Transit will play a key role in the success of the recently released 2030 Jobs Plan, according to the panelists of CMT’s Talking Transit event, held on Tuesday, July 20, at 8:30 a.m. via Zoom, to highlight the “Intersection of Jobs and Transit; Driving Economic Opportunity in St. Louis.” The discussion focused on the role public transportation plays in driving economic opportunity by increasing access to quality, living-wage jobs, and reducing disparities in employment and wealth generation.
“This conversation hit on the nexus of job creation and transit investment,” commented Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit.
The “Talking Transit” event featured five panelists, including Bruce Katz with New Localism Associates; Samuel Murphey of Greater St. Louis, Inc.; Taulby Roach of Bi-State Development/Metro Transit; Patricia Hagen of T-REX; and June McAllister Fowler from BJC Healthcare. Jim Wild, Executive Director of East-West Gateway Council of Governments, also provided input on the conversation.
June McAllister Fowler, Senior Vice President, Communications, Marketing and Public Affairs at BJC HealthCare noted, “Transit matters. We hire everyone from brain surgeons to people who don’t have their GEDs yet. Transit is the great connector to get people to jobs.”
Bruce Katz, Founder at New Localism Associates, added that transit delivers two items in the jobs plan – development around transit hubs and for greater mobility around middle and lower income workers.
CMT hosts quarterly “Talking Transit” events to keep members, elected officials, stakeholders, transit riders and others in the loop on issues and efforts influencing the local transit system. These educational gatherings feature guest speakers and panel discussions addressing a wide range of topics, including transit-oriented development, safety and security, best practices, service changes and more.
View the entire discussion here: