News and Information from June 2023
A Message from the Executive Director
There is a lot to get to so let's get started. July 1st begins our 2024 Fiscal Year, and we have an extensive lineup of projects planned. Below, I'll provide a brief overview of these initiatives. If you have questions or if any of the upcoming projects pique your interest, please don't hesitate to contact me. This year, we will again be actively seeking substantial community feedback and input, so your participation will be highly appreciated and warmly welcomed.
Roadway Safety Action Plan
First things first, let's start the SEMPO fiscal year off by making our regions' roadways safer for all users. As a transportation planning agency, this remains a perennial goal that we continuously pursue. However, in the upcoming FY24 work plan, we have the opportunity to augment our efforts thanks to supplementary grant funds. SEMPO secured a competitive grant from the USDOT Safe Streets and Roads for All program, resulting in an additional allocation of $160,000. These funds will be utilized to develop a Comprehensive Safety Action Plan, aimed at mitigating fatalities and severe injuries on our roadways. You will be hearing much more about this initiative in the coming months. But I can report SEMPO's grant agreement has been finalized with the Federal Highway Administration and we have received the Notice to Proceed with our project. Our next step will be to solicit professional services to assist us in the development of this plan. Click the links below to learn more about the SS4A program and Safety Action Plan structure.
2023 Regional Trail Connection Study
We may be a smaller Metropolitan Planning Organization, when compared nationally, but we like to compete in higher weight classes. Due to available planning funds and staff resources, SEMPO normally schedules one large flagship planning initiative for the year coupled with smaller planning projects aimed at advancing our established goals for the region. This year, we plan to tackle two large scale projects and some pretty exciting smaller projects as well. And who doesn't like trails!!? Building off of our 2018 Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan, we have programmed funds to assist in the development of a SEMPO Region Trail Connection Study. When complete, the planning initiative will leave our communities well positioned to pursue construction grant opportunities at the state and federal level. Which trail connections would you like to see in the SEMPO region? Stay engaged with us and be a part of the process!
Intersection Analysis
You can probably think of an intersection or two that could use another look from transportation designers. We can too. Which is why we have programmed funds to analyze up to two intersections within our region for further study. The final work product will be a report complete with recommendations to implement enhanced safety and traffic flow designs. Above is one example our Planning Committee has discussed. We will be seeking the guidance from our SEMPO members as to which intersections they would like to focus on first, with the potential for additional studies to be conducted in future planning years.
Interactive Map Development
If you've visited our website, you might have noticed something peculiar for a transportation planning agency site—there are little to no interactive maps! We acknowledge this discrepancy, and this year, we have allocated additional funds to enhance the availability of public-facing maps for our communities. To accomplish this, we have partnered with the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission, who will aid us in creating maps that will be beneficial to visitors of the SEMPO website (southeastmpo.org). Is there a specific map you would like us to include? Feel free to share your suggestions!
Origin & Destination Analytical Tool
We have had the opportunity to test drive some remarkable analytical tools available in the market that offer travel pattern analysis for any given region. As we undertake two extensive transportation planning studies this year, our goal is to ensure that the planning documents are comprehensive, providing useful information on origins and destinations. This will enable us to understand which locations generate the highest volumes of travel and where individuals are coming from. Moreover, this analysis extends beyond vehicular traffic, as modern software can now capture pedestrian and bicycle travel patterns as well. As part of our efforts to enhance our planning endeavors and improve our work outputs, we plan to invest in a one-year subscription to an origin and destination analytical tool.
TIP Web Tool Upgrade
While our Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) offers valuable information and details on federally funded and regionally significant projects scheduled over a four-year period, our current TIP web tool lacks sufficient functionality. We plan to fix that. Web-based TIP tools have made remarkable progress since our initial collaboration on building the SEMPO site. This year, we will be seeking proposals from TIP tool providers and ultimately selecting a web-based service that will greatly enhance functionality and user-friendliness, significantly improving your experience and ability to find pertinent information.
USDOT Streamlined Application Process for MPDG
The U.S. Department of Transportation is accepting applications for funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The available funding amounts to $5.575 billion and supports three major discretionary grant programs focused on improving transportation infrastructure. These programs aim to strengthen supply chains, stimulate economic development, and enhance safety and quality of life. The funding opportunity, called the Multimodal Project Discretionary Grant (MPDG), consolidates the application process for these grants. The funding breakdown includes $1.8 billion for the National Infrastructure Project Assistance (Mega) Program, $3.1 billion for the Infrastructure for Rebuilding America (INFRA) Program, and $675 million for the Rural Surface Transportation Grant (Rural) Program. These grants target projects of regional or national significance, encompassing various modes of transportation. Previous funding rounds have supported projects across the country, creating jobs, improving mobility, and enhancing safety. Additional details and the list of past awarded projects are available for reference on the USDOT website via the button below.
AMPO NOFO Tracker
The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) has released a very helpful Notice of Opportunity Funding (NOFO) grant tracking web tool. The tracker allows you to sort by transportation agency, program, transportation category, program status, and much more. Take it for a spin, if it's helpful, you're welcome!
MoDOT Draft STIP
The Draft version of the 2024-2028 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) was presented to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission (MHTC) on June 7th. The button below is a link to the Draft STIP landing page. The public comment period began June 7th and will last through July 6th. The final STIP will be presented at the MHTC meeting on July 12th. The final 2024-2028 STIP will be available after the July Commission meeting via MoDOT's website.
SEMPO 2024 - 2027 TIP Approved
One June 21, 2023 the SEMPO Board of Directors hosted a Public Hearing and subsequently approved the 2024 - 2027 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP serves as an effective management tool for organizing metropolitan transportation projects. It encompasses a program and schedule of planned transportation enhancements or ongoing activities spanning a four-year timeframe. The TIP is formulated as part of the local planning process to secure Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds. Additionally, the document incorporates regionally significant transportation projects, regardless of their reliance on federal financing and serves as a practical instrument for implementing the 20-Year Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP).
2023 Meeting Schedule
I don't know if everyone knows this, but all SEMPO meetings are open to the public and we encourage anyone interested to come join us! The SEMPO Board meets every third Wednesday of the month at 2:00 pm and the Technical Planning Committee meets every first Wednesday of the month at 11:00 am. Meetings are normally held at the Osage Centre, 1625 N Kingshighway, Cape Girardeau, unless otherwise noted.
Roadway Fatalities Update
The 2023 calendar year has continued to deviate from the devastating trend of increased fatalities on our roadways from year-to-year. The Southeast District has experienced 56 fatalities on the roadways in 2023 as of June 25. This number is lower than the 65 fatalities which occurred in 2022 at this time. Statewide, we have experienced 394 fatalities, which represents a 10.25% reduction in fatalities than experienced in 2022 where 439 fatalities were recorded, 2021 (458 fatalities) or 13.97% reduction, 2020 (421 fatalities) or 6.41% reduction, 2019 (365 fatalities) or 7.94% reduction, and 2018 (415 fatalities) or 5.06% reduction at this point in the year. Of these statewide fatalities, 62% of the occupants were not buckled.
SEMPO Trivia
In which year did Alexander Winton invent the first semi-truck in Cleveland, Ohio?
a. 1899
b. 1902
c. 1910
d. 1923
e. 1930
f. 1932
Top Ten Craziest Intersections
There are some wild ones here, including the Gravelly Hill Interchange in Birmingham, England, locally known as Spaghetti Junction. I'm assuming it wasn't given this nickname due to its ease of navigation.
Transportation Quote
“We want transportation as reliable as running water.”
— Travis Kalanick (former CEO of Uber)
