You might not think you have a dog in the fight when it comes to our state's Long Range Transportation Plan.
The Missouri Department of Transportation builds and maintains the highways and you drive on them when you need to get from Point A to Point B. Simple as that, right?
However, it's not as simple as that. The long-range vision being developed by the department will affect everything from safety priorities to the state's focus on different modes of transportation.
"Our long range planning process is a critical time for our department to assess the needs of our system and hear directly from our customers - the citizens of Missouri - to ensure our priorities match the needs of our people," MoDOT Director Patrick McKenna said in a news release.
Now is your chance to have a say in the long-range plan.
Missouri's current plan was approved in February 2014, but new federal laws and regulations require additional content, including safety performance measures and targets, the department said.
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 the fall 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 of improving 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.
We urge Missourians to take an active role in planning for the future of our transportation. You can view the draft plan at www.modot.org/LRTP/, or at any MoDOT district office.
To comment on the plan, email [email protected]. Additional questions about the survey and the long range planning process can be addressed by calling 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636), or by mail to Transportation Planning, P.O. Box 270, Jefferson City, MO, 65102. The formal comment period ends May 4.