St. Louis Post Dispatch, November 9, 2025
Allowing guns on public transit vehicles poses a serious and inherent safety risk for everyone on board. Just as firearms are prohibited on airplanes and Amtrak trains, public transit should be no different. On a moving vehicle, there is no safe way to exit in the event of danger. Transit vehicles are confined spaces with high passenger density, where bullets could ricochet off hard surfaces—greatly increasing the risk of unintended injuries, structural damage and challenges for emergency response.
The notion that carrying or displaying a weapon enhances safety—as suggested by Missouri Director of Women for Gun Rights, Susan Myers, in her Nov. 2 opinion piece in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch—is unsubstantiated. It also raises a troubling question: what comes next? If one person has a knife and another pulls a gun, what prevents further escalation?
In St. Louis and across Missouri, transit agencies are working diligently to protect both passengers and operators. Millions of dollars are being invested in comprehensive security plans, expanded private video surveillance systems and partnerships with licensed law enforcement officers. Data from local transit agencies shows it is structured security measures like these and proactive policing that are effective in reducing crime and increasing public confidence.
Arming transit riders is not the solution. It only makes public transit less safe for everyone.
Kimberly Cella, CEO of Citizens for Modern Transit and Executive Director of the Missouri Public Transit Association.