February 2025

News to Know

FY 2026 State Transit Assistance - Application Available Now

The FY 2026 State Transit Assistance application is available via the following link at Transit Applications and Reporting | Missouri Department of Transportation. Applications are due April 1 and can be submitted to motransit@modot.mo.gov. The State Transit Assistance program assist public transit providers to cover 50% of their transportation operating cost. The project period for these funds is July 1 through June 30, 2026.

FY 2026 Missouri Elderly and Handicapped Assistance Program (MEHTAP) - Application Available Now

The FY 2026 Missouri Elderly and Handicapped Assistance Program application is available via the following link at Transit Applications and Reporting | Missouri Department of Transportation. Applications are due April 1 and can be submitted to motransit@modot.mo.gov. The MEHTAP program assist non-for-profits and governmental/public transit providers supporting the transportation of seniors and individuals with disabilities to cover 50% of their transportation operating cost. The project period for these funds is July 1 through June 30, 2026.

SAVE THE DATE: Invitations for MoDOT’s 2025 Annual Compliance Workshops

Invitations to attend MoDOT’s 2025 Annual Compliance Workshops will be released soon. Workshop dates will be held in Jefferson City on March 4 and 5 for 5311’s only, March 6 for 5310’s with CDL federal funded vehicles/operating. In addition, we will be conducting a virtual workshop for 5310’s with non-CDL federally funded vehicles on March 11.

IMPORTANT!!! STATE FISCAL YEAR (FY) END DEADLINES

State FY 2025 deadline for submission of any State and Federal invoices and/or reimbursement requests is as follows:

· Federal Funds: Deadline is Wednesday, June 4. Submissions submitted after June 4 will be held until July for processing.

· State Funds: Deadline is Monday, June 2. No submissions after this date will be accepted and any unused MEHTAP or STA funds after June 2 will be reallocated.

FTA Section 5310 Rural/Small Urban and 5311 Rural Applications

Currently, there is no federal funding application available for the Section 5310 and 5311 programs. When applications become available, a notice will be posted in this newsletter and on our website at Transit Applications and Reporting.

Federal Actions & Updates

Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO)

FTA Buy America Waiver; Vans and Minivans

FTA has extended the Buy America waiver for vans and minivans, for a period of five years. This partial, time-limited, general nonavailability waiver extension follows FTA’s review of a RFC, to which AASHTO responded.

FTA CCAM Fact Sheet on Medicaid Transportation Coordination

FTA and CMS created a Medicaid Coordination Fact Sheet to help clarify the 2023 Medicaid Transportation Coverage Guide and encourage partnership and coordination between state Medicaid agencies and state DOTs.

FTA Publishes Analysis on How Transit Agencies Are Working to Reduce Transit Worker Assaults

FTA published an initial analysis of responses from transit agencies to FTA’s General Directive 24-1: Required Actions Regarding Assaults on Transit Workers. The analysis shares information on how transit agencies are assessing, mitigating and monitoring the safety risk related to assaults on transit workers, and summarizes risk ratings, types of mitigations and the effectiveness of safety strategies grouped by agency type and size.

The analysis shares the varying mitigations used by transit agencies and the status in implementing them, along with information on how they measure their effectiveness in reducing assaults on transit workers.

De-escalation training and video/audio surveillance are the two most widely implemented mitigation strategies used by transit agencies.
Another strategy is posting signage geared at riders that alert them to the use of surveillance and/or penalties for assaulting transit workers.
Video/audio surveillance was the strategy most widely reported as effective for reducing assaults on transit workers, followed by automatic vehicle location technology and operator protective barriers.

This information will help FTA understand how transit worker assault safety risk assessments and safety risk mitigations vary throughout the industry and help inform future activities that may be effective in continuing to reduce the risk of assaults on transit workers.

Transit Trivia Time!

What is the average speed that most cars travel on interstate highways during peak morning and afternoon rush hour?

A. 35 miles per hour

B. 45 miles per hour

C. 55 miles per hour

Answer is below 'Upcoming Conferences' section

Upcoming Reporting

DAMIS (D&A) (5311 only): Due February 15!

February 2025

FY 2026 State Transit Assistance (STA) and Missouri Elderly and Handicapped Assistance Program (METHAP) Applications: Due April 1!

Upcoming Conferences

MoDOT’s 2025 Annual Compliance Workshops

March 4-5 for 5311’s only, Jefferson City (in-person)

March 6 for 5310’s with operating assistance and CDL vehicles, Jefferson City (in-person)

March 11 for 5310’s with non-CDL vehicles (virtual)

2025 ThinkTransit

March 16-19 in Kansas City, MO

2025 FTA Drug & Alcohol Conference

March 18 -20 in Kansas City, MO

Check the Drug & Alcohol Program webpage for updates.

2025 CTAA Expo

June 2-4 in San Diego, CA

2025 Midwest Transit Conference

Sept. 3-5 in Kansas City, MO

2025 RTAP Conference

Dec. 7-12 in Austin Texas

Check the conference webpage for updates.

For a listing of all National RTAP and other national events, view our calendar. Also, see the FTA Events Calendar. To submit an event, email info@nationalrtap.org.

Trivia Answer: A. 35 miles per hour

We want to hear from you!

MoDOT’s InTransit Newsletter is an opportunity for transit agencies funded through MoDOT to recognize the awesome things that are happening in their organizations. If you would like to submit what your agency is doing, whether it’s about your service or highlighting a transit employee, please have those submission submitted to Nicholas.volkart@modot.mo.gov.