Does anyone know of anything that we can do about this? I see the suspension signs over the bus stops around where I work in mid-town. It seems to be every stop in that area. I don’t know how many people use those stops, or if there are some stops around that area that will still be in service that people can use, maybe have to walk farther. I know that people use those stops to get to work and school.
Times are tough, I know, but if people can’t get to work or school, times are going to get tougher for them. Any ideas?

I’d like to hear from the people in the County who vote against such things? Is it just not your world? Or do you feel differently about your vote now? Do you feel its better for private carriers to take care of mass transit, but how would that be accomplished without having to charge $10 a ride? Would you consider donating your time and vehicle to give rides to those that need the transit for their jobs or studies, or because they have no alternatives?

I voted for the increase for the metro, but many didn’t and it failed. It’s hard to understand the lack of desire for public transport. Public transport being widely available would be a partial, but worthy, solution for economic and environmental problems.
Imho, we need more, much more, public transport. Federal funding would be a great help.

I thought to myself “I can’t believe it” when I heard that John Q. “West County Fat Cat” Public voted down the metro tax subsidy. What complete idiots. For all they knew gasoline could be at 6 or 8 dollars a gallon by now. Then you would hear some crying! And get some action! Jay Nixon is suppossed to be a democrat so maybe he will do something? But guessing he has reached his “Peter Principle” level of incompetasnce I wouldn’t hold my breath. The bottom line is that people just don’t have the capacity to think of anyone or anything but their own wallets. But don”t worry …like the Roman Empire, this stupidity marks the end of our civilization as we know it. And what goes around for West County will come around for West County. Hahaha! Unfortunately by then we will ALL be in soup lines…

Everyone above me is right on in their assumptions of situation. What the hell was St. Louis County thinking? What the hell is Missourah thinking? What the hell is this country thinking? Nobody can convince me that this whole Prop M debacle was directly related to the classists/racists/selfish/delusional/uber-conservative mindsets of many people in this area. For they are the ones that have been strangling the moral and economy of this city, state, and country for many years. Fortunately I have confidence that the next generation is open minded and progressive enough to use logic when they go to the booth instead of superstition and pint up hatred.
Also screw you to the elected officials who did not see this coming 10 years ago!
They elected officials that are more worried about getting re-elected by their uneducated constituents than making sacrifices and pointing out the problems of the area.
Also any elected official out of I-270 that sides with the rural/anti-urban legislatures instead of supporting regional plans and initiatives is also a complete disgrace and should be kicked out of office.

You can’t understand why West County would vote against this tax increase? How about years of mismanagement by BiState - millions in cost overruns and wasted money on lawsuits? How about years of lying to us - I for one still remember when they started the campaign for light rail - I distinctly remember commercials with trains emblazoned “Chesterfield”. Of course, years later, they admitted there would NEVER be a train to West County - they just wanted our money. Now they cancel all service to West County, even though we are still going to be paying taxes for services not received. This is the only way we can register a protest that will be heard. I for one will continue to vote NO until there are changes made. Mass transit can be very good - I’ve seen it work in DC, in Atlanta, in San Francisco. But here? Only incompetents.

By all means, Wino, don’t fund the system until it expands to your front door. And it will use fairy dust to do so, I guess, since there’s no money.

I know there is frustration from past mistakes, but how do you correct mistakes made two decades ago? You bring in new people, you do things differently. If people are going to hold a twenty-year grudge no matter how much things change, there’s just really no dealing with that.

Annette asks what can be done about the transit cuts that were implemented today across the region. Annette, and all others impacted by this issue, here are some things you can do:

1. Last week Metro submitted a one-time, $35 million funding request to the State of Missouri. If this has a chance in passing the State Legislature in May, it will be because concerned citizens have been busy calling and writing your State elected officials to tell them how important this issue is. If successful, this package would restore service in late summer, but only for one year.

2. Contact your state officials again and tell them that we must have more dedicated funding for transit at the State level. This has to happen if the system is going to be sustained into the future.

3. Transit funding is primarily a local decision, so we have to contact our elected officials in the City of St. Louis and St. Louis County to tell them we need local funding measures.

4. This one is perhaps most important- TALK TO PEOPLE. Create a buzz about the importance of transit and the negative impacts of these service cuts. The next time the region is faced with a transit funding measure, we cannot afford to be asleep at the wheel.

Jennifer, “1/4 is enough” asked why West County voted overwhelmingly against. I responded. The money wasted on cost overruns and legal fees was certainly not twenty years ago. I gave several reasons to show that over time, this agency has been terribly mismanaged and so far there has been no sign of change. You say bring in new people and do things differently? I say do that and maybe perceptions will change. Keep running like it has for the last two decades and you get bupkis. I don’t expect service to my door, but I do want honest, competent government services and Bistate has not delivered. I also pointed out other cities where the Metro equivalents worked. Why can’t it here? Because Bistate has the attitude that if you don’t like it in spite of how bad we are, we’ll just get worse.

I don’t want to have a bus or a train to run to my door or anywhere near my neighborhood. I don’t want to be stuck behind a frequently stopping bus. i don’t want to see them. Why is this so hard to understand. If you love buses so much, move into the City of St. Louis and subsidize you transit agency yourself. You gotta have priorities in choosing your place of residence. You can’t have it both ways. If a nursing home in Ballwin does not have a transportation van, maybe switch to another one that does, or move into the City. After all, someone who can afford a nursing home in Ballwin… Does anybody catch the drift?