What Madison County Mass Transit District does

Madison County Mass Transit District (MCT) is a municipal corporation organized under the Illinois Local Mass Transit District Act (70 ILCS 3610), established in 1984–1985, and headquartered at 1 Transit Way, Pontoon Beach, Illinois. MCT is the designated public transit provider for Madison County, Illinois, serving residents, commuters, students, and transit-dependent populations across the county and connecting the Illinois side of the St. Louis bi-state metropolitan region via express service to Metro Transit St. Louis. The district is led by Managing Director SJ Morrison, and operations are managed by the Agency for Community Transit (ACT), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit under contract.

MCT operates an integrated multi-modal network that includes 28 fixed bus routes, paratransit service (Runabout) for riders with disabilities, an on-demand microtransit product (MCT Micro) deployed across multiple zones, RideFinders carpool and vanpool matching, an express service to St. Louis, and MCT Trails, a network of more than 130 miles of bike trails. Supporting infrastructure includes 17 park-and-ride lots and a growing fleet of Passenger Information Displays at stops and transit centers. Rider-facing technology includes real-time vehicle tracking and text-message alerts, with mobile fare payment enabled through a partnership with Token Transit.

MCT's revenue model is characteristic of a public transit agency: it combines fare revenue with substantial federal funding (CMAQ, DOT, FHWA grants), state transit appropriations, and local government support. There are no private investors or equity funding rounds. Strategic partnerships anchor service delivery and customer reach, including integrations with Metro Transit St. Louis, SIUE, Chestnut Health Systems, and the RideFinders regional rideshare program.

Name

Madison County Mass Transit District

Legal name

Madison County Mass Transit District

Website

https://mct.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Madison County Mass Transit District is a municipal public transit agency serving Madison County, Illinois with 28 fixed bus routes, paratransit, on-demand microtransit, 130+ miles of bike trails, and express service connecting to the St. Louis metro region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Transportation Services

NAICS

Bus and Other Motor Vehicle Transit Systems (485113), Special Needs Transportation (485991), School and Employee Bus Transportation (4854)

SIC

Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

On-Demand Public Transit (Microtransit) Operators (TLAFAGAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Municipal/Transit-Agency Microtransit (First/Last-Mile Feeders) (TLAFAJAH), Special Needs & Senior Transportation Services (TLAFAKAI), Community / Nonprofit Public Transit Bus Operators (TLAFAGAJ)

Keywords

• Public transit services
• Fixed route bus service
• Paratransit transportation
• Micro transit service
• Recreational bikeway network

Headquarters

HQ city

Illinois City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fixed-Route Bus Fares: MCT generates revenue through per-ride fares on fixed-route buses: $1.00 local fare for trips within Madison/St. Clair County, and $3.00 express fare for trips to/from St. Louis. Half-fare options available for seniors, disabled individuals, and children aged 5-12.
2. Monthly and Short-Term Passes: MCT sells monthly passes (Local Monthly $40, System Monthly $70, Student Monthly $15), 7-day passes ($15), day passes ($5), 2-hour regional passes ($3), and bus tokens sold in rolls of 25. Passes provide unlimited rides for their validity period.
3. Federal and State Transit Funding: As a municipal transit district, MCT receives federal and state funding for operations, capital projects, and specific programs like the Guaranteed Ride Home (funded by Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality grants) and DBE programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Madison County Mass Transit District (MCT) provides public mass transportation services across Madison County, Illinois and connections to the St. Louis metropolitan region. Core offerings include fixed-route bus service on 28 local and express routes, ADA-compliant paratransit (ACT Runabout) for elderly and disabled riders, on-demand micro-transit (MCT Micro) in designated zones, a regional carpool/vanpool matching program (RideFinders), and an interconnected 130+ mile network of Class I bikeways (MCT Trails). All services are operated by the Agency for Community Transit (ACT), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, with fares supplemented by federal and state transit funding.

Product overview

Madison County Transit (MCT) is a municipal public transportation district providing multi-modal transportation services for Madison County, Illinois. The organization operates a unified platform of transportation services consisting of: Fixed Route Bus Service (23 fixed routes plus express routes), ACT Runabout Paratransit Service (ADA-compliant service for elderly and disabled), RideFinders (regional carpool/vanpool matching), and MCT Trails (130+ miles of Class I bikeways). Additional services include MCT Micro (on-demand micro-transit in multiple zones), Express Service to St. Louis, Park & Ride facilities, Bike & Bus integration, and special event services like Muny Express. MCT offers various fare passes including Local Monthly ($40), System Monthly ($70), Student Monthly ($15), and Day Passes ($5), with discounted fares for seniors, disabled, and children. The organization is operated by Agency for Community Transit (ACT), a private non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Runabout: Paratransit bus service for elderly and disabled residents of Madison County, operated by Agency for Community Transit (ACT).
• RideFinders
• MCT Trails
• MCT Micro

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,700 bike-and-bus riders per month
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered important, core and secondary.

