MoBikeFed attends MO transportation summit

It's no secret that Missouri faces a crisis in its transportation funding. Starting in 2009, the bond money received by MoDOT (on the basis of increased income from Amendment 3 funds) will run out.

MoDOT will have a LOT less money to spend.

Missouri political leaders are working on solutions. Most of them do not include any new provisions for bicycle/pedestrian accommodation--one reason we made a point to lobby MoDOT and legislative leaders with over 500 citizen messages in support of Complete Streets last May.

MoBikeFed Board Member Eric Rogers joined representatives of the St. Louis Bicycle Federation, the Sierra Club, and other alternative transportation groups. Eric reports:

The bottom line was that the state doesn’t fund transportation nearly enough, and ultimately voters will have to pony up more money in gas tax, license fees, and/or tolls if they want decent roads. There’s no way around it.

I was there representing the Missouri Bicycle Federation and keeping tabs on the whole thing to make sure that bikes, pedestrians, transit, etc aren’t left out of the discussion. Fortunately Senator Joan Bray of St. Louis is on the joint committee. She stood up and took MoDOT director Pete Rahn to task for neglecting bikes, peds, transit, and rail as vital parts of the transportation system. Senator Bray is a rock star and we are luck to have her in Jeff City.