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New Website Documents State of Transportation in Missouri
Now MoDOT web visitors have a one-stop location for keeping up with Missouri's 325 System.
The 325 Report focuses on updates to Missouri's road and bridge conditions and any developments in efforts to find additional funding.
"This website gives engaged citizens a one-stop location for learning about how MoDOT will maintain Missouri's transportation system as funding levels drop," said Roberta Broeker, MoDOT's chief financial officer.
 Located at www.modot.org/325report, the website features videos, profiles of MoDOT employees, features on engaged citizens, the Commission publication View from the Chair, and a variety of supporting materials to keep visitors informed on the condition of Missouri's roads and bridges and possible solutions for the funding shortfall. Faced with dramatically reduced funding and a construction budget of $325 million, Missouri will not be able to match federal transportation funds beginning in 2017. In February, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission adopted "Missouri's 325 System," a plan to focus MoDOT's limited resources by dividing Missouri's highways into primary and supplementary routes.
Primary routes include approximately 8,000 miles of Missouri roads that could be maintained in the condition they are in today. Supplementary routes, the approximately 26,000 miles remaining, would receive limited, routine maintenance. The condition of supplementary routes will continue to degrade over time, and, in some cases, additional roads and bridges may have to be closed.
"These will be ongoing concerns over the next few years," Broeker said. "While the funding discussion moves forward with our citizens and legislators, the needs of the system continue to grow."
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One-Lane Bridge Lengthens Travel Time for Northeast Farmers
Billy Porter, a grain farmer in Lewistown, Mo., has been farming his whole life, many of those years with his father. About 10 years ago Billy started working on his own.
"We've seen ups and downs in the business, but we enjoy it," he said.
During peak season Billy drives MO 16 from Lewistown to the Canton elevator as many as 10 to 20 times each day. This 10-mile trek includes a small bridge over the North Fabius River that was reduced to one lane last fall. This closure adds time to hauling grain and time is a major factor in the bottom line.
"MoDOT put up temporary signals because of the location of the bridge, the sight distance just isn't that good," Billy said. "I'm concerned the bridge might be closed permanently in the future because of its condition. This would cause both me and my dad each an additional 40 miles a day in travel time just to get grain to the elevator," he explained.
The bridge over the North Fabius River is one of two bridges on MO 16 that had a change in condition status last fall. Another bridge, about two miles farther west over the Middle Fabius River, was load posted with a restriction of 15 mph for trucks over 21 tons. A total of six bridges in northeast Missouri had a significant change in condition last year, and two more were closed indefinitely.
Billy's story is just one of many today and many more to come, as Missouri faces insufficient funding for transportation.
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| "In Recycling We Trust" Wins Contest |
Missouri public, private and home-school students in grades K-8 participated in the fight against litter in the Show-Me State with the annual "Yes You CAN Make Missouri Litter-Free" trash can decorating contest, sponsored by the Missouri departments of Conservation and Transportation.
Students from Marj Locker's seventh grade art class at Southwest Livingston Elementary School in Ludlow won the sixth to eighth grade category and the 2015 Grand Prize with their entry, "In Recycling We Trust."
The annual trash can contest encourages school classes and groups to join in the fight against litter by decorating and displaying a large trash can with the "No MOre Trash!" logo and a litter-prevention message using a variety of creative media.
The 14 students created a trash can featuring Ernie the Eagle made with real feathers, papier-mâché, acrylic paint, and construction paper. The front of Ernie the Eagle has red, white and blue letters that say "In Recycling We Trust." The No More Trash! logo is on the back as tail feathers. The white feathers on the head are turkey feathers and the wings are made out of goose feathers from geese hunted in season by one of the students. The portal for trash is a flap in the back of the head that lifts.
See images and information on all entries online - Contest.
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Emergency Response Operators Take Part in Escort of 9/11 "Never Forget" Mobile Exhibit
Usually you see them on the side of the road helping a stranded motorist or working alongside other emergency responders during a traffic incident, but today the Kansas City Emergency Response Operators will take part of the escort of the traveling 9/11 Never Forget Mobile Exhibit.
