WEST PLAINS, Mo. – A draft 2019-2023 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) that builds on the Missouri Department of Transportation’s long-range transportation plan, financial forecast, asset management plan and the prioritization of project needs at the local level by planning partners was presented this week to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission.

Transportation Planning Director Machelle Watkins told commissioners the draft STIP includes 1,319 projects, which for the most part will maintain the system in the condition it is in today. On average, this STIP annually invests in 586 lane miles of interstate pavements, 1,065 miles of major route pavements, 2,754 miles of minor route pavements and 172 bridges.

Missouri has the nation’s seventh largest state highway system with 33,856 miles of roadways and 10,403 bridges but ranks 46th nationally in revenue per mile.

The STIP details an annual construction program of $900 million per year for the five-year period, up from $850 million in Fiscal Year 2018. But it is still insufficient to meet the state’s unfunded high-priority transportation needs that are estimated in MoDOT’s “Citizen’s Guide to Transportation Funding” at an additional $825 million per year.

“Community input is critically important to the process of prioritizing local needs and putting the STIP together,” MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna said. “The STIP represents our commitment to Missourians of the projects that will be developed and delivered over the next five years.”

The STIP also takes into account commission action from January that increases cost-share funding to $30 million for 2021, $35 million for 2022, $40 million for 2023, and $45 million for 2024 and thereafter. The purpose of the cost-share program is to build partnerships with local entities to pool efforts and resources in order to deliver state highway and bridge projects.

“We know from discussions our districts have been having with our planning partners that there is a healthy appetite out there for locally important projects that can be expedited by this increase in cost-share funding,” Watkins said.

In January, the Commission also updated the distribution method for safety funds. Some $35 million is available each year for safety funding, with $3 million dedicated to statewide initiatives. Beginning in 2021, the remaining $32 million will be distributed to MoDOT’s seven districts based on a three-year average of the number of fatalities and serious injuries on the state highway system. Currently, district safety funds are distributed based on a three-year crash average that includes fatal, injury and property damage-only crashes. Watkins said focusing MoDOT’s efforts on areas with high fatalities and serious injuries is a key strategy for reducing the number of deaths on the Missouri transportation system. That is in keeping with “Missouri’s Blueprint – A Partnership Toward Zero Deaths” which is an ongoing strategic plan to assist in continuing efforts to reduce the number of people killed and injured as the result of motor vehicle crashes on the state’s roadways.

For the second straight year, the draft STIP includes more detailed project information for non-highway modes of transportation than in the past, and also includes a section detailing the planned operations and maintenance activities for the next two years, alongside expenditures for those same activities in the prior year. This additional information is provided to allow Missourians to more easily see how their transportation funding is invested.

The draft 2019-2023 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program lists transportation projects planned by state and regional planning agencies for fiscal years 2019 through 2023 (July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2023). The proposed program is available for public review. Those interested in seeing the program or offering comments can contact MoDOT by email to STIPcomments@modot.mo.gov, by calling customer service at 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636), or by mail to Transportation Planning, Program Comments, P.O. Box 270, Jefferson City, MO 65102. The program is also available on MoDOT’s website, www.modot.org/plansandprojects/construction_program/DRAFT_STIP2019-2023/index.htm, and at MoDOT district and regional offices around the state. The formal comment period ends July 6, 2018.

Following the public review period, the comments will be presented to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission. The Commission will review the comments and the final transportation program before considering it for approval at its July 11 meeting in Springfield.

Also at the meeting, the Commission approved an update of MoDOT’s 2014 Long-Range Transportation Plan. The update took place over the past year in accordance with new federal laws and regulations that require additional content, including safety performance measures and targets.

In the previous effort, four goal areas were established:

• Take care of the transportation system and services we enjoy today;
• Keep all travelers safe, no matter the mode of transportation;
• Invest in projects that spur economic growth and create jobs; and
• Give Missourians better transportation choices.

MoDOT sought public input in fall 2017 to determine if those goals were still valid, or if priorities had changed. Nearly 8,000 people participated in the online survey and submitted about 5,400 comments. Based on that feedback, the four goals above were validated and the updated plan adds a fifth goal:

• Improve reliability and reduce congestion on Missouri’s transportation system.

For the first time, the plan also examines how Missouri should prepare for autonomous and connected vehicles.

– MoDOT Press Release –

OSBORN, Mo. – The Route 33 North intersection at U.S. Route 36 will reopen Thursday.

The intersection was closed May 29 as part of the resurfacing and realignment project in DeKalb County near Osborn. The Missouri Department of Transportation contracted with Herzog Contracting Corporation to realign and resurface the westbound lanes of U.S. Route 36 near the junction with Route 33 North and Route M. In order to safely and efficiently pave the newly aligned westbound lanes and reconstruct the Route 33 North intersection, crews closed access to Route 33 from U.S. Route 36 to all traffic.

