ALERT: $6 billion Missouri transportation funding proposal to appear on August 5th ballot; What you can do now

[UPDATE 9 JULY 2014: MoDOT has now announced the final project list for Amendment 7.  It includes MANY bicycle, pedestrian, and transit projects. What you can do now:

• Please mark you calendar for Tuesday, August 5th, 2014 - the day of the statewide election on Amendment 7. This is a primary election, with typically low turnout--so supporters of biking, walking, and transit and other forms of transportation turn out August 5th, your vote WILL have a real effect.
  
   
• Please continue to let your MoDOT and local transportation planning partners know that you expect bicycling and walking to be a routine part of all transportation plans and projects.  Whether Amendment 7 is approved or defeated, you continuing support of biking and walking in your local community will make a huge difference. Contact information for all areas of Missouri is below.]

Governor Nixon has announced that the Missouri transportation funding proposal, a 3/4 cent sales tax to fund all types of transportation in Missouri, will be placed on the primary election ballot--August 5th, 2014. 

The massive state transportation funding shortfall has been a hot topic of discussion at the Missouri Capitol for the past several years

The funding proposal, recently approved by both houses of the Missouri General Assembly, is a consitutional amendment that requires a vote of the people of Missouri for final passage.  If approved on August 5th, it will be the first statewide funding proposal in Missouri history to integrate all forms of transportation in the state, including biking, walking, transit, roads, bridges, ports, and airports.

Missouri's bicycle and pedestrian community played a vital role in the passage of the funding proposal this year, successfully and soundly defeating an attempt on the floor of the Missouri House to remove bicycling from the proposed funding.

That major legislative victory strongly solidifies our strength and our position as we work with MoDOT and its regional planning partners to create the statewide project list for the proposed $6 billion in spending.

Representative Chris Kelly of Columbia summarized the need for the new tax in a recent St Louis Post Dispatch article about the funding proposal:

The highways here are in very bad shape. I’m not crazy about (the sales tax increase) but you can’t just sit in the mud and continue to go backward. If somebody’s got a better plan, roll that puppy out. But nobody has.

Will bicycling, walking, and transit receive their full share of the funding?

This proposal is the first in Missouri history to allow state transportation funds to be spent on all Missouri transportation needs, including bicycling, walking, and transit.

But will MoDOT and its regional transportation planning partners across the state actually spend those transportation dollars on these priorities?  MoDOT made a excellent first step in adopting a long-range transportation plan in February that, for the first time in history, fully incorporated bicycling, walking, and transit.

But now MoDOT's regional planning partners and the MoDOT Districts are working to develop the project list for the new $6 billion in transportation spending.

With the election date moved up to August 5th, they will now be scrambling to finalize that list soon.

Will the list truly be representative of Missourians true transportation needs?

How you can help

With MoDOT scrambling to put together its project list in time for the August 5th vote, now is the time to follow up with your local MoDOT transportation planning agency and with your local MoDOT district to follow up on our previous project ideas and submissions. 

MoDOT's regional transportation planning partners are working to decide project lists and priorities right now.

In most parts of the state, the regional planning agencies have created their initial project lists and the RPCs and MPOs are now working with the MoDOT Districts to create the final District project list.

• MoDOT planning partner contact information for all parts of Missouri
  • Ask to see their final prioritized project list - most RPCs and MPOs have it finalized by now
  • Let them know that you strongly support including bicycling and walking projects in the final project list
• MoDOT Districts: Northwest - Northeast - Kansas City region - Central - St Louis region - Southwest - Southeast
  • Each district has a link to "Your Local Area Engineer"  - contact your own local Area Engineer and let him or her know that you support including bicycling and walking projects in the final project list for the new funding, and that you encourage MoDOT to incorporate needed bicycle and pedestrian elements (such as bicycleable shoulders) in all projects where needed
• Two of Missouri's largest regional planning agencies are currently developing their project lists for the new funding by updating their current regional transportation plans.  If you live in these parts of the state, please take time to weigh in on the importance of including bicycling and walking in these plans.  The project list from these plans will determine literally billions of dollars in transportation spending and priorities:
  • Kansas City area - Transportation Outlook 2040 update
  • St. Louis area - Connected 2014 update and take the Connected 2014 citizen priorities survey

Last but not least: 

MoDOT is currently facing a severe funding crisis

• Put the August 5th election on your calendar - it will be an important one not only because of the transportation sales tax but also because it is the date for Missouri primary elections, which determine the majority of state elected offices in Missouri
• Register to vote in Missouri here - deadline for registration is July 9th
• Request an absentee ballot here 

Image credits:

1. Bike racks at the Missouri Capitol - MoBikeFed

2. MIssouri's Regional Planning Commissions - MACOG

3. Waiting for MoDOT by Zaskem, FlickR. License: Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 2.0