Your Voice Needed for Rural Rides: Public Hearing October 27
APPLETON CITY, Mo. — Tina loves her job. At 62, she has no plans to stop working and hopes to stay with her employer until retirement.
But without a car, getting to work and keeping her job was a serious challenge.
A traffic accident had totaled Tina's car. Then, after being laid off from a job she'd held for five years, she couldn't afford to replace it. When she found a new job in Food and Nutrition Services at a rural Missouri hospital, she faced a difficult situation: She was ready and eager to work, but had no reliable way to get there.
Tina's changing work schedule made transportation even more challenging. Some days she starts at 6 a.m. and finishes at 2 p.m. Other days she works until 5:30 or 6:30 p.m. Finding rides around those hours was hard, especially when others had work schedules of their own. Walking wasn't a practical option.
Then she learned about New Growth Transit.
Through its network of volunteer drivers, New Growth Transit coordinates rides around Tina's changing work schedule, getting her to work and back home when she needs them.
"I don't have to worry about getting back and forth to work," Tina said. "So I can just concentrate on my job and do my job."
Tina's experience reflects a challenge across rural Missouri. For people living in our most isolated counties, getting to work can be especially difficult when they cannot drive themselves. Long distances and varying work schedules make providing public transportation even more challenging.
New Growth Transit has developed a cost-effective transportation model that's working for rural Missouri. Now, we're seeking public transportation funding to support employment rides in Bates, Benton, Dallas, Hickory, St. Clair, and Morgan counties.
A Proven Rural Transportation System
Since launching in 2020, New Growth Transit has developed a different approach to rural public transportation, one designed around the distances, destinations, and schedules of rural residents.
Its coordinated network of trained volunteer drivers provides individually scheduled rides using personal vehicles. Drivers receive mileage reimbursement rather than wages, making this a cost-effective model that avoids the expense of maintaining a traditional transportation fleet.
But the value of volunteer drivers goes beyond cost savings. These are neighbors helping neighbors, offering more than transportation through kindness, conversation, and connection. For drivers, volunteering also offers opportunities to stay active, build friendships, and find purpose in serving their communities.
Tina appreciates that personal connection. She describes her regular driver, Debbie, as considerate, punctual, and a delight to talk to.
Behind every ride is a professionally managed system of scheduling, driver coordination, safety procedures, technology, and operational oversight.
In 2024 alone, New Growth Transit provided more than 1 million miles of rides program-wide. In the six counties included in this funding request, New Growth Transit provided 417,236 miles of rides to 2,101 unique riders during 2024 and 2025 combined.
Traditional transportation providers serve an important role in rural Missouri. New Growth Transit offers another proven model, combining cost-effective operations with flexible, personalized transportation across widely dispersed communities.
Now, New Growth Transit is seeking federal Section 5311 public transportation funding through the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) to support employment rides in Bates, Benton, Dallas, Hickory, St. Clair, and Morgan counties.
New Growth Transit already serves these six counties. This funding would support an established transportation system that connects rural residents with jobs and supports employers who need dependable workers.
Your Voice Matters: Public Hearing October 27
New Growth Transit invites community members to attend a public hearing and share their experiences and perspectives on rural transportation and access to employment.
Tuesday, October 27, 2026, at 1 p.m.
West Central Missouri Community Action Agency
112 W. 4th St., Appleton City, MO
Riders, volunteer drivers, employers, community organizations, local leaders, and residents are encouraged to participate.
You don't have to attend the hearing to make your voice heard.
If you support New Growth Transit's request for funding to sustain employment rides, please share your experience or explain why you believe this flexible volunteer-driver model works well for rural residents. You can also simply add your name in support of continued funding without submitting a written comment.
Add your name or share a public comment at newgrowthmo.org/post/public-comment
Please respond by Monday, October 26, so we can compile community input ahead of the hearing. Comments after that date are welcomed too.
For people that need a ride to work means more than getting from one place to another. It means keeping a job they value, earning a living, and maintaining independence.
There's a lot of people out there that don't have transportation. And I know how that could keep you from going to work."
New Growth Transit has built a transportation system that works for rural Missouri. Continued investment can keep that system working for rural employees and the businesses and organizations that rely on them.
We invite you to be part of what comes next.
