Cultural Losses

Although most of us were probably celebrating the results of the national elections on November 4th, our own region suffered a significant loss. St. Louis county residents voted no to Proposition M, a bill that asked for additional funding in order to sustain the current public transit system.

Missouri and Illinois residents who rely on public transportation will feel the immediate effects of the failed proposition. According to a recent Fox News article, “Metro Bus service is expected to be reduced 57%, including all service west of I-270." Additionally, "all express bus routes and night service will be either eliminated or reduced. Metro Link service reductions are expected to reach 42%, with no service after 8pm and no extra trains for special events.”

The financial and economic setbacks that our region will see as a result of reduced transportation are staggering.

What is more staggering, however, is the cultural losses that this vote will bring to our region. The cultural losses, in fact, can hardly be measured or put into words. In a recent post, we noted that “we’ll want to think through and beyond the economic and employment factors associated with the transit system.” So, where can we go from here?