The St. Louis County Council has set a Committee of the Whole meeting for Feb. 10, 2026, to hear testimony on a $7 million shortfall in transit funding appropriated to Bi-State Development in fiscal year 2025 due to a lagging shortfall in sales tax revenues. This critical investment is necessary to prevent negative impacts for ALL riders, including potential service cuts to regular fixed-route service—MetroLink and MetroBus, Call-A-Ride and microtransit.
“As the region’s transit advocacy organization, Citizens for Modern Transit is concerned about the future of public transit in St. Louis County and what it could mean for many of our 22,000 constituents and the transit riding public if the $7 million funding deficit is not resolved quickly,” stated Kimerly Cella, CEO of Citizens for Modern Transit. “CMT supports a one-time $7 million appropriation from St. Louis County to address Bi-State Development’s Fiscal Year 2025 appropriation shortfall. From a long-term viability standpoint, it is imperative that St. Louis County continues to invest in public transit now and into the future. St. Louis County voters have demonstrated support for transit—not once, not twice but three times. This includes the 1973 ½ cent sales tax, the 1994 Prop M ¼ cent sales tax and the 2010 Prop A ½ cent sales tax, which was supported by 63 percent of voters despite an economic downturn.”
St. Louis County’s 2050 Long Range Plan revealed the public’s continued interest in transit access. Fifty-two percent of surveyed residents ranked transit access among their top ten priorities, and local businesses are increasingly seeking locations with strong transit connections to attract and retain workers. In addition, Missouri’s recently released Master Plan on Aging highlights the growing importance of transit investment and expansion as the state’s and St. Louis County’s older adult population continues to increase.
The meeting is set for 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 10 in Council Chambers, 41 S. Central, St. Louis, MO 63105. Citizens for Modern Transit is asking transit riders and supporters to weigh in on the importance of this appropriation with Council members:
| ST.LOUIS COUNTY COUNCIL | Email address |
| Councilwoman Rita Heard Days | rdays@stlouiscountymo.gov |
| Councilwoman Gretchen Bangert | councildistrict2@stlouiscountymo.gov |
| Councilman Dennis Hancock | District3@stlouiscountymo.gov |
| Councilwoman Shalonda Webb | swebb@stlouiscountymo.gov |
| Councilwoman Lisa Clancy | lclancy@stlouiscountymo.gov |
| Councilman Michael Archer | District6@stlouiscountymo.gov |
| Councilman Mark Harder | District7@stlouiscountymo.gov |
