| February 2026 Update:
MoDOT is inviting intercity bus stakeholders and interested members of the public to attend a public meeting on Monday, Feb. 9, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the Statewide Intercity Bus Needs Assessment.
It will be held on Microsoft Teams at the following link: Meeting Link. Participants can also call into the meeting using the following number: (213) 267-3760. When prompted, please enter the following meeting ID number: 893 672 705, followed by the pound/hashtag symbol (#).
MoDOT is conducting a Statewide Intercity Bus Needs Assessment to help determine the level of need and current utilization of intercity bus (ICB) service in Missouri (defined at the end of this article). Part of this process involves a brief online survey to allow organizational stakeholders and the general public to identify user demands and unmet needs in the provision of ICB services. Your input and survey participation are integral to determining the need and demand for ICB service throughout Missouri.
ICB service involves long, regularly scheduled trips connecting multiple larger cities, often with stops in comparatively rural towns and areas. Examples of ICB providers in Missouri include Greyhound Lines, Jefferson Lines, OATS and Southeast Missouri Transportation Service (SMTS). Intercity bus service should not be confused with public transit service, the latter of which generally involves shorter, more local trips.
Missouri’s urban public transit agencies include Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) in Kansas City, Metro Transit in St. Louis, City Utilities Transit in Springfield, GoCOMO in Columbia and JEFFTRAN in Jefferson City. Other cities that offer urban transit services include Joplin, St. Joseph, Carthage, Clinton, Excelsior Springs, Lamar, Nevada, New Madrid and West Plains. Additionally, there are numerous rural public transit agencies in Missouri. Click to view the map of locations for rural agencies.
There are two separate surveys targeting different audiences. Please complete the survey most applicable to you and/or your organization.
Intercity Bus Providers and Public Transit Providers Survey
Intercity Bus Stakeholders and the General Public Survey
Note to Urban Transit Providers: While only ICB and rural transit providers are eligible for FTA 5311(f) funding, your perspective is still critical in evaluating current intercity bus service demand and unmet needs throughout Missouri.
Intercity Bus Service is defined as “Regularly scheduled bus service for the general public that operates with stops in rural areas over fixed routes connecting two or more urbanized areas not in close proximity, has the capacity for transporting baggage carried by passengers, and makes meaningful connections with scheduled intercity bus service to more distant points, if such service is available.”
Note the following:
- Commuter service providing daily work trips within a local commuting area is not Intercity Bus Service.
- Service operated infrequently between limited points in one community and limited points in another community may qualify as Intercity Bus Service.
- Use of coach buses is not required to qualify as Intercity Bus Service, nor is there any other size requirement for vehicles.
- Rural transit agencies are not excluded from providing Intercity Bus Service.
Feeder Service coordinates rural connections between small transit operations and intercity bus carriers. Feeder Service must make “meaningful connections with scheduled intercity bus service to more distance points.” A “meaningful connection” is a connection directly at the boarding location of an intercity bus trip within a close timeframe of the scheduled departure. It can be fixed-route or demand-response service. |
