COMING SOON: FY2025 Ridership and Annual Vehicle Inventory Reporting

Mid-July, MoDOT will be sending out via email the FY2025 Ridership and Annual Vehicle Inventory Reporting. These reports will be due by Sept. 1. Please watch your email for these reports and return them as soon as possible.

2025 Midwest Transit Conference - Registration Open

Early Bird registration is open for the 2025 Midwest Transit Conference in Kansas City, Missouri on Sept. 3-5. Save $100 by registering before July 15. See link in the Upcoming Conference Section of the newsletter. Please use the code 5311MPTA2025.

UPDATE: Vehicle Disposition Guidelines

To align with Circular 5010.1F, MoDOT has updated how insurance funding is processed on federally funded vehicles. The updated vehicle disposition guidelines can be found on the MoDOT-Transit website. Effective immediately, if the recipient receives insurance proceeds when federally assisted property has been lost or damaged by fire, casualty or natural disaster, the federal interest due to MoDOT is based on the Actual Cash Value (ACV) or Fair Market Value (FMV) with 80% of the ACV/FMV due to MoDOT. The ACV or FMV is assessed by the insurance company, or it may be determined by MoDOT Transit staff.

ATTENTION: Public Transit Operators

As part of this year's Midwest Transit Conference in Kansas City, Missouri, MPTA will be recognizing public transit operators for their outstanding commitment to public transit. Agencies can submit one operator per mode of transportation (i.e. bus, light rail, paratransit). Please consider nominating one or more of your operators who have gone above and beyond to be recognized at the conference. Each nominated operator who attends the conference will receive recognition during the event and a discounted conference registration rate if they plan to attend the full conference.

• Nominations are limited to one per mode of transport per transit agency.
• All nomination forms must be received by Friday, July 18.

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 the MoDOT-Transit website.

Section 5310 Subrecipients

FMCSA Drug and Alcohol FREE Virtual Training - Part 382 on July 8 - Click to enroll.

Enrolled attendees, use this link to access the webinar. Section 5310 transit agencies that have vehicles with 16 passengers or more (including the driver) can attend this training.

Southern Bus & Mobility's New Facility

Southern Bus & Mobility, a family-owned business with stores in Missouri and Illinois, will be moving its current Valley Park, Missouri store to a brand-new facility at 994 Meramec Station Road, Valley Park, Missouri this upcoming July. This new facility will have a state-of-the-art showroom, 11 service bays and more technicians to better accommodate your needs.

Southern Bus & Mobility takes pride in being your premier dealer for new and used commercial buses and vans, wheelchair vans, wheelchair lifts and cutting-edge mobility equipment. Its team is dedicated to delivering exceptional customer service and reliable transportation solutions.



Employee Bonus and Incentive Programs

Employee Bonus and Incentive programs can be beneficial by improving employee morale, retaining employees, and attracting new employees. Many organizations have established annual employee bonus programs and/or incentive programs that reward employees for attaining specific goals. There’s been a lot of questions lately about grant eligibility of employee bonuses and incentive awards. In general, bonuses and incentive awards are eligible expenses under federal grants. However, there are certain conditions identified in the federal regulations that must be met. If your organization is considering establishing a bonus or incentive program, there are important things you need to know before you can charge any of the expenses to your federal grant(s).

Whether it’s a bonus or employee incentive program, there are specific conditions that must be met for the costs to be grant eligible.

1)     There must be a formal policy in place that is approved by your board.

a.     It must be in place prior to the period covered by the bonus or incentive

b.     Criteria for incentive programs must be clearly identified and may include

i. Efficient performance,

ii. Safety,

iii. Suggestions that improve the agency’s performance or result in cost savings, or

iv. Other performance related goals.

c.      The dollar value of the bonus or incentive award must be reasonable (the amount is comparable to the amount given to employees working for similar organizations in your area).

d.     The method used to determine eligibility, and the amount of the bonus must be consistently applied. There must be no apparent favoritism. 

e.     The methodology must include employee performance as a factor.

2)     If the employee works under multiple programs/funding sources, the cost of the bonus or incentive award must be spread consistently with how their time and other fringe benefits are allocated.

3)     In addition to 1 and 2 above, Incentive programs must be based on specific achievements or performance goals. 

Note: Bonuses and incentive awards are subject to federal income tax. The cash value of the bonus or award must be included as taxable income on the employee’s earning statements and W-2s.

