Mid Rivers Newsmagazine News

Mid Rivers Newsmagazine is St. Charles County's exclusive direct-mailed community newspaper.

Interest renewed in revisiting mass transit proposals, programs

By Jeannie Seibert

This time last year Mo. Rep. Sally Faith (Dist. 15) began trying to get an interest sparked amongst various local legislative bodies to promote St. Charles County Transit Authority’s attempt to get a mass transit system to take root.

Doubting there was any interest from the populace, government leaders remembered an earlier effort to extend the MetroLink into St. Charles County resulted in a resounding thud, asked Faith to conduct a public opinion poll to see if things had changed.

Along with co-chair Gary Turner, Faith was disappointed to see the poll results reflected little interest from the public.

What a difference a half-a-year can make.

With a near 40-percent spike in the cost of motor fuel in the last six months, numerous programs already in existence are emerging with expansion plans and proposals for new programs are surfacing at a rapid rate .

Faith returned to St. Peters City Hall on June 12, accompanied by Althea West of the Independent Transportation Network (ITN).

West told the Board of Aldermen ITN is a national non-profit organization with community affiliates that provide car service for older adults and individuals with sight impairments.

The city would need to commit to an initial investment but ITN’s goal is to be self-sustaining within five years.

Subscribers to the service would pay a modest annual membership fee of about $100 and then a per-ride charge at about half the cost of owning and operating a vehicle. The program offers many creative ways to decrease costs to users.

Following West’s presentation during the work session, representatives from OATS (Older Adults Transportation Service) and Express Medical Transporters (EMT) explained their services which are already operating in the area with plans to expand in the near future.

St. Peters Mayor Len Pagano, who for years has advocated for a city-wide bus system, and received the same tepid response as Faith’s Transit Authority until now, is back on the case with a renewed sense of urgency.

Pagano is now trying to coordinate the city’s efforts with a regional program very similar to Faith’s original plan – a city-by-city bus system that would be interlinked from St. Charles to Wentzville and from Wentzville to Weldon Spring back to St. Charles.

Weldon Spring and St. Charles would act as hubs for riders to catch a bus into St. Louis County to connect with the Bi-State Bus system and MetroLink at either Chesterfield or Hanley Station.

Pagano said he is working with Faith, MoDOT, County Executive Steve Ehlmann and East/West Gateway to craft a program to get mass transit off the ground locally.

While that eventual service would be accessible to the general public, in the meantime, elderly and disabled residents do have a few options available to them right now.

For St. Peters’ residents, City Hall administers HUD funding through an annual Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) combined with income from the red light camera program in coordination with OATS.

According to Cathy Pratt, director of community development, City Hall is likely to expand that program for the next fiscal year to $126,000 to provide 8,000 trips for medical and rehabilitation appointments, grocery and pharmacy shopping, even lifestyle enhancement stops for the barber shop, hair salon or for a workout.

“We don’t provide trips to the (gambling) boat or the ball game, but we do schedule stops to the Rec-Plex – things that help to make you feel better,” Pratt said.

Pratt said that Amy Heckart coordinates the city’s transportation program could be reached at 636-477-6600, ext. 204 for information or to register.

That program is limited to residents living within St. Peters city limits.

Residents elsewhere in the area may be within the EMT service area. To find out, phone 636-447-6400.

To learn more about an up and coming transportation service, contact ITN at 636-926-8407 or go to www.itnamerica.org.

To make a contribution or to volunteer with the ITN program, call Althea West directly at 636-926-8407.