The St. Louis Board of Aldermen wants to ask voters to give the city the right to spend sales tax revenue currently collected for MetroLink expansion on bus rapid transit instead.
In 2017, voters adopted a half-cent sales tax increase and directed 60% of the revenue raised specifically to north-south MetroLink expansion along Jefferson Avenue. The city has raised about $96 million since.
Mayor Cara Spencer canceled the project in September, citing rising costs and questions about getting federal funding. The city’s mass transit agency pivoted to studying bus rapid transit along the same alignment, but it was not clear if the funds could be used for that purpose due to the wording of the city law. Bus rapid transit projects set aside dedicated lanes for buses and have limited stops along the route.
Legislation introduced Friday by Board President Megan Green would ask voters to add bus rapid transit to the list of acceptable uses for the funds. It would help the city meet the required local match for federal grants.
“I support using the eco-devo tax revenue for Bus Rapid Transit, however, I think it's even more important that residents demonstrate their support for it at the ballot,” Green said in a statement.
The legislation will first go through the multistep process at the Board of Aldermen, which must happen by Jan. 27 for it to get on the April ballot. If approved, it will appear alongside a renewal of the city’s earnings tax.