Crews were able to complete the work one day earlier than anticipated and the intersection should reopen to all traffic by the end of the day Thursday.

Once the intersection reopens, traffic will be able to access Route 33 North from the westbound lanes of U.S. Route 36 only. Motorists will be restricted to right turns only at the Route 33 North/Route M intersection and access across U.S. Route 36 will remain closed. This traffic pattern will remain in place for the remainder of the project, which should be complete in early July. Throughout the project, U.S. Route 36 will remain open, but reduced to one lane each direction, head to head in the eastbound lanes.

Traffic control, signs and message boards are in place alerting motorists of the closure. All work is weather permitting and could be rescheduled.

For more information on this or other MoDOT projects, call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/northwest.

A late donation to the 14th annual K-JO 105.5 Radio-a-thon helped set a fundraising record.

The 12-hour event on Friday at Sav-On Furniture Mart raised $22,904 for Camp Quality of northwest Missouri. According to KKJO Morning Personality Gregg Lynn who hosts the Radio-a-thon each year, a local business owner contacted him Wednesday to ask how much was raised and what the goal was. Lynn said the goal was $25,000 so the business owner wrote a check for $2,100.

“We are constantly amazed at the generosity of the community here in St. Joseph,” Lynn said. “This money will all stay local to support Camp Quality of northwest Missouri… and will make a huge impact in the lives of these kids.”

Camp Quality is a week-long summer camp for kids who have cancer. It offers a summer camp experience and yearly support for the kids and their families. Each camper is matched with at least one companion for the week who takes care of the camper and makes sure they have everything they need for a great camp experience.

For more information, or to donate, go to kjocares.com.

The City of St. Joseph Health Department Animal Control and Rescue division is seeking public input on a proposed ordinance before it is presented to the members of the City Council.

The ordinance, titled “Unlawful Restraint of a Dog,” has been deemed necessary by Animal Control and Rescue officers’ field observations and statements made by concerned citizens.

As previously reported, several St. Joseph residents spoke at a city council meeting in January to urge council members to consider regulations on tethering pets. The residents voiced concerns about pets being left outside for long periods of time in extreme temperatures without proper shelter, the need for regulation of tethering and enforcement of regulation and the need for animal safety education.

According to a press release from the City of St. Joseph Health Department, the language presented in the survey is exactly as it has been written to be presented to City Council. It has been broken into sections for the public to more easily comment on the document. The survey should take participants 10 to 20 minutes to complete and will be available for public comment through Sunday, July 1.

The survey is available online at surveymonkey.com/r/PublicCommentStJoeDogRestraintOrdinance.

Those who wish to participate, but do not have electronic access can take the survey at the City of St. Joseph Health Department at 904 South 10th Street between 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. or at the Animal Control and Rescue Shelter at 701 Lake Avenue.

Survey responses will be collected and the ordinance reviewed and possibly amended after the public comment period closes. The ordinance will then be submitted to City Council for consideration.

New art pieces are being installed this week in downtown St. Joseph for the 2018 Sculpture Walk.

St. Joseph Allied Arts Council Executive Director Teresa Fankhauser said the sculptures chosen this year were created by artists from California, Washington D.C., New Jersey, Minnesota, Missouri and more.

“This year, we have 15 sculptures, which is a couple less than we had last year, but we only bring in based on what money we have raised to support this, because this is (an) all donor and sponsor based program,” Fankhauser said. “But the 15 we brought in are stellar and some of the biggest pieces that we’ve ever had, so it’s really exciting to see these great big pieces.”

Tyler Kimball is the owner of Monarch Glass Studio in Kansas City. Kimball’s piece, “Glass Towers,” was installed Wednesday afternoon at 9th Street and Francis Street.

“They are based on architecture where these pillars are normally the entryways… (they) kind of exist to prop something up and invite people in with sort of a grander feeling so it’s really nice that these are located here at kind of the entrance of St. Joe’s downtown,” Kimball said. “These were made sort of early on in my studio in Kansas City so it’s kind of the entryway of the process of my studio being built and what can be done with glass installation.”

Kimball said the installation, which includes green and blue glass tube cane, also uses solar panels and light sensors.

“They will come on once dusk hits, so during the day, the natural light of the sun, illuminates these beautiful colors that the glass holds and then, during the night, they illuminate from within,” Kimball said.

The Sculpture Walk begins at 6:15 p.m. on Friday at 8th and Felix Streets.

Brochures are available at various businesses downtown and include a map of where the sculptures are located and a ballot to vote for the People’s Choice Award winner. The sculptures remain in place for a year and voting for the People’s Choice Award closes January 31, 2019.