To the editor:

“Yes” to Proposition A — a good public transportation system is vital to the entire St. Louis area and surrounding counties.

To make this transportation system work, we need to pass Proposition A, a half-cent sales tax for Metro — MetroLink and MetroBus, including Call-a-Ride.

This will reinstate service for the greater St. Louis area back to what it was before the March 30, 2009, cuts.

It will also put some new bus lines in the heavily used areas and increase times on MetroLink.

Thousands of people in our area use Metro for transportation to their jobs, doctor appointments, sporting and social events, along with tourists to the area, and it provides a means of transportation for people with medical or financial restrictions who are unable to drive.

When the cuts were made last March, thousands of people were left without transportation.

The stimulus money put some bus lines back on for nine months, but this will all go away with even more cuts if Proposition A is not approved.

For myself, using Metro saves me about $100 per month in gas, saves me not having to sit in traffic jams and the wear and tear of about 10,000 miles each year on my vehicle, along with cutting down on air pollution.

Even if Metro is not for you, the area needs it, and those who service you in restaurants, hospitals and many other jobs need it to get to work.

So please support Proposition A on Tuesday, April 6.

Ralph Hennicke

Oakville