3 APR 2006: MoDOT Long-Range Plan needs your input

Missouri Bicyclists, Pedestrians, and Runners,

MoDOT is currently working on their long-range (30 year) plan. The planning process is now nearing its end.

Several of us representing bicyclists and pedestrians in Missouri have been on citizen committees that have worked through a whole process to develop major areas of focus and possible solutions. Of course, we (bike/ped advocates) have been only a small percentage of the total participants.

Now I think MoDOT needs to hear from a number of people from around the state who support better bicycle and pedestrian accommodations in the future, and maybe even a completely different understanding of what our transportation system could be (see below).

They have promised that they are taking this planning process seriously and that they WILL listen to citizen comments.

You can send comments here:

Eric.Curtit@modot.mo.gov
http://mapourfuture.org/CommentForwardAdd.do

Or play the "funding allocation" game here:

http://mapourfuture.org/
(click "Funding Allocation Challenge" on middle left)

Some possible comments (assuming you agree with them, of course!):

* You support routine accommodation of bicyclists and pedestrians. This can usually be done very inexpensively, especially if designed in from the beginning.

* Better bicycle & pedestrian connectivity and other alternatives like transit can be an important part of the effort to reduce congestion and pollution and make our cities more liveable.

* You are concerned about rising fuel prices and believe they will increase demand for bicycling and walking.

* Fuel prices may or may not reach $5 or $10/gallon over the next 30 years. But what if they do? Shouldn't MoDOT at least do some contingency planning for this possibility?

* You are concerned about land use, planning, and sprawl. MoDOT should adopt policies to reduce sprawl.

* We have been talking with MoDOT about the 30-year plan embraced by several European countries starting in the 1970s. They decided to re-make their transportation systems to make them more bicycle, pedestrian, and transit friendly. 30 years later, their proportion of bicycle & pedestrian trips has grown from less than 10% (just were we are now) to about 40%.

There is no reason we couldn't do the same--if we have the vision to make it happen.

* Taking a broader look, the long-range planning has talked about issues like transit, freight, rails, rivers & ports, demographic issues (aging population), and funding (MoDOT's main source of funding is the fuel tax which is NOT indexed to inflation, so it continually decreases in buying power).

Funding Allocation Game
On the Funding Allocation Game, currently bike/ped spending is about 1% of the total. Bicyclists & pedestrians represent about 13% of fatalities and 14% of injuries nationwide--so maybe that is a starting point.

And it would take 60% of MoDOT's budget simply to keep up with regular maintenance (currently only about 40% is devoted to regular maintenance).

--Brent