MoDOT's new long-range plan features transit alongside biking, walking, and trails

We have been covering the groundbreaking changes in MoDOT's recently unveiled long range transportation plan. For the first time in history, MoDOT has totally embraced a "total transportation" vision for Missouri's future, embracing transit, bicycling, walking, trails, freight and passenger rail, ports, and airports alongside the traditional Missouri core transportation emphases of roads, highways, and bridges. 

One of the plans' four major objectives is to "Give Missourians Better Transportation Choices." The page includes this video showing the benefits of public transit--including urban systems like the St. Louis Metro and rural systems like OATS--to all Missourians: 

The MoDOT proposed long-range plan includes these specific goals:

Ensure Our Transportation System is Better Connected 

John Nations, President and CEO, Bi-State Development Agency and Metro Transit
John Nations, President and CEO, Bi-State Development Agency and Metro Transit
We can ensure that Missouri’s transportation system is better connected and Missourians have more options when traveling in the state by:
  • Increasing regional involvement to include all transportation stakeholders when identifying and prioritizing projects.
  • Securing reliable funding that is flexible and can be used to address each region’s transportation priorities.
  • Evaluating the impact to all transportation modes during the initial design of an improvement.
  • Connecting travel options – passenger rail to bus stops to sidewalks to airports.
  • Expanding and improving transit, air, passenger rail, bicycle and pedestrian options throughout the state.
  • Providing accessibility to all users of the transportation system.

The proposed new funding source for Missouri transportation, a 1 cent transportation sale tax planned for the November 2014 ballot, is the first in Missouri history to allows spending on transit, biking, walking, trails, railroads, ports, airports, transportation planning, and all other related transportation activities.  

For the past century, the Missouri constitution has restricted Missouri state transportation funds to roads and bridges only--and this is the core reason that Missouri's transportation system has been built to be unfriendly and uninviting for biking, walking, trails, and transit.

MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri envisions the creation of a world-class, connected, and safe bicycle, pedestrian, and trails system across the state and in every community.  Your membership and support helps turn our Vision into reality!

 

Photo & video courtesy MoDOT

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