Many people are discovering the perks of public transit and how it serves their lives. And, while most know the health, convenience and ecological benefits, they are not aware of the financial impact on their communities.
The Missouri Public Transit Association is partnering with Citizens for Modern Transit, AARP and Saint Louis University to investigate the economic impact of public transit throughout the state. We are conducting this study in order to obtain key information for our advocacy work with state and local politicians in order to convince them to provide more public funding.
Our plan is to produce two separate reports, one that is detailed, and one that is meant for wider public consideration to let everyone know how public transportation contributes to economic development in our communities. Our hope is to release the report early this Fall.
If your public transit organization is interested in participating in this survey, we would like to give you that opportunity. Please be as accurate as possible by providing the most up-to-date data. The information you provide will form part one of the study. We are asking to have this information back by May 15. Survey available here.
In addition to this survey, we will also be investigating the demographics of riders, their purposes for using public transit, the economic/industry sectors benefiting from transit riders and the multiplier effects on those sectors, and the spending by such riders in their communities that can be attributed to their transit usage. Thank you in advance for your participation.