Contact: Ernie Blazar 202.224.7627 Shana Stribling 202.224.0309
Wednesday, August 13, 2003

COLUMBIA, MO - Senator Kit Bond today announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) is sending $1.5 million in federal transportation funds to Missouri for services to help senior citizens, disabled and other residents in rural Missouri.

“For the seniors and disabled in our community these funds mean increased mobility and independence,â€쳌 said Bond, who secured the money for the program in this year's Appropriations bill.

The $1,475,519 in funds will be used for the Older Adults Transportation Service (OATS) program, which is a non-profit service that provides better transportation services to senior citizens, the disabled and other rural residents.

OATS provides demand-response transportation services to the public in 87 counties throughout Missouri. The money will be used by OATS to purchase twelve replacement vehicles. The vehicles will be used throughout metropolitan Kansas City, and Boone, Moniteau, Schuyler, Grundy, Nodaway, Platte, Jackson and Cass counties. Also, part of the $2 million grant will be used to construct an administrative and maintenance facility in Columbia.

As a senior member of the Senate Appropriations Committee Senator Kit Bond secured these funds in the fiscal year 2003 Omnibus Appropriations bill. This is in addition to the millions Bond has secured for OATS in previous years, including $2 million in the fiscal year 2002 Transportation Appropriations bill.

Kit Bond is Missouri’s senior Senator and is now in his third term after having served the state previously during two terms as Governor.