Letter to the Editor: We must preserve Missouri’s transit legacy

Dear editor,

Missouri is unique in that it has two of the largest and longest running rural providers in the nation. SMTS and OATS Transit, along with 28 other transit providers including two large metro systems, are collectively able to provide transit accessibility in all 87 counties. Not every state can boast this, and it is something to be proud of.

Due to lack of funding, some of these counties are only getting one or two trips a month. This doesn’t help someone who needs affordable public transit to get to work, the doctor or the grocery store.

During his State of the State address, Gov. Mike Kehoe outlined his budget requests including a cut of $5 million to state transit operating assistance – a 42% decrease. The need for state assistance funding for transit providers cannot be understated.

This money is used for operating expenses, capital investments and as local matching funds required to secure federal funds. As we come out of the supply chain issues and vehicles are now available, this flexibility is even more important. Just five years ago, the average cost to replace a vehicle was $55,000, requiring $11,000 in local match. This cost has jumped to over $100,000 and requiring an average of $20,000-$22,000 in match.

We must support the preservation of Missouri transit by maintaining the state’s $11.7 million investment in public transit, which mirrors the budgets in 2024 and 2023.

—Dorothy Yeager, executive director of OATS Transit and Missouri Public Transit Association board member