Op-Ed: St. Louis Business Journal, January 28, 2026
Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe’s fiscal 27 budget recommendations include a catastrophic loss for Missouri transit.
After reducing state transit funding by 42% last year, the governor now proposes to cut an additional $5 million from general revenue, leaving just $1.7 million to be split among 30 transit providers statewide for operating assistance. Per capita spending has already dropped from $1.89 to $1.08 in the last year — which is among the lowest in the nation — and would drop to 27
cents under this proposal.
This will create a dire situation. Public transit providers deliver nearly 40 million rides each year across rural and urban Missouri, while also stimulating $4 billion in economic activity statewide. This proposed cut will carry very real and tangible repercussions. For countless Missourians, public transit is the only reliable way to reach destinations. Service cuts and cessation will disproportionately affect vulnerable populations, including seniors, individuals with disabilities and those living in rural and underserved areas. It means losing access to jobs, dialysis appointments, essential health care services, necessary medications and groceries.
If this budget is adopted, state transit funding will have been cut by 85% since the governor took office, even as demand for transit accessibility continues to grow among all age groups. Operational costs for transit providers continue to escalate and without adequate state funding, transit agencies will be unable to provide the local match required to secure federal funds for both operations and capital improvements.
The impact will also be felt by employers across Missouri. Over half of the state’s transit rides are work commutes. OATS Transit — the largest rural transit provider, serving 87 rural counties in this state — reports employment as its leading trip purpose and the demand is growing.
Now is not the time to cut additional funds from a critical element of Missouri’s Transportation system, particularly considering the newly discovered surplus of$260 million, which some are urging not be spent. Yet the thousands of people at risk of losing transit access likely feel otherwise, especially if the money invested in transit enabled them to keep their jobs and continue supporting their families.
It is imperative Missouri residents — whether they ride transit or not — urge the governor and legislators to reverse this decision. Without action, Missourians will be left behind. Mobility matters. The time to act is now.
-Kimberly Cella, Executive Director of the Missouri Public Transit Association and CEO of Citizens for Modern Transit