Missouri Bicycle News Article

The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission (MHTC) is like the board of directors for MoDOT. MHTC oversees MoDOT and make high-level decisions.

MHTC meets about once a month at different locations around the state, and for a part of the meeting public comment is allowed.

Brent Hugh of the Missouri Bicycle Federation, Steve Sleet of Trailnet, and Russ Willis of the St. Louis Regional Bicycle Federation attended the recent MHTC meeting, Oct 17th in St. Louis.

This is the first time in many years that bicycle and pedestrian organizations have made a sustained effort to bring bicycling and walking issues before the MHTC.

The points we made:

• There are two million bicyclists and 5.8 million pedestrians in Missouri
  
• Over a quarter of Missourians have no driver's license and over 10% of Missouri households have no automobile
  
• Those who walk and bicycle in Missouri are under-served by our transportation system. Missourians walk and bicycle only half to two-thirds as much as the national average.
  
• The reason is that Missouri does not have a complete network of bicycle- and pedestrian-accessible roads and streets.
  
• MoDOT roads are a major part of the problem--major barriers to walking and bicycling in Missouri.

We pointed out that

• The recent Tour of Missouri brought out about half a million spectators. In St. Louis, the Tour drew the same number of spectators as the Rams & Cardinal games did.
  
  There are as many bicycle racing fans in Missouri as football fans or baseball fans!
  
  MoDOT played a big role in making the Tour of Missouri a success--and we thanked them for that.
  
• Bicylists cover almost exactly the same mileage as pedestrians. There are more pedestrian trips, but they are shorter. Fewer bicycle trips, but longer. It almost exactly evens out. Thus, MoDOT needs to pay equal attention to walking and bicycling.
  
• MoDOT District 6--the St. Louis District--has been doing many very good, effective work to accommodate walking and bicycling. District 6 could well be a model for the other 9 MoDOT districts.

We asked the MHTC and the MoDOT administrators assembled there, to do four things:

• Choose one MHTC member as the bicycle/pedestrian liaison.
  
• On every project ask: "How does this accommodate those who walk and bicycle? Those with disabilities?"
  
• Work with MoDOT to ensure that appropriate policies are in place for bicycle and pedestrian accommodation, and that those policies are actually enforced.
  
• Make sure that MoDOT's bicycle/pedestrian coordinator position, which is currently vacant, receives appropriate staffing, funding, budget, and authority to really be effective.

James Anderson of Springfield, MHTC chair, indicated that the Commission would consider our requests and give us a formal response.

MOBikeFed and other bicycle/pedestrian organizations plan to follow up at the next MHTC meeting in Kansas City, where the contractor for the Paseo Bridge project will be chosen.

Related:

News: Missouri River bridge at Jefferson City now bike-friendlier

News: Federal Complete Streets Amendment offered--your support needed

News: UPDATE: Wrapup of 2009 legislative session

News: Put People on Paseo Bridge campaign raises over $14,000--but looking for more

News: Thank you! MoBikeFed Fall Membership drive WAY OVER its goal!