Department of Transportation Transition
At a glance
- What: City voters approved replacing the streets department with a Department of Transportation (DOT) in November 2024 by almost 90 percent. The charter change left most details to ordinance and to the mayor's office, which is now designing the department.
- Where it stands: On October 21, 2026 the committee heard a first draft from Caitlyn Smith (mayor's policy advisor) and James Jackson (Streets Director), with Rich Bradley (Board of Public Service president) answering questions. The full transition is expected by July 1, 2029. No vote was taken.
- Plan as presented: first two to four DOT positions funded in the second quarter of 2027, about three more requested for FY2028; a new planning, engineering and project delivery division (major projects, bridges, multimodal transit, sidewalks with an ADA coordinator, traffic calming and quick build, public engagement) alongside refuse, towing and street maintenance.
- Next: the St. Louis Works funding bill, Board of Public Service staff moving over (about five positions), pay scale review, and outreach to residents.
Main points and concerns
- Goal: one department that plans and manages the whole network for walkers, cyclists and drivers, with safety first and a five-year plan. The city has over 4,100 lane miles of streets; the Transportation and Mobility Plan covers about 1,900 miles.
- The Board of Public Service will keep grants and major capital work during the hand-off; officials said there will be no sudden transfer of paperwork.
- No existing streets jobs are to be cut; the chief human resources officer is reviewing pay competitiveness.
- Aldermen raised trust and control over funding (see St. Louis Works Street Improvement Fund (BB 78)), uneven access to street data (see Street Condition Assessment Pilot), and the need to explain the changes to residents in plain terms.
- Related: Neighborhood Traffic Calming System (BB 75), Sidewalk Repair Program Reform, Utility Work Coordination on Paved Streets.
Sources
- 2026-10-21 - Public Infrastructure & Utilities Committee (committee video, auto-captions; names and figures may be misheard)
- 2026-10-16 - Board of Aldermen (announcement of the briefing)
Discussion time
About 49 minutes across 1 meeting (from transcript timestamps; approximate).
| Meeting | Minutes |
|---|---|
| 2026-10-21 - Public Infrastructure & Utilities Committee | 49 |
Log
- 2026-10-21 - Public Infrastructure & Utilities Committee - Briefing and first draft of the DOT mission, timeline and organization chart; questions on cost, Board of Public Service staffing, pay and funding; public comment on engagement and accessibility. No vote.
- 2026-09-30 - Budget & Public Employees Committee - Rams settlement funds proposed for an asset-management system supporting the transition.
- 2026-09-22 - Public Infrastructure & Utilities Committee - Referenced throughout the BB 75 and BB 78 discussions as the context for centralizing street decisions.