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OATS to start federally funded Franklin County route March 18, offers $10 fare to St. Louis connections
Summary
Rural transit provider OATS announced a new pilot route beginning March 18 to connect Franklin County riders to intermodal connections in St. Louis. The service will start as two days per week and carry a $10 fare; federal funding of about $1.6 million will support a pilot of roughly one to one-and-a-half years.
Representatives of OATS, a nonprofit rural transportation provider, told the committee they plan to launch a federally funded pilot route in Franklin County on March 18 to connect residents with intermodal and transit connections in St. Louis.
Michael Burbank, who identified himself as a representative of OATS, said the organization operates across 87 rural counties in Missouri with roughly 500–550 buses statewide and that the new Franklin County route is structured to move riders into the St. Louis urbanized area so they can use Metro and rail connections. ‘‘This funding is not supposed to be used for just moving people in and around Franklin County,’’ Burbank said, describing federal restrictions on the grant the agency is using.
Burbank said the pilot will start two days a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) with morning trips into the city and return trips in the afternoon; staff will monitor ridership and may expand service days if demand justifies it. He explained OATS expects the pilot to run about a year to a year‑and‑a‑half and that the operating plan carries a $10 fare per trip to encourage attendance and ensure some cost recovery.
OATS staff said the federal award for the pilot is about $1,600,000 and that the program’s intent is to provide connectivity to the airport, hospital district and the intermodal transfer center in St. Louis where additional local transit connections are available. Staff said drivers can drop riders at specific airline terminals on request and that OATS aims to provide close curb access when safe.
Committee members welcomed the proposal and asked for flyers and schedules; OATS said it will distribute materials across Franklin County and return to the committee with ridership reports. Committee members invited OATS to report monthly as the pilot starts so local officials can assess performance and public demand.
