News and Information from May 2021

A Message from the Executive Director

Another month bites the dust, well almost. If you are reading this then you haven't quite started your Memorial Day weekend. I hope you are able to enjoy the time and remain safe. Since you haven't left yet, let me provide a quick update. This month the SEMPO Board approved our Fiscal Year 2022 Unified Planning Work Program. Our flagship project for the year will be the development of an Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan, which many feel is timely given the anticipated future investments into EV infrastructure. I have a draft RFP ready for our TPC to review at our meeting in June so we can hit the ground running as we start our new fiscal year in July. Some other projects for the year include updating our Public Transit Human Services Transportation Coordination Plan as well as our Title VI Program, issuing new General Service Contracts to interested firms, ongoing Transportation Improvement Plan maintenance and management, and MTP maintenance to name a few. One item I am excited to share with you in the near future will be our updated website. We are in the development process now with a goal of going live by the end of June. Our local photographer was also able to capture some rather opulent images we will be able to brandish our site with as well. More to come on this hopefully soon. 

One final note: There will be an Open House to bid Kelly Green goodbye as she starts her next adventure to Greenville, SC . Please feel free to stop bye the KLG Engineering Office at 17 A S. Spanish Street on Thursday, June 10 from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Missouri Motor Fuel Tax Proposal

The proposed Missouri Senate Bill 262 passed the Missouri House by a vote of 104 - 52 on May 11. The bill will raise Missouri's 17-cent-a-gallon gas tax, which is among the lowest in the nation, by 2.5 cents a year, starting Oct. 1, until the tax hits 29.5 cents per gallon in July 2025. That would make Missouri's rate closer to the national average for states according to data found on the American Petroleum Institute website for gas taxes. Under the bill's provisions, drivers could get a refund if they save their gas receipts and submit them to the state. This is a provision which was modeled after one in South Carolina. The measure also would increase electric vehicle fees by 20% annually for five years, with fees varying by the size of the vehicles. The bill is estimated to provide about $500 million more each year to the Missouri Department of Transportation for roads and bridges.

Roadway Fatalities Update

The Southeast District has experienced 41 fatalities on the roadways in 2021 as of May 23. This number is up from 28 fatalities reported from April 18. Of these 41 fatalities, 25 occupants were not buckled and 36 were in rural locations. Statewide, the 2021 total is 321 lives lost. This number surpasses the number of fatalities statewide Missouri has experienced in 2020, 2019, and 2018 yet slightly lower than what was experienced in 2017. 

Buckle Up Phone Down

The Missouri Department of Transportation has made available Buckle Up Phone Down (BUPD) starter kits on their website where you can learn more about their national campaign emphasizing the responsibility of each driver to protect themselves and improve the landscape of roadway safety for their loved ones. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, more than 36,500 people were killed in traffic crashes in 2018 in the United States with most of these crashes being preventable. Take a look at the BUPD website and consider joining the movement to enhance safety and raise awareness. 

Draft STIP

At our May SEMPO Board meeting MoDOT officials highlighted the projects currently in the Draft 2022 - 2026 Statewide Transportation Improvement Plan (STIP) for the Cape Girardeau - Jackson urbanized area. The draft document is now on MoDOT's website available for viewing and public comment through June 4, 2021. 

STEP Training

Did you know pedestrian fatalities have been on the rise since 2009 and attributed to 17% of the roadway fatalities in 2018. What is more alarming, 72% of the pedestrian fatalities occur at non-intersection locations while only roughly 27% of pedestrian fatalities occur at intersections. These statistics have professionals seeking out new and innovative ways to enhance pedestrian safety on our roadways. In May, SEMPO staff attended a Safe Transportation for Every Pedestrian (STEP) training hosted by the Federal Highway Administration. The training highlighted Pedestrian Hybrid Beacons (or PHB's as you will hear the engineers refer to them). I'll admit I had never heard of them and certainly do not think I had come across them before. But they have been implemented as of late to provide mid-block crossings to pedestrians where heavy foot traffic exists yet the distance to the next pedestrian friendly intersection is too great. Click on the button below to learn more and view the presentation materials. 

State Freight & Rail Plan

MoDOT is currently updating its Freight and Rail Plan. Given Missouri’s central national location and abundance of transportation resources available, a combined Freight and Rail Plan identifies strategies for the transportation network to operate harmoniously across all modes. Missouri’s Rail Plan was last updated in 2012 and the State Freight Plan was updated in 2017. MoDOT is currently assessing the needs of the freight and rail system in Missouri. This will to continue through the Spring with a draft of the plan coming this Summer. A final plan is expected to be brought in the Fall of 2021. 

SEMPO Trivia

Why do some cargo trucks have quilt-patterned rear doors?

a. Manufacturing costs are lower
b. Reduce glare
c. Added strength and reinforcement
d. Aesthetically pleasing
e. Truckers like diamonds

Be the first one to respond to my email (amcelroy@cityofcape.org) with the correct answer and I'll bring the drink of your choice to our next meeting.

How Tesla’s Battery Mastermind Is Tackling EV's Biggest Problem

Interesting look into the efforts to recycle the critical materials inside lithium-ion batteries. 

Transportation Tweet

Transportation Quote

"An advanced city is not one where even the poor use cars, but rather one where even the rich use public transport."

 - Enrique Penalosa