News and Information from December 2022
A Message from the Executive Director
Happy holidays! I hope you are able to take some time as we wind down the year to be with the ones that mean the most to you. An exciting new year awaits with many new opportunities and planned projects which will enhance our great communities and thriving region. I am looking forward to the new funding programs in the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) as well as the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). As an organization, we submitted a grant application for the Safe Streets and Roads for All program. We should know the outcome of our application in early 2023. New competitive funding will also be coming through the IRA for the Neighborhood Access & Equity Program. I plan to monitor the details of the program closely as the guidelines are being developed and finalized. We also learned that SEMPO will be eligible for Carbon Reduction Program funds in the near future. We will be working with our MoDOT partners as we seek the best and highest use of our allotment. Our Regional Airport is also making highly anticipated progress with the Taxiway Bravo resurfacing and lighting investments and the recent approval of the design-build team for the new terminal construction project. Our new year will see the completion of the former and the commencement of the latter. Needless to say, this will be an exciting year for our communities and I am grateful to be part of this organization that helps play a role in continuing this progress.
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023
Similar to recent fiscal year appropriations, congressional approval of funding for the federal government came very close to the deadline. But, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 has been approved by Congress and the president is poised to sign the bill which will authorize spending levels at every agency in the federal government.
So what's in it for transportation? If you care to thumb through it, the bill itself is over 4,000 pages. Fortunately, I was able to find some CliffsNotes. Click the button below to view a bulleted summary of the funding as it pertains to transportation.
$3.0 Billion in Neighborhood Access and Equity Grants
The Inflation Reduction Act, signed into law on August 16, 2022, included $3 billion in funding to support equity, safety and affordable transportation access to rework roads and infrastructure. The funds will be provided to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for distribution through the Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program. The program will focus on “improving walkability, safety, and affordable transportation access” through equitable transportation planning and infrastructure improvements. The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organization (AMPO), of which SEMPO is a member, recently stated they are working with the FHWA on the development of the program guidelines and the upcoming Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO). The spirit and intent of the funds are similar to the $1 billion dedicated to the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program within the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Local governments, public authorities, metropolitan planning organizations, and several other groups will all be eligible to apply for funding through this program. I'll be sharing more information on this opportunity as further details are released.
Jackson Pedestrian Safety Study
The City of Jackson was awarded a Traffic Engineering Assistance Program (TEAP) grant from the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) for the commission of an East Main Street Corridor Pedestrian Safety Study. The City will be working with Lochmueller Group to study the pedestrian facilities along Main Street from West Jackson Boulevard to High Street and make recommendations for improvements to provide pedestrians a safer means to travel along and across Main Street.
Deliverables of the study are to include:
- Initial Planning, Data Collections and Base Map Creation
- Traffic Counts and Field Observations
- Safety Analysis and Development of Countermeasures
- Preparation of the Concept Plan, Estimates and Final Report
The Traffic Engineering Assistance Program (TEAP) is a federally funded program that allows local public agencies (LPAs) to receive engineering assistance for studies pertaining to traffic engineering problems on public roads that are not a part of the state system.
Over $1.5 Million in Federal Funds Headed SEMPO's Way!
SEMPO member entities don't just let plans sit on shelves. This month, the SEMPO Board approved a Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Amendment for the inclusion of four Transportation Alternative Program (TAP) grant projects for Cape Girardeau County, the City of Jackson, and the City of Cape Girardeau. TAP is administered by MoDOT and awards federal funds for local construction projects for on-road and off-road trail or sidewalk facilities for pedestrians, bicyclists, and other non-motorized forms of transportation.
The four TAP projects awarded federal funds located within the SEMPO planning area include:
- Cape Girardeau County: Cape County Park Walk Trail – Phase I – Construction of trail in Cape County Park North from Veterans Memorial to Melania’s Playground area
- City of Jackson: East Main Street Trail Connection – Bellevue Street to Shawnee Blvd.
- City of Cape Girardeau: Cape Rock Drive Sidewalk Project Phase I – Kingshighway to Brookwood Drive
- City of Cape Girardeau: Cape Rock Drive Sidewalk Project Phase II –Brookwood Drive to Perryville Road
These selected projects were identified and highlighted in the 2018 SEMPO Regional Bicycle & Pedestrian Plan as high priority pedestrian infrastructure projects for our region.
CGI Airport Terminal Project
The above image is a conceptual rendering provided by Burns & McDonnell Engineering and Wellner Architects and not the final design direction.
On December 5th, the Cape Girardeau City Council accepted a recommendation to select KCI Construction, Inc. to serve as the Design-Build team for the construction of a new passenger terminal building at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport. The City Council's actions were preceded by the Airport Advisory Board's 9-0 vote on November 8th to support the Evaluation Committee recommendation of KCI Construction, Inc.
The Cape Girardeau Regional Airport's current passenger terminal building was constructed in 1953 is no longer functional as a commercial airline terminal and restricts the airport's ability to grow. The new terminal is proposed to be a 20,000 square foot facility adjacent to existing terminal building. The anticipated cost of the project is $12,000,000 and will be funded by the City's Capital Improvement Sales Tax ($4 million) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Development Funds ($8 million). Construction of the new terminal is expected to begin in 2023 with a completion deadline of June 2024.
FY2023 RAISE Grant Program
The U.S. Department of Transportation has published a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for $1.5 billion in grant funding through the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) discretionary grant program for 2023. The program helps communities around the country carry out projects with significant local or regional impact. RAISE discretionary grants help project sponsors at the State and local levels, including municipalities, Tribal governments, counties, and others complete critical freight and passenger transportation infrastructure projects. The eligibility requirements of RAISE allow project sponsors to obtain funding for projects that are harder to support through other U.S. DOT grant programs.
The application deadline is February 28, 2023 with anticipated selection announcements on June 28, 2023. Click the links below to learn how to apply for the grant funds and download a copy of the NOFO.
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 Southeast District has experienced 141 fatalities on the roadways in 2022 as of December 25. This number is higher than the 131 fatalities which occurred in 2021 at this time. Statewide, we have experienced 1,010 fatalities, which is more than what we experienced in 2021 where 1,007 fatalities were recorded, 2020 (971), 2019 (871), 2018 (906), and 2017 (913) at this point in the year. Of these statewide fatalities, 59% of the occupants were not buckled.
SEMPO Trivia
In what year was the very first driver in the US cited for speeding while driving an automobile?
a. 1899
b. 1902
c. 1916
d. 1860
e. The year you received your license
Airport Codes Explained
In case you plan to do some aviation travel in the near future, here is a breakdown of airport codes as provided by the IATA and FAA. Something interesting I learned, I have a 9 year old son with the initials WPM. I always thought they sounded like a radio call sign, so I nicknamed him WPMintheAM. But I didn't realize all radio call signs generally start with either a "K" or "W" and the "K" stations are located west of the Mississippi River and stations with "W" are east of the river, with some exceptions... They didn't ask me which letter should be used west of the Mississippi.
Transportation Quote
“Then I traveled through the seven levels of the Candy Cane forest, past the sea of twirly-swirly gum drops, and then I walked through the Lincoln Tunnel.”
– Buddy the Elf
