Rural transportation gets much needed support from CARES Act

SMTS Executive Director Denny Ward calls grant money from the federal government a boon for his public transit company that serves much of Southeast Missouri.

SMTS (Southeast Missouri Transportation Service) is one of 30 rural agencies to receive grant money from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration, as part of President Donald Trump’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

Ward said that all public transit companies in Missouri received or will receive part of the $61.7 million grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT).

“The funding is there and is allocated to help with current expenses so we can pay our employees and to recover any lost revenue we might have,” Ward said.

SMTS operates the Bluff Area Transit Service in Poplar Bluff and serves Butler, Carter, Reynolds, Stoddard and Wayne counties.

According to the SMTS website, SMTS is a non-governmental, non-profit general public passenger transportation service. It provides a wide variety of “door-to-door” passenger transportation services to all age groups. The group is funded by a variety of sources.

MoDOT provides money for operation and administration in the form of direct grants. Other sources of revenue include contracts for service with Southeast Missouri Area Agency on Aging, Central Missouri Area Agency on Aging and Southwest Missouri Office on Aging.

“We’re a 501(c) organization,” Ward said. “We get flow-through money (from MoDOT) but that only covers a little over 50%. We lost a lot of revenue from contracts.”

He said that SMTS hasn’t had to lay off many workers despite the significant drop in business.

“A lot of our work force is older. They decided it was in their best interest to self-quarantine,” he said. “Others are rotating in and out. There’s a lot of exposure with one-on-one contact with our clientele.”

As part of the state’s stay-at-home order, SMTS is limited to essential business such as dialysis appointments, medical appointments, essential shopping, workshop transportation, confirmed social welfare program appointments and homebound meal delivery, according to the website. It is limiting the number of passengers on each vehicle to promote social distancing.

Ward said SMTS also provides transportation for sheltered workshops, hospitals, medical facilities and LogistiCare, a company that provides Medicaid nonemergency medical transportation.

“Sheltered workshops are pretty much closed,” Ward said. “LogistiCare isn’t in operation, and medical facilities are shut down unless appointments are mandatory or involve life-threatening cases.”

Missouri was the first state to be awarded grant money from the CARES Act.

“These funds will provide a needed boost to rural transit systems in Missouri, as many have reduced service due to the COVID-19 crisis,” Missouri Gov. Mike Parson said in a press release. “I want to thank Secretary Chao and our Missouri congressional leaders, Representative Sam Graves and Senators Josh Hawley and Roy Blunt, for their role in obtaining these important funds for our state. This relief will help keep Missouri’s vital rural transit system operating for people who have limited transportation options and need it most.”

Operating expenses incurred Jan. 20 or later are eligible, including operating expenses to maintain transit services as well as payment for administrative leave for transit personnel because of reduced operations during an emergency, according to the press release.