC guidelines” in various modes of transportation, including public transportation. Today, this order was extended through September 13, 2021. Security Directive (SD) 1582/84-21-01A applies to passenger railroads, intercity bus services, and public transportation. The order … Continued
Local developers, community leaders and Metro Transit highlighted the opportunities around developing near transit including bus routes at the latest CMT Talking Transit event. On Thursday, April 29, CMT’s “Can the Bus Drive Development” Panel Discussion highlighted how an integrated bus system can be a driving force for development, positively impacting equity, livability and future … Continued
In response to President Biden’s $2.3 trillion American Jobs Plan proposal, a group of Senate Republicans are proposing a scaled-down five-year, $568 billion infrastructure plan. The two-page plan was released on April 22nd and includes an outline for the breakdown in funding. The primary difference in the two plans, beyond the overall size, is how … Continued
After getting input from transit riders, area residents, elected officials and stakeholders through a series of virtual Design Workshops, surveys and community events, the St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD), has approved a finalized design concept for the “Transit Stop Transformation Project” at the Emerson Park Transit Center. The project, being completed in conjunction with … Continued
Give on May 6. Give the gift that moves St. Louis through CMT’s work. Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) and AARP in St. Louis initiated a pilot project through its Transit Placemaking Program in 2019 to transform a bus stop in Maplewood. The effort, known as the “Maplewood Transit Stop Transformation Project,” converted the Maplewood … Continued
This fall the Missouri Public Transit Association, in partnership with the Iowa Public Transit Association and Kansas Public Transit Association, will be hosting a 2 ½ day Midwest Transit Conference in St. Louis. Both in-person and virtual options will be available for attendees. The conference will provide transit providers, stakeholders, elected officials, and others the … Continued
Progress continues to move progress on security strategies according to the March 2021 issue of the Metro Security Scorecard. Since September 2019, WSP and East-West Gateway have presented the Scorecard updates each quarter. In February 2019, the MetroLink Security Assessment was completed. This project was led by East-West Gateway Council of Governments in close partnership … Continued
East-West Gateway Council of Governments awarded a Transportation Alternatives program grant to the City of Kirkwood for $1.5 million. This grant will be used for the Historic Kirkwood Train Station Restoration project that the city and the Historic Kirkwood Train Station Foundation are taking on. Some of the updates to the train station include a … Continued
Letter to the Editor, St. Louis Post Dispatch, April 18, 2021 Regarding Tony Messenger’s column “As recovery from pandemic begins, cash infusion could finally fund transit expansion in St. Louis” (March 21): I’ve been taking public transit for roughly 60 years. I use both MetroLink and MetroBus to get to work, medical appointments, shopping, the gym, … Continued
Metro Transit is introducing a new version of their online Trip Planner. The new version will replace the current Trip Planner, scheduled to be discontinued at the end of April 2021. The new Trip Planner is powered by Google Transit, which has all of the MetroLink train and MetroBus schedules, rider alerts, and can track real-time … Continued
The Missouri Legislature continues to advance SB 262, which will increase the state motor fuel tax by 12.5 cents a gallon over 5 years. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Schatz, is sometimes referred to as the “South Carolina Model” due to the provision in the bill that would allow for an individual to apply for … Continued
Image Credit: SLBJ – A proposed development from KDG at North Sarah Street and Clayton Avenue in the Cortex Innovation Community. Developer KDG is proposing a three-building development in the Cortex Innovation Community, with residential, office and retail planned, just steps away from the Cortex MetroLink station. KDG, made up of Koman Group and Keeley … Continued
Last week President Biden released his fiscal year (FY) 2022 Discretionary Budget request, outlining his Administration’s priorities for the next fiscal year’s budget, including $1.52 trillion of discretionary spending for FY22, including $25.6 of discretionary funding for the U.S. Department of Transportation. According to APTA, this is a $317 million (or 1.3-percent) increase over FY21 … Continued
The St. Louis region’s transit advocacy organization, Citizens for Modern Transit, has hired Michael Foley as assistant director. In this role, he will be responsible for the management of programming, community engagement and membership, while working to secure grant funding, serving as a legislative liaison and furthering the organization’s mission to ensure access to a … Continued
Yesterday the Biden Harris administration unveiled the $2.3 trillion infrastructure investment package entitled the American Jobs Plan. The plan allocates $621 billion in spending to the transportation sector including $85 billion to modernize existing transit and help agencies expand their systems to meet rider demand. The plan calls for doubling federal funding for public transit, spending … Continued