MO: Missouri looks to expand bus service across the state

Missouri transportation officials are looking to jump-start bus service across the state, potentially filling in gaps where commercial carriers like Greyhound no longer are traveling.

In newly released bidding documents, the Missouri Department of Transportation is asking for proposals for improving intercity bus service connecting, for example, St. Louis to southwest parts of the state.

The study suggests potential areas of need include passenger service between Columbia and Jefferson City, a southeast corridor along Interstate 55 and service in northwest Missouri to Hannibal.

“Intercity bus service has declined over the past 10 years, especially since the COVID 19 pandemic, to the point that many rural areas have no service,” the request notes.

According to a report by DePaul University’s Chaddick Institute, intercity bus ridership is expected to grow 4% this year, a rate substantially above the projected 2.4% to 2.8% growth of domestic auto and air travel by the U.S. Travel Association.

Projections say added bus options in the southern half of the U.S. will propel the overall national growth, while traffic will be flatter in the Midwest.

The Chaddick report says St. Louis continues to be mid-America’s primary hub for transcontinental trips, but other factors have slowed market growth, including higher speed passenger rail connections between the city and Chicago along a route running through Springfield, Illinois, that parallels Interstate 55.

“Making matters worse for bus lines, Amtrak’s travel times on the St. Louis route improved due to the added 110 mph mileage,” the study said.

Intercity service is defined as regularly scheduled bus service operated with limited stops over fixed routes connecting two or more urban areas not in close proximity.

The proposed study comes as Greyhound has been closing or relocating its stations, leading Missouri and other states to step in to fill gaps or subsidize service.

In Maine, state transportation officials announced a pilot program last year to provide intercity connections between Lewiston and Portland. Virginia is launching a bus route connecting Harrisonburg to Virginia Beach.

Colorado launched its own intercity bus service in 2015 and has seen ridership numbers grow from 17,000 passengers per month in 2018 to an average of 24,000 last year.

“The anticipated results of this (request) will assist in identifying where intercity bus service is needed, as well as funding solutions for current and newly identified intercity bus service,” MoDOT spokeswoman Taylor Brune told the Post-Dispatch.

Missouri currently uses federal funds to subsidize passenger service by private carriers, including Greyhound and Jefferson Lines, but MoDOT says some corridors are underserved. One possible route would connect Lebanon to Columbia, while another could run between Rolla and Jefferson City.

The study will “identify corridors with need for new or expanded intercity bus service and prioritize implementation based on measured need and interest.”

The end result could determine how bus lines could combine with services already provided by the state’s Amtrak passenger rail stops.

The request also asks potential vendors to study ways people can check routes and book travel using their mobile phones.

The chosen vendor also will be tasked with conducting a study assessing how passengers feel about riding the bus. The study is expected to be completed by late 2027.