St. Louis County Council Approves Bi-State Appropriation

The St. Louis County Council approved passage of the FY2024 transit appropriation bill by a 6-1 vote at its November 21 meeting. Citizens for Modern Transit has been urging members of the St. Louis County Council to support the FY2024 $128,550,848 Budget Appropriation Request from Bi-State Development. This year’s request will help to ensure the agency can deliver current service levels while looking to the future including building the operator base and expansion of the system in St. Louis County.

Chair Shalonda Webb reintroduced the FY2024 transit appropriation, Bill 230,  at the St. Louis County Council meeting on October 24, 2023.   On Nov. 14, members of the County Council perfected Bill 230  with a 6-1 vote in favor of the appropriation.

In addition, Metro Transit  announced in November they are investing in several areas to improve service:

1. Scheduling Software: Upgrading the existing scheduling software (known as Trapeze).  Status: Upgrade work on scheduling software has already begun.
2. Phone System:  Enhancing the phone bank systems to handle peak system demands. Status: The IT and Call-A-Ride leadership teams are working to address the phone system.  Metro Transit will also allocate the necessary financial and personnel resources to facilitate these phone system upgrades.
3. ADA Consultant: Metro Transit leadership and ADA Services Department are currently working to engage an outside consultant to review ADA accessibility across Metro Transit, recommend changes/enhancements and assist with developing an overall plan of execution.

As the regional transit advocacy organization representing more than 22,000 constituents, including riders, major employers, academic institutions, labor and community organizations, Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) is, and will continue to be, committed to advocating for a safe, secure, high-quality transit system for current and future riders. Special thanks to all CMT members and transit supporters for reaching out to the County Council members voicing your support.

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