$20 million progress: Missouri General Assembly approves first-ever multimodal transportation funding in Missouri

This year, the Missouri General Assembly took a historic step by authorizing $20 million in multi-modal transportation funding. This is, as far as we know, the first time in history that Missouri has allocated state transportation funds that have the flexibility to be used to meet any and all of Missourians' transportation needs--whether those by motorized, walking, bicycling, public transit, or some combination of all of those options.

Bicycle & Pedestrian Day at the Capitol plays an important role in building support for ideas like multimodal transportation funding in Missouri

Missouri has traditionally funded highways through the fuel tax and given a small amount annually towards transit and special individual projects. The state fuel tax provides the vast majority of state transportation funding and it is restricted to use on state roads and bridges. No state funding has been available for MoDOT to use on vital bicycle and pedestrian connections on state roads that cut through our cities and connect the state.

That means that no state funding has been available for the most typical type of transportation project in 21st century Missouri--a road project that includes elements for motorized transportation, for walking, for bicycling, and for public transit, all wrapped up in one project.

The Missouri General Assembly takes a new direction: Funding that can be used to meet the transportation needs of all Missourians

This year, for the first time, the Missouri General Assembly took a different direction: It authorized the first ever state funding for MoDOT that is specifically allows multimodal transportation projects.  The $20 million in funding in the new Missouri Moves program can be used for roads, bridges, walking, bicycling, or transit. It can be used for projects that focus on any one of those elements, or projects that combine several or all of them.

The funding revives a "cost share" program that was popular with cities and counties, allowing a 50/50 match for local transportation projects that connect with the state system. The previous MoDOT cost-share program was funded by state fuel tax dollars and only automobile-oriented projects were eligible.

For the first time, multimodal projects are eligible for this MoDOT cost-share funding.  That means specifically that these projects can now include funding for bicycling, walking, and transit elements.

How the Missouri Moves program came to be--and how it came to be multi-modal instead of highways-only

State Senator Kurt Schaefer of Columbia, the Senate Appropriations Chair, championed the $20 million "Missouri Moves" transportation cost-share proposal, and also supported giving the funding a multi-modal focus. The budget that passed the Senate included the multimodal transportation language, but the House version was automobile-only.

At that point, a broad coalition of groups--including major bicycle and pedestrian groups across Missouri, groups supporting public transit, and others who have been working to coordinate their efforts to promote a multimodal approach to transportation funding in Missouri--sprang into action, working to ensure that the multimodal language was in the final budget.

Senator Kurt Schaefer of Columbia championed the Missouri Moves funding and also supported allocating it in a flexible, multi-modal way

By good fortune, Bicycle and Pedestrian Day at the Capitol was scheduled for the week this issue came to the fore. Several Capitol Day attendees who had just had positive meetings with key House and Senate Budget committee members were able to follow up just a few days later and ask their legislators for support on this key issue.

In the end, the multi-modal language prevailed on the new $20 million appropriation for the "Missouri Moves" cost share fund.

Our thanks go to Senator Schaefer and House Budget Chair Tom Flanigan of Carthage for supporting the multimodal language, to the other members of the House and Senate appropriations committee, and to MoDOT for supporting the move towards multi-modal funding for the Missouri Moves program.

The Missouri Moves funding is included in HB 2004. In the HB 2004 language as finally passed by both House and Senate, look for Missouri Moves funding in section 4.412.

The budget bill has received final approval from both House and Senate, but budgets are subject to final approval and line item veto by Governor Nixon.

Missouri Moves if the first tangible result of years of coalition building in support of flexible transportation funding in Missouri

A broad coalition of Missouri transportation stakeholders, including the new Mercury Alliance has been working for many years to move Missouri state transportation funding towards a multi-modal approach. Several past efforts have been unsuccessful. But over the years, a concensus is growing that this is the direction Missouri needs to go.

Automobile transportation is important, but so is public transportation, so is walking, so is bicycling. It takes them all, working together, to make a complete and healthy community.

The $20 million appropriation for the multimodal Missouri Moves cost share program is the first tangible outcome of this long-term effort.  But it will not be the last!

Rep. Tom Flanigan of Carthage is House Budget Committee Chair. Capitol Day visitors from the Joplin Trails Coalition made very effective follow-up calls to Rep. Flanigan's office about the Missouri Moves issue.

What's next?

Next steps:

• MoDOT must create regulations and guidelines for use of the funds. We encourage MoDOT strongly to adopt regulations that will ensure a good mix of different types of projects, including some walking, bicycling, and public transit projects, and that will encourage funding of road and highway projects that take a Complete Streets approach to fully integrate walking, bicycling, and public transportation into any road projects funded by Missouri Moves.
  
  We have already contact MoDOT leadership with our suggestions and concerns about this new program.
• Missouri Moves is a cost-share program, meaning that local cities, counties, or transportation development districts apply for the funding and provide a local match.  We strongly encourage communities to submit high-quality walking, bicycling, public transit, and complete-streets oriented projects for the Missouri Moves funding

Working to create a world-class, seamless, connected, safe, statewide transportation system for Missourians who walk and bicycle is one of the top goals of MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri.  Working towards needed funding for walking and bicycling in Missouri is one of the most important strategies to meet that goal. The $20 million in multi-modal Missouri Moves transportation funding is one of the most important steps Missouri has taken to meet that goal in the past decade.

Your ongoing membership and generous financial support helps turn our Vision into reality and make progress like the multi-modal Missouri Moves funding a reality!