On Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009, at 10 a.m. at the Millennium Hotel St. Louis, 200 community leaders will hold a public meeting with Saint Louis County Council President Hazel Erby and other invited County Council members to demand support for a ballot initiative to fund public transportation.

Leaders from Metropolitan Congregations United of St. Louis, the Greater St. Louis Transit Alliance, the Transportation Equity Network, and the Gamaliel Foundation will call upon Councilwoman Erby to champion the effort to place a ballot initiative on the April 6, 2010 ballot to avoid future cuts to public transportation in the St. Louis area.

Community residents will tell how recent cuts in public transportation have affected their jobs, health, and families, and how they have joined a grassroots campaign to demand adequate transportation funding. Faith leaders and elected officials will add their support for the campaign.

MCU and Transit Alliance leaders will then move to the North Hanley MetroLink Station, where they will ride the MetroLink to talk to passengers and build support for the ballot initiative.

Who: 200 faith and community leaders
Invited: Councilwoman Hazel Erby and all other members of the County Council
What: Public meeting to demand support for transit funding ballot initiative
Why: To build support for April 2010 ballot initiative for public transit
Speakers:

• Rev. Tommie Pierson, Pastor, Greater St. Mark Family Church, MCU
• Ms Linda Dopuch, Zion United Methodist, MCU
• Ms Elizabeth Watkins, Christ Church Cathedral, MCU
• Mr. Robert Fellner, Zion United Methodist, MCU
• Ms Laura Weis, Mary Mother of the Church, MCU

For more information, contact: Katie Jansen Larson, MCU, (314) 249-9637 or Stephen Boykewich, Transportation Equity Network, (917) 686-2426