Transportation assistance helps women get to work, court, prenatal appointments, childcare, and DV shelters. Public transit passes are often free or discounted through TANF, Medicaid non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT, which covers rides to all covered medical visits at no cost), and WIC. Many workforce and job training programs include bus passes, and the Ways to Work program funds low-interest car loans for working parents. Domestic violence shelters often coordinate confidential relocation transportation through VAWA-funded programs. In rural areas, dial-a-ride and volunteer driver programs operate through Area Agencies on Aging and community action agencies. This directory includes transit authorities, Medicaid NEMT providers, and car-ownership assistance.
Missouri circuit courts hear family matters through family court divisions in each of its 45 judicial circuits. The Family Support Division runs child support enforcement under DSS. Kansas City, Saint Louis, Springfield, and Columbia are the largest metros. Legal Services of Eastern Missouri, Legal Aid of Western Missouri, and the Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence serve women.
Metro Transit at 211 N Broadway operates MetroLink light rail (Red and Blue lines connecting downtown, the airport, and Shiloh-Scott IL) and 80+ MetroBus routes across St. Louis city and county. Reduced fares for seniors, students, and Medicaid recipients. Call 314-231-2345 for trip planning and fare assistance.
314-231-2345 · 211 N Broadway, Suite 700, St. Louis, MO 63102 · Service hours vary by route · Visit Website
KCATA operates RideKC buses and the KC Streetcar throughout the bimetro area. Notably, KC made fixed-route buses free starting in 2020 — Missouri's only major fare-free transit system. KCATA's Freedom-On-Demand microtransit serves areas without fixed routes. Call 816-221-0660 for paratransit and route help.
816-221-0660 · 1350 E 17th St, Kansas City, MO 64108 · Service hours vary · Visit Website
City Utilities Transit at 301 E Central in Springfield operates 12 fixed-route buses and the Access Express paratransit for ADA-eligible riders across Springfield. Reduced-fare passes available for seniors, students, and Medicaid recipients. Call 417-831-8782 weekdays for pass and paratransit applications.
417-831-8782 · 301 E Central St, Springfield, MO 65802 · Mon-Sat 6am-7pm · Visit Website
COMO Connect at 1818 E Broadway operates seven Columbia routes plus paratransit and the University of Missouri Tiger Line shuttles. Fixed-route fare is
573-874-7282 · 1818 E Broadway, Columbia, MO 65201 · Mon-Sat 6:30am-10pm · Visit Website
Sunshine Lamp Trolley and MAPS paratransit at 602 S Main in Joplin serve the Jasper/Newton county region with fixed-route trolleys and door-to-door demand-response service for ADA-qualifying riders. Call 417-623-6129 for paratransit applications and trolley schedules.
417-623-6129 · 602 S Main St, Joplin, MO 64801 · Mon-Fri 6am-6pm · Visit Website
OATS Transit at 2501 Maguire Boulevard in Columbia is Missouri's largest rural transit provider, serving 87 Show-Me counties with demand-response trips for seniors, people with disabilities, and the general public. Many trips are donation-based. Call 573-443-4516 to schedule a ride or learn what routes serve your county.
573-443-4516 · 2501 Maguire Blvd, Suite 200, Columbia, MO 65201 · Mon-Fri 6am-6pm · Visit Website
MoDOT's Rural Transit Assistance Program at the Multimodal Operations office in Jefferson City coordinates and partly funds Missouri's rural transit network — OATS, SMTS, and county-based services. Call 573-751-2523 to find which provider operates in your rural county.
573-751-2523 · Statewide Resource · Mon-Fri 8am-5pm · Visit Website
Wheels for Women, a Women's Employment Network program, provides KC-area women with refurbished donated vehicles and car-repair assistance. Eligibility requires WEN program participation. Call 816-822-0202 to ask about current application windows and donor inventory.
816-822-0202 · Kansas City, MO 64108 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm
Amtrak's Missouri River Runner runs daily between St. Louis Gateway Station and Kansas City Union Station with stops in Kirkwood, Washington, Hermann, Jefferson City, Sedalia, Warrensburg, Lee's Summit, and Independence. Reduced fares for seniors 65+, veterans, and children 2-12.
Nationwide · Online
Greyhound serves Missouri with stations in St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield, Joplin, Cape Girardeau, and Sikeston. Long-distance fares from Missouri are typically lowest 2-3 weeks in advance. Useful for Show-Me mothers with relatives in adjacent states.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
FlixBus and Megabus offer low-cost intercity service through St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, and Springfield connecting to Chicago, Memphis, Nashville, Dallas, and Indianapolis. Fares as low as $5-15 when booked early. Often cheaper and faster than Amtrak for Missouri intercity trips.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
US DOT publishes the federal funding rules that underwrite Missouri's transit network — relevant for Missouri mothers researching ADA paratransit complaints, Title VI civil-rights protections, and the federal grants supporting MetroLink, KCATA, OATS, and CU Transit.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Dial 211 from any Missouri phone to reach United Way's 211 line. Operators can refer to local non-emergency medical transportation, gas-card programs run by Salvation Army or Community Action, and reduced-fare passes at Metro, KCATA, CU Transit, and other Missouri systems.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
VA's Veterans Transportation Service operates free shuttles to STL VA (Cochran and Jefferson Barracks), Kansas City VA, and Truman VA in Columbia from satellite community-based outpatient clinics across Missouri. Call your local VA to schedule. DAV volunteer drivers also transport veterans without VTS access.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Modivcare is one of MO HealthNet's non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) brokers, arranging free rides to medical appointments for Missouri Medicaid recipients. Call the MO HealthNet NEMT line at 866-269-5927 to schedule rides at least three business days in advance.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
AAA Foundation publishes senior-driving resources, the CarFit assessment program, and self-rating tools that help aging Missouri drivers and their families decide when to transition from driving. AAA Missouri offers in-person CarFit events in St. Louis and Kansas City.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
NADTC publishes federal transit guidance specifically for older adults and people with disabilities — useful for Missouri caregivers researching paratransit appeals, ADA complementary service rules, and the volunteer driver programs supported by Missouri Area Agencies on Aging.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website