St Louis, MO transit faces massive cuts

[Lyon_Wonder]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/editorialcommentary/story/1BC0C05FEA2B92BC862575870000104A?OpenDocument

"The Metro transit agency faces an operating deficit of $45 million this year, which is expected to reach $50 million next year. Nearly one in every four of its 2,300 employees will be laid off in the coming weeks. Many highly skilled and productive employees already are being poached by transit systems in other regions.

Service will end at 2,300 of the 9,000 bus stops and shelters on Missouri's side of the system; service in Illinois, which is fully funded, won't be affected. A bus fleet of 320 will shrink to about 140. MetroLink light rail riders will see one-third fewer trains during rush hour. Call-A-Ride service for the disabled will be slashed.

Most city and inner-ring suburban service will be cut 25 percent to 75 percent. Most of St. Louis County outside the Interstate 270 loop will receive no service. Limited service to the Chesterfield Valley was salvaged through the end of the year as a result of a last-minute deal between Metro and far-sighted municipal leaders and local businesses.

This is historic in a very bad way. No other metropolitan public transit system has ever been whacked as deep and as fast.

What's been the community's response? Compared to the weeping and gnashing of teeth that preceded temporary closings of U.S. Highway 40/Interstate 64 for reconstruction, there's been hardly a whisper. That may change as the pain radiates out."

 

"St. Louis County voters narrowly defeated a half-cent transit tax in November. It would have put the system on a sound financial footing.

Mr. Baer hopes to take another run at a ballot initiative in April 2010 — and meanwhile find $35 million to quickly restore routes pending the vote.

Local taxpayers have done all the heavy lifting in support of mass transit. Missouri state government, meanwhile, under both Democratic and Republican rule, has failed profoundly to do its fair share. Metro gets less state support — a paltry $1.4 million a year — than any other metro transit system in the nation."


 

[DMUinCT]

 So you put the people back into there cars!

 So much for "Green" transportation!