Missouri Public Transit Association

KC Star: Nixon slashes spending by $430m

The Kansas City Star has details on spending cuts from Gov. Nixon.

Bus Transit Safety

The US Transportation Dept. has released its latest Bus Transit Safety Quarterly Newsletter. It includes an interview with Mike Flanigon, the FTA director of Safety and Security.

Download Spring Bus 2009

McCaskill wants operational needs covered by stimulus money

Sen. Claire McCaskill wants federal stimulus money to cover some of the operational costs of transit systems. A highlight from her press release:

Across the country, transit agencies are struggling to fund their transit needs as tax revenues decline. In my state of Missouri, transit agencies in Kansas City and St. Louis are having serious problems because of dwindling sales tax revenues. The Kansas City Area Transportation Authority [KCATA] recently approved a service reduction on 25 of 66 routes. Things are even worse in St. Louis, where Metro St. Louis had to cut transit service drastically beginning March 30th. Metro St. Louis eliminated 2,300 bus stops and laid-off over 550 employees who made a good wage and contribute to the community.

In addition to the immediate affect these cuts have to transit employees, local employers have expressed strong concerns about the impact service cuts have on their employees being able to get to work. Cuts to transit service reverberate throughout the economy and will slow our recovery.

Legislature passes bill to include transit employees in assault definition

The the Missouri Senate has passed House Bill 116.  The same bill already passed the House.  The next step is the Governor.  House Bill 116 expands the crime of assault of a law enforcement officer, emergency personnel, or probation and parole officer in the first, second, or third degree to include a transit operator or an employee of a mass transit system while on duty or in operation of his or her official vehicle. For a link to the entire bill, click here.

Lawmakers send Metro bill to Gov. Nixon

The state Legislature last week passed a bill (HB-22) that includes $12 million for St. Louis Metro.  St. Louis Metro Memo has more.

LaHood dismisses gas tax hike

Mass Transit Magazine reports that Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood does not want to see gas taxes go up.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said Tuesday he does not support raising gas taxes to support transportation, even though he conceded at a Senate hearing that the current highway trust fund is effectively bankrupt.

"The Bus" in Sedalia Celebrates 10 Years

Here's a press release marking the tenth anniversary of an intercity service known as "The Bus" in Sedalia.

St. Louis Transit Official Pushing for Stimulus Money

KMOX reports that St. Louis Metro President Bob Baer will continue pursuing money from the federal stimulus package.

Conference Information Available

The MPTA Annual Conference is scheduled for August 9 - 11, 2009 at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach, MO.  Please check the conference section of the website for addtional information.  New information will be posted as it becomes available.  Hope to see you at Conference!

House Leaders Ready to Scrap Spending Projects

Chad Livengood at the Springfield News-Leader's Missouri Politics Blog has a new post about Republicans scrapping plans to spend some of the stimulus money on one-time projects, including transportation improvements.  Among the projects that could be affected by the move, ARRA state stabilization funding of $20 million to Bi-State METRO St. Louis; $5 million to KCATA; and $400,000 to Springfield City Utilities Transit