Letter to Editor, October 7, 2023 St. Louis Post Dispatch
To convince others how critical public transit is to our region, we must talk about our “why.” For some of us, it could be that we are employers, with staff who depend on transit to get to work. Others may rely on transit to get to campus, while some individuals may have loved ones who are transit drivers and see firsthand how crucial it is. For others of us, the “why” could be that we frequent downtown sports and entertainment venues, and, while we have a car, we shun paying the parking prices or waiting for Uber or Lyft.
My “why” started with the 90 Hampton bus. It served as my weekly after-school ride from my home to my family’s business. The 16 City Limits bus took me to visit friends living in the Wells Goodfellow neighborhood. The 95 Kingshighway bus took a gaggle of us from Saturday games at Soldan High School to our teenage gathering spots. During college, the 97 Forsyth bus took me to my downtown job at WIL Radio, and the Central West End MetroLink stop became entry to my BJC HealthCare job for years.
I’ve dedicated countless years volunteering with Citizens for Modern Transit to further transit accessibility. I have needed public transportation throughout my life, and it’s been there for me. As we look to the future of transit in this region, I urge area supporters to find their “why” and communicate it. Whether we ride it or not, we all need public transit.
June McAllister Fowler
Past-Chair, CMT Board of Directors