Public invited to give feedback on MoDOT's Unfunded Needs List - including many pedestrian, bicycle, trails, and public transit projects - in upcoming meetings round Missouri

Since the proposals to increase Missouri's fuel tax and federal transportation funding have been under discussion, MoDOT has been working with its local districts and representatives from the states Regional Planning Commissions and Metropolitan Planning Organizations - representing every county and city across the state - to determine the priorities for spending that funding.

MoDOT is programming just over billion in port, airport, bicycle, pedestrian, and trails projects - the most the agency has ever programmed for multimodal transportation projects.

Because of the advocacy work MoBikeFed and like-minded organizations across the state have been engaged in over the past couple of decades, MoDOT has now incorporated pedestrian, bicycle, trails, and public transportation projects directly into these funding discussions from the start.  This includes individual bike, ped, trail,  and public transit projects that might receive funding as a separate project, but also bicycle, pedestrian, and public transportation features that may be included as part of another, larger project.

Every rural Regional Planning Commission and every Metropolitan Planning Organization has been honing its priority list of projects, waiting for the day funding for them might be available.

Today is that day!  And now MoDOT is bringing that prioritized list of projects to the public to ask for their feedback.  This is your chance to let MoDOT know your own priorities for bicycling, walking, trails, and public transportation projects in your own part of the state.  What have they got right and what is missing?

• Full list of proposed projects here - including about $4.7 billion in road and bridge projects, $626 million in statewide projects (including funding the Missouri River Runner Amtrak route and reconstruction of I-70 between Kansas City & St Louis), and 1.0 billion in multimodal projects - including ports, airports, bicycle, pedestrian, trails, and public transportation projects.
   
• If you cannot make any of the meetings (below), an online public comment form is here.
   
• Questions to ask - points to make in your message or when you attend meetings:
  • Find out details about any bicycle, pedestrian, trails, transit, road, or bridge projects in your area
     
  • Are road and bridge projects including needed bicycle & pedestrian elements? If not, why not?
     
  • What is missing?  What other bicycle/pedestrian/trails projects are needed in your area but not on this list?
     
  • MoDOT is programming over $1 billion for port, airport, public transit, bicycle, pedestrian, and trails projects - the most the agency has ever programmed.  (Similar proposals have been made inthe past - but then the funding sources for those proposed projects lists never materialized.  This is the first such list for which the funding has become available - meaning that the projects will actually be built.)
    • This is the single most substantial investment MoDOT has made in multi-modal projects ever.
       
    • This follows through on the promises MoDOT has made, starting with its 2013 Long Range Plan, to "Give Missourians better transportation choices" and "Keep all travelers safe, no matter the mode of transportation".  These goals have continued as two of the (now) five major MoDOT goals.
       
    • Please thank MoDOT staff for including these goals and following through with them over the past decade.
       
• Upcoming public meetings throughout Missouri where this priority list will be discussed and open for feedback:

MoDOT's announcement of the upcoming round of public meetings:

MoDOT

Missouri’s transportation system is a tremendous asset including 33,825 miles of roads and 10,387 bridges. The system ranks among the largest for any state in the nation. The Missouri Department of Transportation working with its statewide regional planning partners has identified $1 billion in annual unfunded needs. From the broader unfunded needs, MoDOT has developed a High Priority Unfunded Needs list to guide the development of projects into funded projects as state and federal transportation funds increase.

Public meetings will be held across the state from Nov. 28 through Dec. 7. The full list of the meeting dates, time and locations are here: https://www.modot.org/unfundedneeds.  

MoDOT staff have worked with metropolitan planning organizations and regional planning commissions throughout the state to develop a list of high priority unfunded road and bridge needs.  The draft project-specific lists include $4.7 billion in road and bridge project needs in three tiers. Tier one includes $528 million and includes project needs we could accomplish in the time of the current five-year STIP as federal and state funding levels increase.  These projects have more refined estimates.  Tier two is worth $2 billion and includes project needs beyond the current STIP timeframe with broader estimates.  Tier three includes $2.2 billion of project needs also beyond the current STIP timeframe with broader estimates.  In addition, DOT staff worked with the planning partners to identify $1 billion in multimodal needs.

“Even with additional revenue, transportation needs greatly outweigh funding available, and we are working through the challenges of increasing project costs due to higher inflation,” said MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna. “Across every region of the state, feedback from Missourians has consistently prioritized maintaining the existing system as the highest priority. Other priorities include projects that improve safety, spur economic growth, and provide more transportation choices. We appreciate Missourians input in this new draft as we work to prioritize projects that provide the greatest value to taxpayers.”

The draft document and comment forms will be available online through December 21.  For more information, call MoDOT at 888-ASK-MODOT (275-6636) or visit www.modot.org. To receive the latest statewide news and text alerts, signup for e-updates.

Working to build citizen support for statewide bicycle, pedestrian, and trail funding, planning, and policy, and keeping people across Missouri informed about opportunity for public comment on important projects is one way MoBikeFed helps build a world-class bicycle and pedestrian network across Missouri, improve safety for all road users, encourage more people to walk and bicycle more often, and build a statewide movement in support of bicycling and walking in Missouri.

And those are exactly the four major goals of MoBikeFed's Vision for Bicycling and Walking in Missouri. 

Your ongoing membership and generous financial support helps turn our Vision into reality.  Thank you!

Image credits:

#1. MoDOT

#2.Waiting for MoDOT by Zaskem on FlickR