 The exhibit arrives at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 30 at The View-Community Center, 13500 Byars Road in Grandview, Missouri.
In addition to the Emergency Response Operators, the exhibit will be escorted by the Grandview Police & Fire Department, Patriot Guard Riders, Legion Riders and Gail's Harley Davidson motorcycle group.
The exhibit features remnants of the World Trade Center, video documentaries and audio of radio transmissions from emergency responders to the attack. In addition, two New York City Fire Department battalion chiefs will staff the exhibit, offering tours and answering questions. Click here to learn more about the exhibit and its visit to Grandview, Mo.
The Kansas City Emergency Response Operations team is a service of MoDOT Kansas City and KC Scout. For more information, visit http://www.kcscout.net/ and click on Incident Management.
Kansas City Scout is Kansas City's bi-state traffic management system, designed to lessen traffic jams by improving rush-hour speeds, increasing safety by decreasing the number of rush-hour accidents and improving emergency response to traffic situations by clearing incidents quickly and safely. Scout manages traffic on more than 160 miles of continuous freeways in the greater Kansas City metropolitan area.
Learn more about KC Scout at http://www.kcscout.net/ Follow KC Scout on twitter at twitter.com/kansascityscout, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/KansasCityScout.
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Missouri Airport Managers Present First Friend of Aviation Award
to State Senator Mike Kehoe
Missouri State Senator Mike Kehoe was presented the first ever Friend of Aviation Award during a recent banquet at the Spring Conference of the Missouri Airport Managers Association (MAMA) at the Lodge of the Four Seasons, Lake Ozark, Missouri.
Senator Kehoe's accomplishments include being appointed to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission in 2005 and serving as Chair in 2009. He was elected in 2010 to the Missouri Senate representing the 6th District, now covering the counties of Cole, Gasconade, Maries, Miller, Moniteau, Morgan and Osage. He is a strong advocate for transportation serving on the Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committees, and on the Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight. Senator Kehoe is also active on several civic, military veteran, and charitable efforts.
Read the full article - Aviation Award.
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May is Motorcycle Awareness Month
Campaign aims to increase motorcycle safety awareness for all road users.
It's springtime in Missouri and everyone wants to be outdoors, and motorcyclists everywhere are eager to hit the road. Riders will be polishing that chrome and tuning those engines for weekend rides, rallies and runs. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety wants to remind motorists and motorcyclists alike to "Watch for Motorcycles" in order to help prevent motorcycle crashes, deaths and injuries on Missouri's roadways.
 "Motorcyclists have the same rights and privileges as any other drivers on the roadway," said Bill Whitfield, executive committee chair of the coalition. "However, drivers of cars and trucks often don't see motorcycles until the last second, or sometimes not at all."
In 2014, 87 motorcyclists were killed in traffic crashes on Missouri roadways. By following a few basic safety rules, we can all help prevent crashes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration offers the following tips to drivers on how to prevent a fatal crash with a motorcycle:
- Allow the motorcycle the full width of a lane at all times.
- Always signal when changing lanes or merging with traffic.
- Check all mirrors and blind spots for motorcycles before changing lanes or merging with traffic, especially at intersections.
- Never drive distracted or impaired.
Read more, including precautions motorcyclists can take to remain safe on the road - Motorcycle Awareness.
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One Moment Can Define You.
Youth alcohol awareness campaign encourages smart choices.
Today's youth are full of hopes and dreams for their futures. Many have plans to be tomorrow's musicians, writers and athletes. However, one bad choice of getting behind the wheel after drinking could make them a killer. Their lives and the lives of others would be changed forever.
 In the last three years, there were 54 fatal crashes and 174 disabling injury crashes involving an impaired driver under the age of 21. As a result of a young person making the wrong choice, 64 people died and 257 were seriously injured in these crashes.
