The Missouri Senate approved the Department of Transportation budget on May 9 with the House following suit on May 10 for passage of HB 2004 including $10 million in General Revenue plus $1.7 million from the State Transportation Fund for transit operations, a retention of the funding levels from 2023 which marks a 34 percent increase over 2022 levels, and more than 580 percent increase since 2021.
This was the first year the Governor recommended the higher investment level of $11.7 million for transit, and it marks a significant move for this funding to a part of MoDOT’s core budget. In 2022, Missouri invested $8.7 million in transit, an increase of $7 million over 2021. This investment was the first substantive investment in transit in more than 2 decades. Last year, the legislature moved this funding to $10 million from General Revenue and $1.7 million from the state transportation fund. This increase is critically needed – considering Missouri ranked near the bottom with regards to transit investment for decades.
This funding will help provide the non-federal or local match required to enable transit providers to draw down some of the $91 billion in federal funds earmarked for transit as part of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Federal funding support requires a 50:50 match for transit operations and an 80:20 match for capital programming. Missouri transit providers have been working diligently to identify local funding sources through sales tax, private contracts and more, but the most significant missing link up to this point had been the lack of state funding. MEHTAP funding held at $5 million. In addition, HB20 contained $6 million in matching funding for the federal 5310 vehicle program for non-profits.
The budget now goes to the Governor to sign it into law. It is imperative that transit supporters reach out to the Governor for his support of transit.