News and Information from October 2023
A Message from the Executive Director
I believe the calm before the storm has come to an end and folks will begin to see the work we have planned for the fiscal year come rolling in as we enter the later fall and winter months. Our Comprehensive Safety Action Plan is under contract and work has commenced. Our Trail Connection Study has a draft RFP in the final works and will be released in the near future. We have a consultant on board to assist with our two planned intersection studies and we are scheduling meetings in the month of November with the stakeholders involved. Finally, we have seven interactive web maps developed for the SEMPO website ready for publication within the next week or so. Suffice it to say, it is the best of times and the busiest of times. I would like to personally thank everyone who is serving on our policy board, committees, and subcommittees who are assisting us in accomplishing everything we have set out to complete this year.
Happy Halloween everyone! I hope you have a Safe and enjoyable evening with all the kids, candy, and planned events! My goal is to survive the cold as I parade Gabby Cat, a SWAT Team member, and a teenager who would rather be practicing driving door-to-door in search of the best candy.
Roadway Safety Action Plan
During the Technical Planning Committee meeting held on October 4th, we convened our Comprehensive Safety Action Plan project kick-off meeting in collaboration with our consulting partner, the Lochmueller Group. Leading the project from the Lochmueller Group was Cheryl Sharp, accompanied by Assistant Project Manager Peter Williams, Scott Meyer, and the KLG Engineering team members, Kelly Green and Marla Mills. The team deliberated on the technical prerequisites for the Safety Action Plan and gathered additional objectives that the committee aimed to achieve through the plan. Our initial efforts will concentrate on assembling a Plan Development Advisory Committee, comprising representatives from local jurisdictions and agencies within the SEMPO planning area. In the very near future, we anticipate establishing a Work Plan Timeline for the study, as well as a Plan Development strategy. Once established, the Plan Development Advisory Committee will convene virtually on a monthly basis to assess the plan's progress and provide guidance for future development.
2023 Regional Trail Connection Study
Progress has also been made on our Trail Connection Study as we held our first meeting with our subcommittee for the project in early October. The group expressed a desire to issue a Request for Proposals to solicit a desired partnering firm to assist with the study. A draft RFP has been provided to the subcommittee members and will be finalized in early November. Our goal for the project is to identify trail connections which will provide pedestrian access to community destinations within the SEMPO planning area.
Intersection Analysis
As some what of a pilot project this fiscal year, SEMPO allocated funds to commission up to two intersection studies to be conducted. These intersections are located at Rte. 621 & Perryville Road and Rte. D (Independence Street) adjacent to the Jackson Middle School between Broadridge and Rosebud and then south on Broadridge to the Middle School Entrance south of Lewis Drive. Our Technical Planning Committee designated an advisory committee to assist with the development of the studies. The advisory committee's first task was to evaluate and rank their preferred consultant to assist with the project from our General Service Agreement consultant list. After the evaluation process, the group selected CBB Transportation Engineers + Planners to assist with the project. CBB is currently scheduling meetings with stakeholders from the Jackson School District, City of Jackson, MoDOT and SEMPO staff for the Rte. D project and the City of Cape, the Special Road District, Cape County, MoDOT, and SEMPO staff for the 621 & Perryville Road study. Meetings are anticipated to be held in the final weeks of November.
Interactive Map Development
Seven maps have been developed thus far and will be placed on our website in the very near future. The first tranche of maps includes CTA routes, pedestrian accommodations, roadway classifications, electric utility providers, zoned land use, and MPO and RPC boundaries. We are working to set up a landing page on the SEMPO website to host the individual maps so they are easy to find and navigate. If you have ideas for maps you would like to see, please reach out to me and we can get working on them!
CGI Topping Out Ceremony
SEMPO member entity, the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport will be hosting a Topping Out Ceremony for the planned new terminal building on November 3rd, at 11:00 am. Come join us and have an opportunity to sign the beam!
National Pedestrian Safety Month
October is designated as National Pedestrian Safety Month, and the reason for dedicating an entire month to this cause is the ongoing safety concerns on our roadways. The United States consistently ranks as having the most hazardous road conditions for pedestrians among developed nations. In 2021, more than 7,300 people walking lost their lives to traffic violence. This represents a massive 12.4 percent increase over 2020. While it's crucial to raise awareness about pedestrian safety during this month, Smart Growth America posits the necessity is for the federal government to implement measures that will genuinely enhance pedestrian safety on our streets. The button below will take you to an article I read earlier this month where they outline some of the steps they believe need to be taken to enhance the safety on our roads.
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 111 fatalities on the roadways in 2023 as of October 22. This number is lower than the 144 fatalities which occurred in 2022 at this time. Statewide, we have experienced 811 fatalities, which represents a 30.33% reduction in fatalities than experienced in 2022 where 1,057 fatalities were recorded, 2021 (1,016 fatalities) or 25.28% reduction, 2020 (987 fatalities) or 21.70% reduction, 2019 (881fatalities) or 8.63% reduction, and 2018 (921 fatalities) or 13.56% reduction at this point in the year.
SEMPO Trivia
Where was the first city-wide Halloween celebration in the United States?
a. Anoka, Minnesota
b. Baton Rouge, Louisiana
c. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
d. Cleveland, Ohio
e. Manhattan, Kansas
f. Huntsville, Alabama
Halloween Safety Tips
Quick morning show video highlighting some last minute Halloween safety tips as those brave enough to navigate the ghouls and goblins head out this evening.
Transportation Quote
“Don't plan it all. Let life surprise you a little.”
— Julia Alvarez, American poet and novelist
