Four local transportation projects are moving forward to vie for thousands of dollars in state grants.
The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT)'s Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) is a competitive program awarding funds to projects that focus on connectivity, safety, barriers to access and proximity to activities. The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) Board of Directors agreed to send four proposals forward to the MoDOT Central Region for its consideration.
The four projects were ranked by the CAMPO Technical Committee earlier this month, putting the projects the committee believed had the best chances of winning their request at the top.
The committee's first-ranked proposal was a $494,000 project that would create 1,400 feet of sidewalk along Falcon Lane in Wardsville. The new path would connect school buildings and parking areas to the athletic complex at Blair Oaks' school campus.
The project came with a 20 percent match proposal from the city, tied for the lowest match of the four projects. The potential remedy for traffic issues at the school also contributed to the project's placement at the top of the list.
"This is basically a set of pedestrian improvements to connect some of their school buildings to their athletic fields," Barren said. "During sporting events, they have to close the street down in order to allow people to get from the parking lots."
Second on the list was a 2,700-foot Greenway bridge connecting Riverside Park and St. Louis Road, which would cross over Boggs Creek. The bridge would cost $959,703 with a 48 percent proposed local match.
A planned Rainbow Drive sidewalk project ranked No. 3. The Cole County-led project would handle the construction of 3,000 feet of sidewalk stretching from Hunters Run to Terra Bella near Pioneer Trails Elementary School. The county would be responsible for the match of the $721,000 undertaking, proposing a 31 percent contribution.
A proposal for a 1,765-foot multi-use trail and a 1,170-foot sidewalk was placed at the bottom of the list. The $627,645 paths would wind around a roundabout intersection at Satinwood and Stadium, with the city on tap for a 20 percent match.
The commission approved the ranking during Wednesday's meeting, green-lighting its submission to the MoDOT Central District for its consideration. In addition to the four applications from within CAMPO's jurisdiction, five other applications are set to vie for the funds.
The commission noted this allotment was limited as it comes from leftover funds from the previous round of funding, which doled out funding for several local projects in 2022. A project on South Summit Drive in Holts Summit received around $500,000 last year, as did the Highway 179 bypass trail project. St. Martins was awarded around $498,000, while sidewalks along the Greenway were bolstered by a $222,000 grant.
Barren also noted there would be another full round of funding later this year.
Commission Chairman Ron Fitzwater also recognized outgoing Planning and Protective Services Director Sonny Sanders, who is retiring today. The commission lauded Sanders's contribution to CAMPO and the city as a whole over the course of his tenure.
"Thank you for everything you've done for this city," Fitzwater told Sanders. "I appreciate the guidance you've given me and the rest of the council over the years and the growth you've brought to CAMPO."
The board also heard a presentation on CAMPO's Title 6 program, which ensures its compliance with the 1964 Civil Rights Act's prohibition of discrimination based on national origin or race.
The next CAMPO Board of Directors meeting is set for March 15.