On June 28, Governor Mike Parson signed the budget bills into law, appropriating millions of dollars from General Revenue and Budget Stabilization funds to improving Missouri’s transportation infrastructure including transit. The Missouri State Legislative Session adjourned in May with a significant move in support of public transportation. The legislature approved $10 million in General Revenue and another $1.7 million from the State Transportation Fund, totaling $11.7 million in transit operating funding from the state. In addition, new funding items were approved for pilot programs and matching funds for vehicle capital expenditures. The final step was the Governor’s signature.
This will be the third consecutive year Missouri has increased its transit funding. In 2023, the state invested $11.7 million in transit. The 2024 state operating investment represents a 580% increase since 2021. 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. This would be the case no more. The additional funding items will provide much needed matching funds for capital expenditures for vehicles as well as a mobility management pilot in Patte and Clay Counties and Jefferson City.
Highlights for transit included:
- $1.7 million from the State Transportation Fund for transit operations
- $10 million General Revenue for transit operations
- $5 million MEHTAP funding
- HB20 which included $6 million in state investment as the twenty percent matching funds for $24 million from the federal 5310 capital program for non-profits for vehicles
- $3 milliion Budget Stabilization Fund for non-profit organizations in Platte and Clay Counties, and Jefferson City serving seniors over 60 years old to develop and implement an integrated transit planning system and services for seniors, veterans, and the disabled