‘Press Releases’ Category
1/17/2024 – Citizens for Modern Transit’s “Talking Transit” Event Highlights the Trajectory of Transit in the St. Louis Region in 2024
Wednesday, January 17th, 20241/11/24 – Delta Dental of Missouri Names New Chair and Welcomes Five New Members to its Board of Directors
Thursday, January 11th, 202411/1/2024 – CMT to Host “Candid Conversation with Commuters” Event
Wednesday, November 1st, 2023
As Metro Transit prepares for minor quarterly service adjustments set to go into effect on Nov. 27, Citizens for Modern Transit is hosting a “Candid Conversation with Commuters” in partnership with Metro Transit and the St. Clair County Transit District officials. The event will take place on Thursday, Nov. 16, at noon via Zoom, and will provide a platform for transit riders and the community at-large to ask questions about route changes, the operator shortage, fares, security and more. The virtual event is free and open to the public. Registration is required and can be completed at www.cmt-stl.org.
The discussion will feature Charles Stewart, Chief Operating Officer of Metro Transit, Ken Sharkey, Managing Director of the St. Clair County Transit District, Trenise Winters, Assistant Executive Director of Metro Transit, Jessica Gershman, Assistant Executive Director of Planning & Systems for Metro Transit, and D’Andre Braddix, Chair of the CMT Board of Directors. The conversation will be moderated by Kimberly Cella, Executive Director of Citizens for Modern Transit.
Those interested in submitting a question in advance of the forum can do so by direct messaging Citizens for Modern Transit through its social media channels or by emailing the advocacy organization at info@cmt-stl.org. Questions will also be taken through the “chat” feature on Zoom during the forum.
“We are in the midst of a nationwide transit operator shortage that is plaguing cities across the nation – and the St. Louis area is no exception,” commented Cella. “As Metro Transit looks to the future on routes, frequencies and fares, we are providing a forum for the public to ask questions and gain insights.”
CMT’s “Candid Conversation with Commuters,” targeting the general public, is a spin-off of its quarterly “Talking Transit” events designed to keep members, elected officials, stakeholders, transit riders and others in the loop on issues and efforts influencing the local transit system. These educational gatherings feature guest speakers and panel discussions that address a wide range of topics, including transit-oriented development, safety and security, best practices, service changes and more. To learn more about these events and how CMT is working to further transit access in the St. Louis region, visit www.cmt-stl.org.
Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) is the region’s transit advocacy organization. It was established in 1985 to help bring light rail to St. Louis and works to develop, support and enhance programming and initiatives to ensure safe, convenient and affordable access to the region’s integrated public transportation system. CMT champions, challenges, encourages and advocates for public transit in an effort to drive economic growth and improve the quality of life in the St. Louis region.
For more information, contact:
Kelly Harris
(314)436-9090
10/13/2023 – Full-Scale Emergency Exercise at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport Helps Test and Improve Emergency Response
Friday, October 13th, 2023Exercise involving a fictional aircraft mishap took place on Sept. 26
A full-scale emergency exercise, featuring approximately 70 first responders and local volunteer actors, was conducted at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport on Sept. 26, with the goal of testing and improving local emergency response. The exercise took place from 1 to 2:30 p.m. and featured multiple agencies and organizations working together to respond to a fictional aircraft mishap. Full-scale emergency exercises of this nature are conducted every three years by MidAmerica St. Louis Airport and other airports to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requirements for FAR Part 139 certification.
The fictional scenario was centered around an aircraft encountering multiple bird strikes during flight and experiencing a hard landing upon return to the airport, leading to simulated structural damage and fire that resulted in several injuries and fatalities. The aircraft, represented by a Scott Air Force Base KC-135, was staged on the runway prior to the start of the exercise. First responders worked quickly to respond to the crash site and rescue the passengers from the fuselage, which in the fictional scenario had fractured upon landing. The fuselage for the rescue portion was actually represented by two buses. Several emergency vehicles worked to put the fictional fire out, and the injured passengers, played by volunteer actors, were treated by first responders. While the exercise was taking place, access to MidAmerica St. Louis Airport was restricted to ensure public safety.
“The full-scale emergency exercise went well, and we appreciate all the local agencies and organizations working together with our team to demonstrate that we have the ability to handle an aircraft emergency,” said Darren James, who serves as Interim Director of MidAmerica St. Louis Airport and oversaw the exercise. “We obviously never want something like this to happen at the airport, but we need to be ready in case it does. We have mutual aid emergency responders nearby, and they demonstrated during the exercise how to effectively partner with us and help us if an emergency like this does take place.”
Multiple organizations and agencies collaborated during the Sept. 26 exercise and demonstrated timely and succinct communication of critical information, effective coordination between each other and the ability to operate in a cohesive incident command structure. They also properly coordinated transfer of documentation to the correct authorities and accounted for all passengers. Those organizations and agencies that had first responders and volunteers participating in the exercise include MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, Scott Air Force Base Fire Department, Mascoutah Emergency Medical Services, MedStar Emergency Medical Services, O’Fallon Fire Department, New Baden Fire Department, St. Clair County Sherriff’s Department, St. Clair County Emergency Management Agency and St Clair County Health Department.
“This tri-annual exercise is very important – not only for MidAmerica St. Louis Airport but for our local emergency response teams as well,” said St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern. “I’m pleased the exercise was a success and am happy we had the opportunity to test our local response efforts to ensure St. Clair County is prepared for any unforeseen incidents of this nature at the airport.”
For more information about MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, visit www.flymidamerica.com.
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport
MidAmerica St. Louis Airport is located in Mascoutah, Illinois, in the eastern portion of the St. Louis metropolitan area. Passenger service to multiple destinations is offered by Allegiant. Major multimodal rail and inland port centers are located within 22 miles of the airport, which also enjoys easy access to five interstate highways via I-64. With parallel runways of 8,000 and 10,000 feet, the airport can handle simultaneous take-offs and landings in all conditions, minimizing delays. It has an annual capacity of 200,000 operations. Tenants include Boeing, which has an aircraft manufacturing facility at the airport; North Bay Produce, an international, grower-owned, year-round, fresh produce marketing and distribution cooperative headquartered in Traverse City, Mich. MidAmerica is a Joint Use Airport partnering with Scott AFB, the home to US Transportation Command, a multi service organization, and Air Mobility Command, the USAF’s component command for airlift. MidAmerica and the 375th Air Mobility Wing operate Scott AFB/MidAmerica St. Louis Airport.
# # #
Julie Hauser
PR Counsel
(314) – 436 – 9090 (office) (314) – 629 – 3887 (cell)