By T. Weber, KWMU
St. Louis, Mo. – Community activists in St. Louis presented a copy of a new Harvard study to Metro officials Thursday.
The report says transportation policies favor building roads instead of public transportation which keeps poorer people from better job opportunities. That's because poorer people can't afford cars.
"We're part of the rust belt, Granite City and Alton, we've lost a lot of our heavy manufacturing," said Herb Reisinger, with the United Congregations of Metro-East. "That's what drew people to our communities, and now they've found jobs in St. Louis and St. Louis County and it's getting harder and harder to get to these jobs that are expanding in the region."
The activists say they hope Metro will use the report to lobby for more public transit dollars.
Congress will write a new highway bill this year that will set transportation funding for at least five years.