Metro Hosts Executive Briefing on the Future of Transit in the St. Louis Region

Visit www.movingtransitforward.org for more information on Metro Transit Planning.

Local elected officials and community leaders joined Metro in the AT&T Room at The Missouri History Museum on Tuesday, September 29, to examine how public transit will be used to best position the community for a vibrant and economically sound future.  Those in attendance received the first public look at the long range planning process that will create a blueprint for establishing short range, mid-term and long range goals for transit in the region. 

Chief of Planning and System Development for Metro, Jessica Mefford-Miller, discussed the Agency’s goal of moving transit forward by developing a plan, with the cooperation of the East-West Gateway Council of Governments and other key stakeholders, intended to provide a planning, policy, financial and operational framework for developing transit service in the foreseeable future.

“The short-range vision, the one to five year plan, will serve as a guide to restoring service and making enhancements,” Mefford-Miller said. “The mid-range vision will identify major capital investments to be planned for the next five to 10 years. And, the 10 to 30 year, long-range vision will focus on options for expansion, new technologies, and strategies for better integrating transit into the community landscape.”

Mefford-Miller went on to highlight the possibilities for expanding the MetroBus system, improving frequency and increasing passenger amenities. She discussed the potential for introducing new modes and technology and expanding high-speed transit, referring to Flex Routes, Bus Rapid Transit, an Intelligent Transportation System and Light Rail and Commuter Rail Transit as options. She emphasized Metro’s desire to engage the entire community in order to better determine what the community expects from its transit system.

Following her presentation, the floor was open for group discussion. Those in attendance addressed the need for Metro to work to dissolve some of the negative impressions associated with public transit and to help the business community, as well as the general public, better understand the full-impact of a viable public transit system in fostering economic development. Other attendees stressed the importance of focusing on the short-term transit plan, meeting immediate needs and demonstrating results.

“The timing is significant,” commented Robert J. Baer, President and CEO of Metro. “Sixty years ago this month, the Bi-State Development Agency (Metro) was created. While we have accomplished much, what we have not accomplished is a community-supported and permanently funded long range vision. That was true when I led the organization 30 years ago, and it is still true. Our region’s public transit system is once again at a crossroads. But it is my desire, and I hope it is yours, to not only preserve our transit resources, but to help Metro flourish for the next 60 years.”

In the coming months, Metro will host a series of public engagement meetings and workshops, allowing the general public to provide feedback on the transit planning process. The first meeting will be held October 13 from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. at the World Trade Center at 121 S. Meramec in Clayton, MO.