Public transportation? (Kansas City, St. Louis, Springfield: utilities, live, prices)

[designer]

I am curious which cities or towns in missouri offer a good public bus or
light rail system? I would assume that Kansas City and St Louis offer at
least a city bus system and I think I read where St. Louis now has
a light rail system. I guess I am more interested in the smaller cities
like Springfield and Joplin or other towns as well. I know that Joplin had
a city bus system many years ago but I'm not sure if it was owned by
the city or was a privately owned.

Thanks

[whatzaname]

Not that the city hasn't tried (sort of) but we're just still rather rural in mentality here. Everyone owns a car, even if they can't afford it, because you "can't get anywhere without a car." Those without cars are pretty stuck. There is the City Utilities bus system, but as the city continues to spread, the buslines remain stubbornly limited to a small portion of the city, with very limited routes. There just isn't a lot of public support for mass transit, but I see that changing as gas prices continue to rise and Springfield area continues to grow. If I were moving to Springfield NOW, knowing what I know now, I would look for a more walkable community than the area in which I live.

If you want anonymous suburbia, South Springfield is the place to be - no more than a 5-10 minute drive to one of 4-5 nearby WalMart Supercenters. ick. But walking is pretty iffy, and bus routes even more so.