News and Information from November 2021

A Message from the Executive Director

“Forever on Thanksgiving Day, the heart will find the pathway home.” ‒ Wilbur D. Nesbit.

It is the month to be grateful, and during November, we saw a number of things transpire that can be added to the list. The bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was signed into law which will bring about significant funding for transportation investments into Missouri. The bill is expected to give Missouri $6.5 billion for roads, up to $99 million for electric vehicle charging stations, $100 million for broadband internet infrastructure and $674 million to improve public transportation. Some of these investments will materialize rather quickly as they are dedicated to existing programs while others will take some time to roll out due to a need to establish programs and administrative procedures. SEMPO members should keep an eye on this legislation and be prepared to take advantage of opportunities as they become available. 

Infrastructure Legislation

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) was passed in the House on November 5 and signed into law by the president on November 15. The $1.2 trillion total funding over 10 years includes $550 billion in new spending over the next 5 years.  In terms of new spending, the law authorizes:

• $110 billion for construction, repair, and research for roads and bridges
• $66 billion to upgrade and maintain the country's passenger and freight rail systems
• $65 billion to update power lines, prevent hacking of the power grid, and provide clean energy
• $65 billion to expand broadband in rural areas and in low-income communities
• $55 billion for lead pipe replacement, chemical cleanup, and clean drinking water in tribal communities
• $50+ billion to protect infrastructure from cybersecurity attacks and address flooding, wildfires, coastal erosion, other extreme weather events
• $39 billion to upgrade public transit, create new bus routes, and increase accessibility for seniors and the disabled
• $25 billion for upgrades and expansions of U.S. airports, control towers, and control systems
• $21 billion to clean up superfund and brownfield sites, abandoned mines, and old oil and gas wells
• $17 billion for port infrastructure and truck emissions at ports
• $11 billion to address highway, pedestrian, pipeline, and other safety areas
• $8 billion for western water infrastructure including mitigating drought conditions
• $7.5 billion for a nationwide network of electric vehicle charging stations
• $7.5 billion for electric school buses, primarily in low-income, rural, and tribal communities

Unfunded Needs - Public Meeting Announcement

Statewide, MoDOT is hosting Public Meetings to review the Unfunded Needs within our communities. On December 2, 2021, MoDOT staff will be hosting a Public Meeting at the Osage Centre from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm to review the needs list for the Southeast District.  

Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan

We are underway! On November 18, our EV Readiness Plan Steering Committee held a kickoff session with Olsson to discuss the project details. I'm the bald one in the blue sweatshirt above. During our meeting we discussed stakeholder engagement, project timeline, community assessments, policy analysis, and funding options. The project is expected to near completion in September 2022, however, recognizing federal funds may become available prior to this milestone certain components of the plan may be prioritized so they are available for our community needs. 

A brief outline of the project approach is as follows:

• Stakeholder Outreach
• Assessment
  • Local Government
  • Regional
  • Power Grid
  • External Conditions – manufacturing, national power grid, environmental regulations
  • Industry Status
  • Best Practices
  • Equity Analysis 
• Identification of Needed Infrastructure
• Identification of Needed Services
• Needed Policies and Programs
• Strategies & Recommendations
• Funding Guidance
• Implementation Plan

Roadway Fatalities Update

The Southeast District has experienced 116 fatalities on the roadways in 2021 as of November 14. This number is up from 103 fatalities reported from October 17. Of these 103 fatalities, 58 occupants were not buckled and 102 were in rural locations. Statewide fatalities are up almost 3% from 2020. In 2021 we have seen 891 lives lost on our roadways compared to a previous record high of 866 in 2020. 

AMPO Spotlight

The Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (AMPO) highlighted SEMPO in the month of November. The national association drew attention to SEMPO's EV Readiness Plan project on social media and posited to its members "If they too were becoming EV ready". I also met with AMPO staff in November to learn more about their membership services. I'll spare you all the details and just say they will be a great resource for us going forward. 

SEMPO Trivia

In 1915, which United States city had the first stop sign installed? Fun fact, before they were red, they were yellow. 

a. Salem, MA
b. Dayton, OH
c. Detroit, MI
d. Pittsburgh, PA
e. Fairbanks, AK
f. St. Louis, MO

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.

Supply Chain Challenges

Cheryl Ball, MoDOT Waterways and Freight Administrator, recently participated in a Transportation Research Board (TRB) webinar on the current supply chain situation. The video below is a recording of the presentation. As Cheryl stated, the presenters did a great job of explaining with data how this supply chain crisis occurred, starting three years ago. She also shared that Missouri will likely see a surge in containers as the Class 1 railroads increase movements to empty the backlog at the costal ports. "We have an opportunity as the industry shifts to keeping more inventory in regional locations to provide that space with our integrated freight transportation system."

Transportation Quote

“As a national transportation hub, Missouri is among the states that will benefit the most from the targeted investments in this bipartisan infrastructure bill. The bill authorizes more than $8 billion to help our state improve the safety and reliability of our roads and highways. It includes much-needed funding for ports and waterways. And, it focuses resources toward ending the digital divide that has left nearly one-third of rural Missourians without access to broadband.”

– Senator Roy Blunt