Even if you meet all the criteria above, there are certain bonuses that are not eligible to be charged to the federal grants. Those include:

1)    Bonuses paid to your organization’s executive officers or board members. The department of Justice defines an organization’s officers as:

“…an officer is an individual holding a formal position with significant responsibility and authority, typically involved in managing the day-to-day operations and executing the strategies of the business. Officers are usually appointed by the board of directors or other authorized individuals and have the power to bind the company through agreements. Examples include: chief executive officer (CEO), chief financial officer (CFO), chief operating officer (COO).”

2)    Discretionary bonuses (given at the employer’s discretion and not determined using a previously established formula or criteria).

Note: If you are a government/public agency, other restrictions apply under Missouri State Law. 

As stated above, bonus and incentive programs can be beneficial to your organization by helping to attract and retain employees. We hope the information above clarifies the requirements for you. If you have a bonus or incentive program it's important to ensure that it meets the criteria before you charge it to your MoDOT grant. If your organization wants to establish a bonus or incentive program, make sure to reach out to your MoDOT representative to make sure you meet all of the criteria. 

For more information, refer to 2 CFR 200 and Department of Justice Part III-Chapter 16.  



Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO)

FTA Supports Transit Workers' Mental Health Awareness

As Mental Health Awareness Month comes to a close, the FTA would like to recognize the vital role mental well-being plays in the safety and success of our transit workforce. Protecting your mental health is a personal and professional priority that can help strengthen and enhance safety in our nation's transit system. Employees are encouraged to take time to care for their mental wellness and seek support when needed.

• New resources have been added to the FTA's Mental Health Resources for Transit Workers website.
• Safety Advisory 22-4: Suicide Prevention Signage on Public Transit includes best practices for reducing suicide attempts through signage and messaging campaigns.
• Watch FTA’s webinar on Suicide and Mental Health Crisis Intervention on Transit featuring transit agency and public health guest speakers.  

We are thankful for the transit industry's collective efforts in addressing mental health challenges.



2025 Statewide Transit Needs Assessment Study Results

• Unmet demand of trips has risen 55% since 2022 and operational cost to deliver that service has risen over 100%.
• Click this link to view the webinar of this study, along with reactions to the study results from Bi-State Metro, City Utilities and OATS.

Upcoming MPTA Peer Round Table: Conversation with FTA Region VII

• Virtual event will be held on June 17 to converse and ask questions about policies and what is happening around transit.
• Opportunity to meet with FTA Region VII Administrator Carrie Butler and members of her team.
• Limited to MPTA Members only. Members can click this link to register online.



In what country did McDonald's open its first "SKI THROUGH" restaurant?

A.  Switzerland

B.  Sweden

C.  Germany

Answer is below 'Upcoming Conferences' section.

July 2025

• Annual Vehicle/Mileage Reporting (Section 5310/5311)
• Annual Insurance Certification (Section 5310/5311)
• Annual Agency Contact Update (Section 5310/5311)
• Annual Ridership (METHAP/Section 5310 and Public Transportation)

Trivia Answer: B. Sweden

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 share what your agency is doing, whether it’s about your service or highlighting a transit employee, please send those submissions to Nicholas.Volkart@modot.mo.gov.



APTAU Learning Homepage

Community Transportation Association of America (CTAA): https://ctaa.org/

Easterseals Project Action Course Schedule

FMCSA Drug and Alcohol: https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/regulations/drug-alcohol-testing-program

FTA Drug and Alcohol: https://www.transit.dot.gov/drug-alcohol-program

FTA Webinars and Trainings Homepage

Mineta Transportation Institute Upcoming Webinars

Missouri Public Transit Association (MPTA): https://www.mopublictransit.org

Missouri RTAP: https://mltrc.mst.edu/mortaphome/

National Center for Mobility Management (NCMM): https://nationalcenterformobilitymanagement.org/

National RTAP: https://www.nationalrtap.org/

National Transit Institute (NTI): https://www.ntionline.com/

National Transit Institute’s Current Course Schedule of Upcoming Training

NCMM e-Learning Catalogue



SUMC's Mobility Learning Center: https://learn.sharedusemobilitycenter.org/

TSI Public Transportation Catalogue

USDOT Drug and Alcohol: https://www.transportation.gov/odapc



For additional questions or concerns:

Administrator of Transit

Christy Evers

573-751-2523

MoTransit@modot.mo.gov

Missouri Department of Transportation | 888-275-6636

P.O. Box 270 Jefferson City, MO 65102

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