Brian Wahby
January 26, 2010
On April 6th St. Louis County voters will make a decision that will have dramatic implications for the future of our metropolitan region. Voters will decide whether or not to authorize a one-half of one percent sales tax increase for MetroLink, MetroBus and disabled and senior public transportation. The passage of this important ballot initiative will not only restore the services previously cut in March of 2009 but also provide funds for future improvements to MetroLink and MetroBus services.
I am writing about this issue now, four months before the April 6th election, because this tax increase is vitally important to our region. Over 100,000 people rely on Metro every week to get to their jobs and 97% of all jobs in St. Louis City and County can be reached by riding Metro. Also, according to estimates, Metro commuters earn a collective $2.2 billion dollars annually.
We all remember the drastic services cuts Metro was forced to make last spring. The cuts impacted thousands of transit users — adding hours to some commutes and making it virtually impossible for others to rely on public transit to get to their jobs. Luckily, emergency state and federal funds were able to temporarily restore some of the service cuts for this fiscal year. This will not be the case in the coming fiscal year, due to budget cuts on the state and federal level. Passing this ballot proposition will ensure that drastic service cuts like last spring’s no longer loom on the horizon. This new tax will generate approximately $75 million a year for public transportation and will also trigger an additional $8 million in tax revenue from St. Louis City from a previous tax passed in 1997.
There is also an environment benefit to supporting the one-half of one percent sales tax increase. Expanding Metro allows more even more people to utilize the bus and rail systems which reduce carbon emissions. It is estimated that public transportation produces about half as much carbon dioxide and nitrogen dioxide, per mile, compared to private vehicles. Improving our public transit is a way for St. Louisians to become greener and help reduce the United State’s dependence on foreign oil.
As you can see, there are both economic and environmental reasons to pass this tax increase. I will likely revisit this issue as we get closer to the April 6th County elections, but until then, please be cognizant of the great services Metro provides and its importance to our regional economy. Also remember that, even if you are not a regular rider, your family, friends and neighbors probably are and they depend on Metro every single day. Please encourage everyone you know in St. Louis County to support this proposition on April 6th.
