While Transportation Day 2014 was postponed for tomorrow, Feb. 4 due to weather- there is still an opportunity to weigh in on public transit in Missouri as the discussions begin on HJR 68/SJR 48 – the proposed one-cent sales and use tax for transportation in Missouri. While the weather may keep you home tomorrow, consider … Continued
Senator Kehoe has introduced Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 48 a proposed one-cent general sales tax for transportation in Missouri. This is a companion bill to HRJ 68 which was introduced last week in the House by Representatives Schatz and Hinson. this bill is also very similar to the bill that Senator Kehoe and Senator McKenna … Continued
The 2014 Legislative Session is right around the corner, and Citizens for Modern Transit is going to be making the case for funding for transit on the local, state and national level as well as setting a list of transit priorities for the St. Louis region. CMT’s Legislative agenda adopted by the CMT Board on … Continued
The Missouri Public Transit Association released a case statement on the importance in investing in public transit in MO. A link to the statement is below. For every one dollar invested in public transportation, there is a four dollar return on investment in economic activity. Public transit also improves mobility, increases economic growth, decreases unemployment, improves … Continued
Houston is set to open its new 5 mile light rail extension. This extension to their current Red Line will take riders through Houston’s historic northside neighborhoods, from the University of Houston-Downtown to the Northline Transit Center. The route has one elevated station that features artwork and a view of the downtown skyline. There are … Continued
The opening of the Osage Railroad Bridge, just east of Jefferson City, will provide huge time savings for freight and passenger rail trips between Kansas City and St. Louis. The new 1,200 foot railroad bridge provides 2 main line tracks across the river. The former single-track bridge over the Osage river created service bottlenecks and … Continued
The Missouri Department of Transportation has released for review its draft 20 year Long Range Transportation Plan – “A Vision for Missouri’s Transportation Future.” While 20 years may seem like a long time, remember we just celebrated 20 years of MetroLink this past July, in transportation planning and construction, it is not. However, now is … Continued
Secretary of State Jason Kander announced that the initiative petition for a one cent transportation sales tax has been approved for circulation. The official ballot language reads: Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to: increase funding for state, county, and municipal street, road, bridge, highway and public transportation initiatives by increasing state sales/use tax by … Continued
November 14, 2013 Dear CMT members and friends: Citizens for Modern Transit is thrilled to have received word about exciting opportunities ahead for our region related to public transit. And, we need your help! Thanks to two, competitively-awarded Federal grants, Citizens for Modern Transit is set to receive $1.25 million to help further community support for … Continued
Today, City of St. Louis Mayor Slay held a press conference at City Hall to announce new funding for housing developments near MetroLink and MetroBus. The City hopes to encourage development near transit as a means to increase access to jobs. The funding for the Affordable Housing Commission (AHC) of the City of St. Louis … Continued
With Amtrak breaking ridership records 10 times out of the last 11 years, Amtrak extends a special thanks to its riders by discounting companion fares 31%. The 31% discount reflects the 31.6 million passengers that rode the the rail network in Fiscal Year 2013. Amtrak will also feature different #AmtrakStories portraits and passenger stories on … Continued
The Illinois Department of Transportation and Union Pacific Railroad are performing the last of three phases of 2013 upgrades to Illinois’ signature high-speed route, Chicago-St. Louis, for future 110 mph operation of Amtrak Lincoln Service trains. The construction work includes the installation of new premium rail with concrete ties and stone ballast; upgrades to bridges, … Continued
With discussions happening on the local, state and federal level with regards to funding of transportation/public transit infrastructure – one question continues to pop up – what’s happening to the funding for transportation? The gas tax, currently paid at the pump by car drivers, has paid for road and transit projects since the 1930’s. However, Americans … Continued
Metro closed out FY13 on June 30, 2013 with ridership up across the board on MetroLink, MetroBus and Call-A-Ride for more than 47 million rides – a 0.7 percent increase over the prior year and a 13 percent increase since FY10. Metro is attributing some of this growth to higher gasoline prices and returning customers … Continued
Just one more reason Transit needs to be a top priority for the State of Missouri. Missouri remains a state with some of the highest miles traveled per capita as evidenced in the table below. Currently, public transit receives a very small percentage of funding from the state of MO. This year, $560,000 was appropriated … Continued