Bus Rapid Transit Sales Tax Ballot Measure (BB 59)
At a glance
- What: Board Bill 59 (sponsor Alderman Aldridge, 14th Ward, with President Green) would send voters a question on letting the transit share of the 2017 half-cent economic development sales tax also pay for bus rapid transit (BRT). That share is 60 percent of the tax and is currently tied to the north-south MetroLink line. It creates no new tax.
- Where it stands: Passed out of the Budget and Public Employees Committee on October 21, 2026 with a do-pass recommendation, as a new committee substitute that replaced an earlier substitute adopted the same morning. It is on the full Board agenda for October 23.
- Ballot language as read: the city collects a half-cent sales tax for economic development; 60 percent funds north-south MetroLink transit; shall the transit portion also fund BRT. It applies to funds already collected and future revenue, covers construction and operation of BRT, and requires an annual public audit.
- How the wording changed: the first substitute swapped "mass transit initiatives" for bus, rail and paratransit services and enhancements, after concerns from Sonnier and Alderwoman Velasquez. The head of the regional transit agency (captioned "Mr. Roach") urged shorter, plainer language, and a recess working session produced the BRT-only version.
- Co-sponsors added at the hearing: Velasquez, Devote and Browning.
- Next: Full Board consideration; a public education effort on BRT before the vote. A BRT open house was set for October 22 at the Polish Heritage Center.
Sources
- Board of Aldermen minutes, October 9, 2026 (preliminary): https://www.stlouis-mo.gov/government/city-laws/upload/legislative/minutes/Minutes%20October%209,%202026%20Updated.pdf
- 2026-10-21 - Budget and Public Employees Committee (committee video, auto-captions, sparse in places; the recess working session is not captioned)
- Full Board of Aldermen Meeting - October 23, 2026 (posted agenda, BB 59CS out of committee)
Discussion time
About 30 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-21 - Budget and Public Employees Committee | 30 |
Log
2026-10-21 - Budget and Public Employees Committee
First committee substitute and three exhibit amendments adopted 5 yes; recess to simplify the ballot wording; new BRT-only committee substitute adopted after the rules were suspended and passed out with a do-pass recommendation.
2026-10-16 - Board of Aldermen
Committee hearing announced for October 21.
2026-10-09 - Board of Aldermen
Minutes: under Miscellaneous Business, BB 59 was held in the Budget and Public Employees Committee. Bill remained in the Budget and Public Employees Committee.
2026-10-08 - Budget & Public Employees Committee
Hearing on BB 59 for an April 6, 2027 ballot question on reallocating the transit portion of the 2017 half-cent sales tax from light rail to bus rapid transit or other mass transit. Metro/Bi-State, Citizens for Modern Transit and St. Louis Realtors supported it; committee members questioned the breadth of "other mass transit initiatives"; speakers asked for electric-bus or express-bus language or for no vote that day. No vote was taken. Open houses were announced for October 19, 22 and 26.
2026-10-30 - Full Board of Aldermen Meeting
Perfected as committee substitute BB 59CS: April 6, 2027 election on extending the North-South Metrolink sales tax to bus rapid transit (preliminary minutes).