News to Know

Transit Spotlight: MPTA Honors KCATA's Cindy Baker with 2026 President's Award

The Missouri Public Transit Association (MPTA) honored Kansas City Area Transportation Authority (KCATA) leader and longtime MPTA board member and officer Cindy Baker with its 2026 President’s Award during the 2026 Missouri Transit Conference, recently held in Columbia.

Baker has enjoyed a successful 45-year communications and marketing career, including the last 37 years with the KCATA. Now retired, Baker’s dedication and hard work will be remembered by all who worked with her. To learn more about Baker and her accomplishements, visit MPTA.

Agreements/Access Codes:

It is agreement season. Please remember that agency-assigned access codes used in DocuSign never change, regardless of the program.

Vehicle Disposition Form

Transit agencies that receive federally funded vehicles through MoDOT must complete this form when requesting vehicles to be sold, buyback, etc. This form can be found on the MoDOT-Transit website under "Vehicle Dispositions."

Send completed forms for review and processing to Kelly.Roark-Niederhelm@modot.mo.gov .

Accident Report

Did you know that when a federally funded vehicle has been involved in a roadway incident, regardless of severity, it must be reported to MoDOT? MoDOT has created an Accident Report form that transit agencies must complete. The form can be found on the MoDOT-Transit website under "Vehicle Accidents."

Send completed forms for review to Christy.Evers@modot.mo.gov.

Federal Actions & Updates

Notice of Funding Opportunites (NOFO)

FTA Publishes Safety Advisory 26-1: Overhead Catenary System and Pantograph Reliability

On Thursday, Sept. 24, the Federal Transit Administration published Safety Advisory 26-1 to address emerging safety risks associated with Overhead Catenary System (OCS) and pantograph reliability across rail transit systems.

The advisory recommends State Safety Oversight Agencies (SSOAs) direct Rail Transit Agencies (RTAs) to identify hazards related to OCS and pantograph failures, conduct safety risk assessments, develop mitigations as necessary and monitor the implemented mitigations. SSOAs are encouraged to obtain any information related to the recommended actions from their RTAs and submit it to the State Safety Oversight Reporting (SSOR) system within 180 days from the issuance of this Safety Advisory.

Recommended actions include:

Reviewing and analyzing safety performance data related to OCS and pantograph events to identify related hazards.
Conducting a safety risk assessment using the Safety Risk Management process in the RTA's Agency Safety Plan.
Identifying new mitigations or modifying existing ones as necessary to reduce the associated safety risk.
Monitoring the implemented mitigations as part of the Safety Assurance process, including monitoring mitigation effectiveness.
FTA can provide additional data analysis and resources to help SSOAs and RTAs monitor performance, identify hazards, assess risk and implement effective mitigations. Additionally, FTA will host a webinar this fall to provide an overview of Safety Advisory 26-1 and will share registration information soon.

Transit Trivia Time!

Which city opened the world's first underground passenger railway, the Metropolitan Railway, in 1863?

A. Paris.

B. London.

C. New York.

D. Berlin.

Answer is below 'Upcoming Conferences' section.

Upcoming Reporting

November 2026

DUE Nov. 6 - Semi-Annual Disadvantaged Business Enterprise.

Upcoming Trainings

MPTA Presents: MO Statewide Intercity Bus Study Results

Missouri Public Transit Association (MPTA) Education Series webinar will focus on the results of the Statewide Intercity Bus Study completed by WSP for the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). MoDOT, with assistance from WSP, completed an Intercity Bus (ICB) Assessment to better understand the current ICB network and service needs of Missouri that are not currently being met.

The assessment also meets the requirements of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5311(f) Intercity Bus program. The study implemented a robust assessment plan to analyze existing information on current ICB service and operations, review past studies and planning recommendations, and complete a peer review of other DOT programs. It conducted a current ridership propensity analysis that included a full consultative process with ICB and transit operations, the public and other stakeholders. The recommendations in the report provide a roadmap for strengthening Missouri’s ICB network.

Webinar date:

Oct. 21, starts at 9:30 a.m.

State of Transit in Missouri

Join the MPTA and Citizens for Modern Transit (CMT) for the State of Transit in Missouri. This virtual webinar will feature Matt Crawford of City Utilities of Springfield, MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger, Tracy Jones of SMTS, Inc. and Taulby Roach of Bi-State Development/Metro Transit. The discussion will feature updates on the status of individual transit services, as well as where public transit is heading in 2027.

Webinar date:

Nov. 10, starts at 8:30 a.m.

Upcoming Conferences

Save the date: 20th Annual FTA Drug and Alcohol Program National Conference

March 30-April 1, 2027, in Jacksonville, FL.

Continue to monitor the FTA Drug and Alcohol Program for updates on the event, registration and accommodations.

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

Trivia Answer: B. London.

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 Kelly.Roark-Niederhelm@modot.mo.gov.