The intent of this contract is to develop an Intercity Bus Study that will: • Examine and document the current connections between rural areas and the larger regional and national system of ICB service. • Assess the unmet intercity bus needs of Missouri and identify investment opportunities for new ICB routes that are both feasible and viable to meet the identified needs. • Identify sustainable funding streams for current and new intercity bus service areas. • Explore the feasibility of statewide coordination utilizing mobile application technology. • Include a supplemental white paper on the economics of ICB and transit with a focus on aging in place. • Identify opportunities for integration and coordination with current and potential future passenger rail expa nsion as outlined in the 2022 Missouri State Freight and Rail Plan. The updated ICB Study will serve as a resource for decision making to move Missouri toward a more cohesive and connected bus system, locally, regionally, and nationally. Recommendations from the ICB and Regional Routes study must be consistent and further the goals identified in Missouri's Long-Range Transportation Plan as they relate to regional routes and intercity bus service.
