MHTC approves $20 million cost-share program, 1/3 allocated to bike/ped and multimodal - The Missouri Times

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:

the allocation of $20 million dollars for a cost-share program, known as Missouri Moves, by the legislature was an important piece of news for a commission looking for money to keep up with an aging transportation network.

Under the cost-share program, local jurisdictions can apply to have their projects sped up by using their own money for the project alongside the $20 million set aside for Missouri Moves. Two-thirds of the money will be used for road and bridge projects, with the rest going towards projects like pedestrian walkways and multi-modal projects.

The cost-share money was only appropriated for a single year, so the Department of Transportation will be moving quickly to accept applications from local entities. The call for projects will open June 15 and go through the end of July, followed by a review process.

While the money was only designated for this year, in a revival of a program stopped several years ago dues to lack of funding, the department said it hoped they hoped the legislature would continue to fund Missouri Moves.

“We hope it is something that is continued in the budget going forward,” said MoDOT director Patrick McKenna during his report to the commission.

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MHTC approves $20 million cost-share program, 1/3 allocated to bike/ped and multimodal - The Missouri Times

MoBikeFed comment: For over a decade we have been working to build allies and statewide support for multi-modal funding for MoDOT.

Currently, by the Missouri Constitution, MoDOT's portion of state fuel tax dollars are dedicated for state roads and bridges only.

This year, the legislature funded the Missouri Moves Cost Share program which is designed to allow MoDOT to help with local projects. The legislative wording that created the new funding--for the first time ever--was specifically written to allow the funding to be used for roads, highways, bridges--and also bike, ped, transit, and other multi-modal transportation projects.

This is a major and very significant victory for transit, bicycling, and walking in Missouri because it is the first time the state has allocated funding in this way.

We are very pleased now that MoDOT has chosen to allocate a full 1/3 of the funding for multimodal and bike/ped projects.

Now we need Missouri cities, counties, and other agencies to step up with excellent projects for this new funding source.