MO: St. Charles considers end to commuter bus line, fare increase at others

Officials here are considering an end to one city bus service and a rate increase in another.

If approved, the "Ride STC" program that provides transportation from St. Charles to the Metro Transit station in Earth City would end April 1.

The same day, the city would increase fares for the city's curb-to-curb bus service known as the "Charley Bus" from 50-cents to $2. The fares would then gradually increase each year before being capped at $5 in 2029.

These proposed changes come as the city grapples with declines in ridership, cuts in funding, bus driver shortages and a $188,000 transit budget deficit, city leaders said.

The buses help employees get to work, plus senior citizens and residents with disabilities get to doctor's appointments, public facilities, libraries and grocery stores.

Lawrence Perney, the city's public works director, said ridership for both bus programs had been increasing each year since 2021 after transitioning away from a fixed route transit system. Ridership peaked at nearly 13,000 passengers in 2024.

But last year, ridership numbers fell considerably — with a combined 9,500 passengers across both systems — as the city struggled to hire enough part-time bus drivers to staff the system, Perney said.

City Councilman Mark Hollander said Tuesday that he receives more complaints from residents about the city's transit buses than nearly any other issue in the city.

"I got seven of them today from residents," Hollander told his colleagues at the City Council meeting this week.

The "Ride STC" commuter bus program operates daily from 6:30 to 8 a.m. and 3:30 to 6 p.m.; passengers need to book trips at least 24 hours in advance. The program has split costs with several different companies over the years, but Perney said the city currently operates it independently.

"I think there was initially a lot of support for this service, but that long-term support never materialized," Perney said.

The transit bus system had "very low ridership" last year, averaging about one passenger per day, Perney said. The city recorded 471 passengers on the Ride STC bus in 2025.

"We are basically a personally Uber service right now," Perney said. He said the city has tried marketing the commuter bus service in newsletters, emails and on social media but that few other passengers have signed up for the bus.

Meanwhile, the Charley bus system provides curb-to-curb service for residents most places inside the city — though it does not take passengers to the city's Historic Main Street. Instead, it drops passengers off along Riverside Drive. It operates Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Rides on this bus service must also be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance.

The decline in ridership comes as the city has received tens of thousands of dollars less in federal grants and state funding for transit programs. City leaders project a net loss this year of $188,000.

Kim Cella, executive director for the Missouri Public Transit Association, said the loss of state funding and federal grants for public transit are a "double whammy" for cities like St. Charles, who typically leverage the state funding to help secure federal grants.

Cella said these cuts — and another round of projected cuts by Gov. Mike Kehoe to the state's transit budget — have left other cities scrambling, she said.

"Every dollar matters when dealing with public transit," Cella said.

The city is also considering creating a monthly bus pass program, but officials said specific details about that program aren't finalized.

The City Council is expected to vote on the proposed changes in March.

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