Transit ranks among top 10 priorities for County residents according to research for the creation of the St. Louis County long range comprehensive plan, STLCO 2050. St. Louis County’s last comprehensive plan was adopted 40 years ago. Some of the recommendations from that vision of the future no longer match with the current St. Louis County.
The STLCO 2050: a Sustainable and Equitable Comprehensive Plan will provide a long-term vision for the County and provide a platform to coordinate with regional partners and stakeholders to align existing policies and create new ones that support the entire St. Louis region. As a part of the extensive engagement which began last year, the County sent out a survey to 7,000 randomly-selected households in the County, with a targeted response rate of about 14% (~1,000 responses). 1,103 people responded, or about a 15.8% response rate. In this survey, respondents were asked about a variety of key issues related to quality of life, including housing costs and options, walkability, access to cultural amenities, and more. St. Louis County residents ranked reliability and frequency of public transportation in the top 10 priorities. 52.6% of all respondents reported that they are dissatisfied or very dissatisfied with their ability to get to their destination without a car.
” In 2010, 63% of St. Louis County voters supported a 1/2 cent general sales tax for transit, and these survey results underscore there is still a need and demand for reliable and frequent public transit service,” said Kimberly Cella, executive director of Citizens for Modern Transit.