As of 8 a.m. this morning, 137 public comments had been published in the meeting materials packet for the November 17 meeting.
Members of S.M.A.R.T. Surpass Goal Of 100 Public Online Comments
ST. LOUIS, MO……Since a June 22 press conference, members of the STL Metropolitan Alliance for Reliable Transit (S.M.A.R.T.), a self-advocacy group for people with disabilities and their allies, have been calling for the Bi-State Development Board of Commissioners to change their meeting format. S.M.A.R.T. asks that the Board schedule at least half of their meetings in accessible spaces and add an hour to take public comments from Metro Transit’s customers. Since the Commissioners are continuing to broadcast their meetings by Facebook livestream and only take online comments, in October, S.M.A.R.T. announced a “virtual rally” for today’s Board of Commissioners meeting. S.M.A.R.T. set two goals:
- At least 100 public comments submitted online by S.M.A.R.T. members and concerned members of the public
- At least 40 members of the public viewing the meeting on Facebook and identifying their presence in the comment boxes for that platform
As of 8 a.m. this morning, 137 public comments had been published in the meeting materials packet for the November 17 meeting. S.M.A.R.T. celebrates the dedication and participation of the self-advocates who meet every Thursday at 6 p.m. in a Zoom organizing meeting convened by Paraquad, the independent living center for St. Louis City and County. We are thankful to all members of the public who joined the virtual rally with a public comment.
At about 8:40 a.m., the November 17 meeting was cancelled due to lack of quorum. S.M.A.R.T. members will be watching for public notice of the rescheduling of the meeting.
S.M.A.R.T. members continue to maintain that the Bi-State Board of Commissioners should hold their meetings in a way that is more open and accessible to the public. Metro Transit is a steward of the public’s money and trust, and they provide a service that the community has no other option to receive. Safe, reliable, accessible, and affordable transit is essential to the success of the St. Louis region and to the independence of people with disabilities.