• Chestnut Health SystemsimportantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 November 2024MCT partnered with Chestnut Health Systems in November 2024 to provide emergency transportation to overnight warming locations. This partnership supports community health and safety during extreme weather conditions.
• Illinois Department on Aging - Benefit Access ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCT participates in the Illinois Department on Aging Benefit Access program, which qualifies individuals with disabilities or seniors who meet certain criteria for free rides on public transit systems in Illinois. MCT distributes MCT Senior Free Ride ID and MCT Benefit Access Free Ride ID to eligible participants enrolled in this state program. Individuals must reapply for Benefit Access every two years.
• Metro Transit (St. Louis)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCT accepts Metro passes and connects to MetroBus and MetroLink light rail services in the St. Louis metro region. The 2-Hour Regional Pass provides unlimited rides on all MCT fixed routes, all MetroBus routes, and all MetroLink trains for two hours from purchase. This partnership enables seamless regional transit across the bi-state metropolitan area.
• Token TransitcoreTechnology or IntegrationMCT partners with Token Transit to provide mobile ticketing through their smartphone app. Riders can purchase and activate MCT passes including Local 30-Day, System 30-Day, Student Monthly, 7-Day, Day Pass, and 2-Hour Regional Pass through the Token Transit platform. Payment issues and app support handled directly by Token Transit.
• Schnucks Grocery StoressecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMCT Local Monthly and System Monthly passes are available for purchase at Schnucks grocery store locations in Alton, Bethalto, Collinsville, Edwardsville, Godfrey, and Granite City, providing convenient retail access points for pass sales.
• Wood River Public LibrarysecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMonthly passes available for purchase at the Wood River Public Library in Wood River, IL, providing an additional community access point for MCT pass sales.
• RideFinders (Regional Rideshare Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRideFinders is the St. Louis regional rideshare program operated by ACT for MCT. It provides free ride matching service to help commuters find carpool or vanpool partners, works with employers to offer ridesharing information and incentives, and serves St. Louis City, St. Louis/St. Charles/Jefferson/Franklin Counties in Missouri, and Madison/St. Clair/Monroe Counties in Illinois through federal grant funding from USDOT and FHWA.
• Taxi/Uber/Lyft (Guaranteed Ride Home Program)secondaryGTM or Marketing PartnerMCT partners with taxi companies and Uber/Lyft for the Guaranteed Ride Home program, providing up to 4 FREE rides per year for express bus riders who miss their bus due to emergencies. MCT pays taxi companies directly (up to $125 per ride).
• Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE)importantStrategic or Co-development PartnerMCT provides comprehensive service to SIUE including the free #17 Cougar Shuttle (campus shuttle running every 10 minutes), and routes #4, #7, #13X, #19, and #22 connecting campus to off-campus housing, shopping, and the greater region.
• Madison County SchoolsimportantGTM or Marketing PartnerMCT distributes Summer Youth Passes through Madison County middle and high schools, allowing students 18 and under to ride free on MCT fixed-route buses from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Schools serve as distribution points for the passes.
• Agency for Community Transit (ACT)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACT is a private, non-profit 501(c)(3) agency that operates all public and paratransit bus services for MCT, the RideFinders carpool/vanpool program, constructs and maintains the MCT Trails system, and operates the ACT Community Action Grants program. ACT was formed in January 1985 specifically to provide paratransit service for elderly and disabled residents.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Via Transportation: Operator of dynamic-routing microtransit services for municipal partners across North America. Operates in an overlapping product category (on-demand shared rides within zones) — a competing platform choice that other transit agencies could select in place of MCT's current Spare-based stack.

Direct peers

• Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District: Another Illinois Mass Transit District of comparable scale, operating fixed-route bus service plus paratransit in a college-town region. Closest structural analog to MCT under the same Illinois Local Mass Transit District Act framework.
• Memphis Area Transit Authority: A mid-size municipal transit authority of comparable scale to MCT, operating fixed-route bus and paratransit service within a single metro area. Useful benchmark for operational structure and rider profile even though geography differs.
• Rockford Mass Transit District: Another Illinois Mass Transit District serving Rockford and Winnebago County. Operates fixed-route buses and paratransit at broadly similar ridership scale to MCT, making it a directly comparable county-level peer.

Others

• Spare Labs: Provider of the microtransit/on-demand transit platform underlying MCT Micro, as confirmed by the app package ID com.sparelabs.platform.rider.mctmicro. Indirect peer as the technology enabler whose roadmap directly influences MCT Micro's capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• Pace Suburban Bus Service: The Illinois suburban bus operator serving the six-county Chicago metropolitan area. Larger portfolio than MCT and operates under a different statutory framework, but overlaps substantively on suburban fixed-route service and ADA paratransit.

Regional players

• St. Louis Metro Transit (Bi-State Development): The bi-state regional transit operator serving St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Clair County — directly adjacent to MCT's territory. MCT routes connect to MetroBus and MetroLink via the 2-Hour Regional Pass, making this a regional partner/competitor for cross-river commute traffic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/MadisonCountyTransit
• Facebookfacebook.com/MadisonCountyTransit
• Instagraminstagram.com/madisoncountytransit
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/agencyforcommunitytransit

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Madison County Mass Transit District