EWG Withholds Project Details During Public Comment Period | The Locally Times
The regional planning body set a March 13 deadline for public input on '2026 Local Program Applications' without releasing details of the projects, their costs, or their sponsors ahead of key approval meetings.
According to a notice on the council’s website, this period was for residents to comment on funding applications that will shape local infrastructure and services. A review of public records, however, shows that the council did not provide the application documents. The process asked residents to comment on proposals while withholding the specific projects, their sponsoring agencies, their projected costs, and their potential community impacts. This created a barrier to civic participation in decisions that direct federal and state funds across the region. ## An Invitation Without Information Despite the call for public input before the March 13 deadline, the source documents available from EWG contain no specific information about the applications under consideration. This process represents one of the few formal opportunities for the public to influence how regional resources are allocated for projects that can include road and bridge construction, public transit enhancements, and air quality initiatives. The public record does not identify which local governments or entities submitted proposals for the 2026 funding cycle. There is no list of proposed projects, no description of their scope, and no disclosure of the funds being sought for each. Without access to these fundamental details, it is unclear how residents could form an informed opinion or provide substantive feedback. The official notice did not provide instructions on how or where the public could access the application materials. ## A Compressed Timeline for Decision Immediately following the March 13 deadline for public comment, the East-West Gateway Council of Governments scheduled a series of committee and board meetings. The rapid succession of these meetings raises questions about how, or if, the public feedback could be compiled, analyzed, and incorporated into the decision-making process. One week later, the EWG Air Quality Advisory Committee was scheduled to convene on March 24. The final decision-making authority rests with the EWG Board of Directors, which was scheduled to meet on Wednesday, March 25. This board, composed of officials from across the metropolitan area, holds the power to approve the funding applications. The public record does not specify whether comments submitted by the deadline would be presented to any of these committees or the full board, nor does it detail the process for staff review of the input before a final vote. ## The Stakes of Regional Planning The East-West Gateway Council of Governments is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the St. Louis region, responsible for planning and programming billions of dollars in federal transportation funds. Decisions made by the EWG board have long-term consequences, influencing traffic patterns, economic development, and environmental quality. By controlling the regional transportation planning process, EWG’s decisions determine which potholes are filled, which bridges are repaired, and where transit services are expanded. The opacity of the 2026 application process removed the public from the earliest stage of these decisions. While the board’s final vote will occur in a public meeting, the substance of what is being voted on was shielded from public view during the comment period. ## What Remains Unknown As the East-West Gateway Board of Directors prepared for its March 25 meeting, the central questions for the public remained unanswered. The contents of the 2026 Local Program Applications, the identities of their sponsors, and the amount of public money requested were all unknown. Records do not specify what feedback, if any, was received from residents asked to comment without basic information. The critical event is the March 25 Board of Directors meeting, where details of the applications may be revealed for the first time, potentially alongside a vote for their approval. The public agenda for the meeting does not state whether the board will address the lack of transparency or discuss the content of any comments submitted. The outcome of that meeting will determine whether projects impacting communities across the region are approved without prior, informed public scrutiny.