MoDOT Bike/Ped Coordinator post vacant

MoDOT's bicycle/pedestrian program seems to be in disarray.

The Bicycle/Pedestrian Advisory Board has not met in approximately one year--when for nearly a decade quarterly meetings were the norm.

Today MoBikeFed learned the current Statewide Bicycle/Pedestrian Coordinator is no longer with MoDOT and no replacement has been appointed.

MoBikeFed will be talking with key MoDOT people over the next few days and as soon as we have an indication of MoDOT's intended direction with the Bicycle/Pedestrian program, we will let you know.

It is very important right now for MoDOT to have a strong and effective bicycle and pedestrian program.

There are many indications of growing support among key MoDOT leaders for making bicycle and pedestrian planning routine in all MoDOT projects.

However there is still a great degree of resistance in some quarters to bicycle and pedestrian planning and design. Many attitudes still must be changed.

And, as always, there are budgetary pressures that make it difficult to include bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, even when MoDOT, local officials, and the public support them.

For these reasons and many others, MoDOT needs to have a strong bicycle and pedestrian program, and the steps MoDOT leaders may take right now are crucial to preserve that program, the relationship with key people and organizations, and the knowledge base about bicycle and pedestrian planning, design, and construction.

MoBikeFed will be watching to ensure that MoDOT takes the steps it needs to and will let you know if they fail to do so.  The leadership of MoDOT Director Pete Rahn has not created an environment at MoDOT that makes us feel confident of progress on these issues.