Missouri's road funds have been running on empty far too long - Herald-Whig -

Headlines are quick hits from media outlets from Missouri and around the world. Follow the headline link for the full story. The source of this headline says:

THERE IS something fundamentally wrong when everyone in a state government agrees there is a monumental crisis, yet nothing is done to address it.

That scenario continues to play out in Missouri, where a catastrophic reduction in available transportation funding has been anticipated and tracked for more than a decade. Still, lawmakers, governors and voters have been unwilling to provide the necessary funds to fix it -- even as roads crumble, bridges close or are weight restricted, and critically important economic development initiatives are postponed.

Over time, as transportation funding levels have fallen from $1.3 billion a year to less than half that amount, it has become impossible to continue to ignore this growing problem. Now is the time to act.

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Missouri's road funds have been running on empty far too long - Herald-Whig -

MoBikeFed comment: Missouri is facing a crisis in highway funding--one far more serious than most citizens in Missouri realize.

But the crisis is deeper than that: The crisis in state transit and pedestrian/bicycle funding in Missouri is even worse than the highway funding crisis.

Meeting with legislators and MoDOT leaders in Jefferson City this legislative session, we have been taking this message:

Missouri's dramatic underinvestment in transit, walking, and bicycling harms the ability of communities across the state to compete in today's global marketplace

• Missouri ranks 44th of the 50 states in public transportation funding.

• Missouri spend just 9 cents per capita on public transportation funding; our bordering states average $2.85 per capita (excluding Illinois, which spends $66.30 per capita).

• Missouri provides no state transportation funding for walking or bicycling.

• People in every Missouri county depend on public transportation, walking, and bicycling for access to vital jobs, school, and medical care. This is an issue for communities large and small; urban, suburban, and rural.

• Transportation options that meet the needs of all citizens are vital for a strong economy and the public health.

• As a far outlier state in state funding for public transportation, walking, and bicycling, Missouri harms its economy and drives talent and business to more competitive states.

Transportation means a lot more than just highways. Support a comprehensive solution to state transportation funding that meets the needs of all Missourians.