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MACON, MISSOURI, -- OATS representatives meet with their local legislators to remind them of the importance of Missouri’s public transportation system.

The main message was to ask Legislator’s for their support for public transit, and remind them that OATS is an important part of Missouri’s public transportation funding.  Budgetary decisions made in Jefferson City affect the services that OATS is able to provide in their local communities.

Sheree Webb and Donna Turnbough of OATS met with Representative Jim Hansen, District 40 and Representative Lindell Shumake, District 6 at the Capital. They expressed their appreciation to the Legislators and conveyed the importance of public transportation to their communities in hopes of encouraging support of future funding. 

Webb, Turnbough, and other agency representatives, were at the Capital on behalf of the more than 36,000 Missourians who rely on OATS to meet their basic transportation needs. Specific funding issues include asking for support of MoDOT’s request for $5.5 million for transit operations from both the General Revenue and the State Transportation Fund.

OATS, Inc., a non-for-profit corporation, provided 1,702,272 one-way trips to over 36,000 Missourians last year. These trips were made to ensure that thousands of Missourians had access to doctors, pharmacies, work, nutrition sites, school, sheltered workshops, Dialysis and essential shopping. OATS is funded, in part, an allotment of federal funds from the Missouri Department of Transportation, and through contracts with Missouri Elderly and Handicapped Transportation Assistance Program (MEHTAP), private contracts, rider donations and contributions. For more information about OATS, Inc., please visit their website at www.oatstransit.org; “Like” us at Facebook.com/oatstransit.