News and Information from April 2021

A Message from the Executive Director

April was a landmark month for our smaller yet herculean organization! I say both of those adjectives proudly because of our general size compared to other Metropolitan Planning Organizations yet our undeniable importance to the southeast Missouri region. We are a regional hub for communities in our area serving many vital needs for commerce, health care, education, and recreation; with our mission of enhancing all modes of transportation being a catalyst to these successes. On April 21st, our SEMPO Board approved the 2021 - 2045 Metropolitan Transportation Plan which serves as a 20+ year visioning for all of the transportation modes within our communities. I would personally like to thank and show appreciation to the members of our Board of Directors and Transportation Planning Committee for providing the guidance and direction in the formulation of the plan! Shout out to KLG Engineering and Lochmueller Group for making this happen as well! Since it is Friday, I will continue to enjoy the victory lap of the plan approval. But with this visioning we established (corny Marvel comic quote coming) comes great responsibility. I know, I heard it too... I have two young boys and super heroes on repeat in my house. But the sentiment remains the same. I see this as not only a roadmap for our future but as marching orders for me to help this visioning into reality. I hope you are as excited as I am to see what we are able to accomplish!

Missouri Motor Fuel Tax Proposal

Having passed the Senate in March, Missouri Senate Bill 262 currently resides in the House chamber. In April, the House Speaker assigned the bill to the Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee where it was passed by a committee vote of 13-0 in favor of the bill. The bill still needs to go through the House Rules Committee before it may be introduced to the House floor. Officials involved in the process are optimistic about the bill and cite reasonable favorability in the House. One of the main challenges the bill now faces is the limited House floor time left with May 14th being the last day of session. 

Roadway Fatalities Update

The Southeast District has experienced 28 fatalities on the roadways in 2021 so far. This number is up from 19 fatalities reported from March. Of these 28 fatalities 20 occupants were not buckled. Statewide, the 2021 total is 188 lives lost. This number surpasses the number of fatalities statewide Missouri has experienced in 2020 and 2019, yet slightly lower than what was experienced in 2016 - 2018. 

The Governors Highway Safety Association (GHSA) issued a national report on teen crashes. The analysis found from 2015 to 2019, teen drivers and passengers (16-19 years of age) accounted for a greater proportion of speeding-related fatalities (43%) than all other age groups (30%). During this five-year period, 4,930 teen drivers and passengers died in speeding-related crashes. Between 2015 and 2019 Missouri had 374 teen fatalities. Of those fatalities, 227 of the 374 were contributed to speed,  placing Missouri 4th in the nation in this category. 

RAISE Grant Program

The US Department of Transportation held an informational webinar on how to compete for RAISE Grants, or Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity...so we'll stick with RAISE.  The Cape Girardeau-Jackson Urbanized Area qualifies as a Rural Area where grants are eligible for a Federal cost share up to 100%. Details about the $1 Billion Fiscal Year 2021 program may be found by clicking the button below.

National Work Zone Awareness Week

You may have noticed more people wearing orange both working roadside as well in  the general public in recognition of National Work Zone Awareness Week, April 26 - 30. The annual spring campaign is held at the start of construction season and encourages safe driving through highway work zones. The key message is for drivers to use extra caution in work zones. The established goals for the program are:

·         Initiate efforts to raise awareness of the need for more caution when driving through work zones to decrease fatalities and injuries;

·         Establish and promote a uniform set of safety tips;

·         The value of training and importance of best practices in regard to work zone safety would be promoted among individuals in the private sector, industry, and roadway workers;

·         Reach out to both roadway workers and contractors to communicate possible effects of motorists’ behavior in response to traffic delays, and advise on what steps might possibly be taken to lessen negative behavior; and

·         Outreach efforts would be made to work with entities involved with work zone safety and to form partnerships.

So please do your part and stay alert in work zone areas, and feel free to put on your best Floyd suit to help raise awareness. 

Pedestrian & Bicyclist Safety

Apropos to May being National Bike Month, staff attended an instructional seminar for developing a Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety Action Plan (PBSAP) hosted by the FHWA Office of Safety. The presenters had more acronyms in their titles than I believe is afforded in the English alphabet so I knew they were well qualified to speak on the legitimate safety concerns facing non-motorized travelers. There was a lot of good information shared in the presentation slides, which can be downloaded by clicking the button below. One of the main takeaways from the presentation was the importance of thinking about non-motorized travelers throughout the planning process of new and reconstruction projects. As a planning agency, we certainly need to play a large role in developing safety plans for roadway users, but our challenge becomes exacerbated when the roadway design never contemplated for the safety of non-motorized travelers... Cue the Mr. Barricade video:

2020 TAP Grant Program

Pedestrian intersection improvements have been awarded to N. Kingshighway and Maria Louise Lane and North Cape Rock Drive. The approx. $400,000 project consists of the installation of cross walks, sidewalks, and pedestrian signals. This intersection has been the topic of discussion and concern in SEMPO meetings which was heightened in December 2019 when an extremely unfortunate pedestrian involved accident occurred that resulted in severe injury to the pedestrian attempting to cross this intersection. This is a much needed and desired safety enhancement to this intersection serving the Arena Park, Cape Girardeau Municipal Court/Police Headquarters, local businesses and religious center.

SEMPO Trivia

The first bikes were called...? For clarification, before the Bicycle, there was?

a. Two wheelie pusher
b. Velocipedes
c. Bi-wheeler
d. Unicycle 2.0
e. Centrifuge directional machines

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.

12 Tips for Safe Cycling

#6 is my favorite but all are admittedly good.

Transportation Tweet

Transportation Quote

"It is the same with people as it is with riding a bike. Only when moving can one comfortably maintain one’s balance."

 - Albert Einstein