Law enforcement will be on the lookout for underage impaired driving May 1-12 with a high visibility enforcement campaign. Timing of the campaign will coincide with statewide prom and graduation dates, which are often when teens and young adults consume alcohol.
"This is a very impactful campaign," said Bill Whitfield, chair of the executive committee of the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety. "The thought of becoming anything you want to be can be instantly overshadowed by the consequences of one moment, one bad decision to drink and drive."
Missouri has a Zero Tolerance Law. If you are under 21, your license will be suspended if you're caught driving with even a trace of alcohol in your system. Consequences of drunk driving include jail time, the loss of driver licenses, or being sentenced to use ignition interlocks. Other financial hits include higher insurance rates, attorney fees, and court costs. In the worst cases, the underage driver becomes a killer.
Please remember that a seatbelt is your best defense in any traffic crash. Buckle up and Arrive Alive. For more information, please visit www.saveMOlives.com, or Facebook and Twitter at Save MO Lives.
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Deficient, Congested Roadways Costs a Total Of $4.5 Billion Statewide. Costs Will Rise And Transportation Woes Will Worsen Without Increased Funding
Eds.: The report includes regional pavement condition, congestion and highway safety data, and cost breakdowns for Jefferson City, Kansas City, Springfield and St. Louis.
 Roads and bridges that are deficient, congested or lack desirable safety features cost Missouri motorists a total of $4.5 billion statewide annually due to higher vehicle operating costs, traffic crashes and congestion-related delays. Increased investment in transportation improvements at the local, state and federal levels could relieve traffic congestion, improve road and bridge conditions, boost safety, and support long-term economic growth in Missouri, according to a new report released today by TRIP, a Washington, DC based national transportation organization.
The TRIP report,
"Missouri Transportation by the Numbers: Meeting the State's Need for Safe and Efficient Mobility,"
finds that throughout Missouri, 22 percent of major locally and state-maintained roads are in poor condition. Twenty-three percent of Missouri's bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The state's major urban roads are becoming increasingly congested, with drivers wasting significant amounts of time and fuel each year. And, more than 4,000 people were killed in crashes on the state's roads in the last five years.
Driving on deficient roads comes with a cost to all Missourians in the form of extra vehicle operating costs (VOC) as a result of driving on roads in need of repair, lost time and fuel due to congestion-related delays, and the cost of traffic crashes in which roadway features likely were a contributing factor. The TRIP report calculated the cost to motorists of insufficient roads in Jefferson City, Kansas City, Springfield and St. Louis. A breakdown of the costs per motorist in each area along with a statewide total is below.
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Location
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VOC |
Safety |
Congestion |
TOTAL |
| Jefferson City |
$685 |
$221 |
$410 |
$1,316 |
| Kansas City |
$545 |
$198 |
$584 |
$1,327 |
| Springfield |
$455 |
$244 |
$435 |
$1,134 |
| St. Louis |
$596 |
$229 |
$686 |
$1,511 |
| Missouri-Statewide |
$1.7 Billion |
$1.3 Billion |
$1.5 Billion |
$4.5 Billion |
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Centennial Commemorative Book on Transportation Available for Purchase
On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the American Association of Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO), this book captures the essence of America's transportation history since 1914. It provides snapshots, milestones, stories, and photographs that catalogue the events, advancements, decisions, people, and partnerships that shaped and influenced this century of transportation achievement. It is a pretty amazing story.
Transportation is at the core of American life. It has influenced the geography and economy of the country. The availability of transportation from waterways to railroads to highways and airports has defined where and how population centers grew, business and industry developed, and people stayed connected with each other. America's transportation system evolved to meet the expanding mobility needs of an increasingly widespread population -- buses, trains, airplanes, rapid transit, highways, higher-speed railroads, and more. Slowly, roads began to catch up with the itch to keep moving.
Visit the website for details on purchasing ($26 non-members or $20 for members) - Commemorative Book.
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Missouri Dept. of Transportation | (888) 275-6636
P.O. Box 270 Jefferson City, MO 65102-0270
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