With less than two months before the end of the 2025 Missouri Legislative Session, now is the time for transit supporters and riders to reach out on the importance of state investment in public transit. This year’s session began with Governor Kehoe reducing transit investment by $5 million from General Revenue. The budget is now in the House where we have seen additional cuts to transit operating support. Now is the time to reach out to your Senator in support of restoring transit funding to the same level as in previous years or more – $10 million from General Revenue and $1.7 million from the State Transportation Fund.
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Before the Missouri Legislature’s Spring Break began, state transit assistance was cut to $1 million from General Revenue plus $1.7 million from the State Transportation Fund for a total of $2.7 million. These cuts would take transit assistance funding back to some of its lowest funding support yet and will drastically impact transit across the state of Missouri. This is a decrease in funding of nearly 77% in comparison to the previous year’s budget which included $11.7 million for transit assistance.
Below is an easy, step-by-step guide to assist you in requesting support for public transit. Please take 5 minutes to send the email below to your state Senator and ask them to support restoring funding for public transit in HB 4 to the $11.7 million requested by the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission for Missouri transit, maintaining the public transit funding levels of 2024 and 2023.
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Step 1: If your senator wants more information on the importance of transit in MO, share this link to the “Transit is a Lifeline for Missourians” information page. Upon request, we can provide Senators with information on the potential impacts of a reduction in state transit funding.
Step 2: Find contact information for your MO Senator by clicking here. You can search for your Senator by address, zip code, etc, and find their email (or contact form), office address, and phone number. If you have trouble locating an email address and prefer not to use a contact form, most MO Senate email addresses use first and last names with a period in between. (first.last@senate.mo.gov). If you need additional help, contact CMT at info@cmt-stl.org
Step 3: Use the template below to share your request for support, along with key facts, or tell your own local story. You can also mail a letter or call your Senator. This template can be used as a letter or a script for a phone call. The template may be modified to reflect your unique situation. If you live in one district and work at a transit system in a different district, please contact both Senators. Additionally, encourage other community leaders (mayors, city/county council members, board members, riders, employees, etc.) to send their own letters of support on behalf of your public transit.
Step 4: Let us know you completed this task by sending an email to info@cmt-stl.org
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Email Template/Script:
Dear Senator _________________;
I live in ________________ (Enter your Town or Zip Code). ________________________(Tell Your Story here i.e. I ride transit, I work for transit, etc.) I am writing to request your support for public transit during this session.
Please support restoring the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission request of $11.7 million for Missouri transit in HB 4, maintaining the public transit funding levels provided in the previous two budget cycles.
Fully funding this budget request is vital to keeping Missouri competitive for federal grants and ensuring matching funds are available to sustain the state’s public transit systems. For a state investment of just $11.7 million, transit enhances mobility for Missourians while fostering economic growth and collaboration across urban and rural areas.
It’s also important to understand the significant economic impacts of public transit in Missouri and why you should support these efforts when you vote.
- Transit is an essential service and a tool for economic growth, providing transportation to work and access to critical services like medical care and food.
- Public transit in Missouri promotes personal mobility by providing more than 40 million rides annually.
- Public transit yields an overall economic impact of $4.08 billion annually in the state of Missouri. State government collects an average of $51 million in annual taxes because of the direct and multiplier effects of transit.
- Public transit contributes to job retention and growth in direct and indirect sectors.
- Public transit supports vulnerable citizens and enhances the quality of life. Without access to transportation, we would see a decrease in independent living for the elderly and people with disabilities.
Thank you for supporting Missourians in rural and urban areas who need safe and reliable transit service by supporting the restoration of public transit funding in HB 4 to the $11.7 million requested by the Missouri Highway and Transportation Commission.
Thank you again for your support of transit funding in Missouri.
Sincerely,
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