Committee approves three Metro appropriations after budget presentation, members press on security gates and service

The Transportation and Commerce Committee on Oct. 11 advanced three board bills appropriating local sales-tax revenue to Metro Transit after hearing a budget presentation from Bi-State Development officials.

Bi-State Development President and CEO Talby Roach told the committee Metro’s 2026 revenue is projected at about $344.2 million, with passenger revenue budgeted at $19.5 million and an appropriation request to St. Louis City and St. Louis County of roughly $47.6 million. Roach said Metro is projecting a modest operating deficit in 2026 of about $4.8 million that the agency plans to manage internally and that larger deficits tied to depreciation are funded largely through Federal Transit Administration capital grants.

The presentation and follow-up questioning focused on three funding items and several ongoing projects: the new fare and secure platform program (SPP) that will add station turnstiles and upgraded fare media, expansion of the electric bus fleet and charging infrastructure, replacement of the light-rail vehicle (LRV) fleet, and passenger amenities such as bus shelters.

“This will give us great opportunities to move some of our fundamental revenue up,” Roach said of the fare modernization program, noting Metro has not replaced its fare system in about 15 years. CFO Tammy (Metro CFO) told the committee Metro is budgeting conservatively for fare revenue in 2026 but expects improvement once the new system and fare products are operating.

Officials said local sales tax, contractual revenue (including a contract with St. Clair County) and state funds make up the largest revenue line. Tammy told the committee that sales tax and contractual revenue increased from the prior year, and that interest income fell chiefly because Metro has spent down cash reserves on capital projects.

Committee members questioned Metro staff about the secure platform project and whether turnstiles would improve safety and ridership. Roach cited a pilot at some east-side stations and said ridership at Emerson Park rose 40 percent after the pilot gates were installed, calling that result “significant.” He acknowledged that the consultant WSP USA found little correlation between fare evasion and violent crime, but said perception of safety matters for riders and for taxpayers who support the system.

“We do believe then that once we establish that fundamental customer service piece that feels safer, that'll allow us also to move our ridership up,” Roach said.

Aldermen pushed Metro for details on the project schedule and cost. Metro officials said the overall secure platform project is large, in phased deployment, and expected to be completed in January 2026; construction and procurement market pressures have increased costs from an original estimate of about $52 million toward an updated estimate in the low $60 millions.

Committee members also pressed Metro about electric buses and charging infrastructure. Roach said Metro has 14 full electric buses in regular service and is expanding charging at depots (including work at the DeBaliviere location) via cooperative contracts with Ameren and other partners. Chuck Stewart, Metro’s chief operating officer, explained that the agency has hired over 100 bus operators in the last 12 months and that service planning since COVID has focused on reliability and frequency; he said paratransit (Metro Call-A-Ride) denials have been reduced to zero for the past seven months following service-area changes and operational reforms.

Members repeatedly asked about bus-stop amenities, including shelters, sidewalks and trash collection. Roach said Metro is exploring a “suite of options” for targeted shelter improvements and suggested small local matching funds or pilot programs with municipalities to leverage federal grants for upgrades.

After the presentation and Q&A, the committee voted to advance three board bills tied to Metro revenue: Board Bill 35 (Transportation sales tax appropriation, $26.3 million projected), Board Bill 36 (annual transit sales tax appropriation; “Prop 1”), and Board Bill 37 (second transit sales tax appropriation; “Prop M2”). Each bill was moved and seconded and carried out of committee with a due-pass recommendation; the roll-call recorded four aye votes on the first bill and no objections were recorded on subsequent bills.

Committee members asked Metro to return with further updates on the green line and on targeted bus-stop projects. Several aldermen urged Metro to continue working with disability advocates and community groups on accessibility as the secure platform and fare modernization are rolled out.

What’s next: The three board bills proceed to the Board of Aldermen with a due-pass committee recommendation. Metro officials said they will provide follow-up materials on 2025 year-to-date numbers, reserve/cash flow clarifications and additional details on fare-system timing and costs.