News and Information from June 2021
A Message from the Executive Director
There were a number of announcements of new and potential legislation for surface transportation and infrastructure in late May and throughout June. Keeping track of the evolving plans can be a daunting task. The American Jobs Plan (original proposal from Biden Administration) has the broadest scope which includes funding for highways & bridges, transit, airports, water, broadband, housing, power & energy, education, child care, small businesses and manufacturing. Then there is the Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan (proposed in June) which would include funding for highways & bridges, transit, rail, airports, water, EVs, energy, broadband, resiliency, superfund sites, and abandoned mines. Working in Senate Committees there is the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021 (STRA-21) as well as the Senate Commerce Surface Transportation Investment Act of 2021 (STIA). In the House chambers is the INVEST in America legislation proposed by the house democrats and the STARTER 2.0 Act proposed by republicans. I provide some additional details into the Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan and the STRA-21 funding plans below, but I found a handy table that helps summarize the evolving pieces of legislation for your sanity (button below).
SEMPO Website Update & Redesign
The final work element of our FY2021 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) was the redesign of the SEMPO website. Some of our original posts dated back to 2013, so not a bad time for a fresh look with updated features and functionality. The new website is now live with the same web address as our previous site: www.southeastmpo.org. The site comes with an updated content management system (CMS) which better accommodates new modules and automation of processes. The local imagery throughout the site was all recently captured by a local photographer SEMPO partnered with for the project. If you haven't had a chance to visit, take a minute and click the link or picture above.
Federal Infrastructure Plan Inches Forward
On June 24th, the President announced that a bipartisan group of senators had reached a compromise on infrastructure legislation to the tune of $1.2 trillion over eight years and roughly $579 billion in new investments for roads, bridges, public transit, broadband internet, electric utilities and other projects. The future of the proposed legislation still weighs in the balance as it will need bipartisan support to get though congress. But here is a quick snapshot of what is included in the current proposal:
o $66 billion in rail projects and $49 billion for public transit
· This includes $7.5 billion investment in charging stations for electric vehicles
· This amount seeks to establish a network of 500,000 EV charging stations
o $109 billion in road and bridge projects
· Which includes $25 billion to upgrade airports and $16 billion for improvements to the nation’s cargo ports and waterways
o $201 billion in water, sewer, power and environmental remediation projects
· $55 billion for water infrastructure
· $21 billion for environmental projects
· $73 billion for power grid improvements
o $65 billion for broadband infrastructure
o $47 billion down payment on “resilience” projects to cope with climate change
Full details on how the package would be paid for remain to be seen, but discussions have revolved around using unspent funds from prior relief packages and revenue from selling off certain oil reserves.
Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act 2021
In late May, the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee unanimously approved a five-year bipartisan reauthorization of the 2015 Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act—the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021 (STRA-21). As you may recall, congress previously approved a one-year extension of the FAST Act which will expire on Sept. 30, 2021. The new bill, STRA-21, is viewed as a vital first step in the reauthorization process. However, there are multiple committees in both chambers yet to act and it remains unclear as to how and when a full reauthorization will be enacted into law. There are many committees that provide input into what the future infrastructure plan will look like. As an example, the Senate Commerce, Banking and Finance Committees have jurisdiction over rail, safety, transit, and funding and finance. Those provisions will be added at a later date... This is how the sausage is made folks.
Some brief highlights on STRA-21:
o Provides $303.5 billion over five years
o Represents a 34 percent increase from the 2015 FAST Act
o Represents a 6 percent increase from the recent one-year reauthorization
o Provides $148 billion for the National Highway Performance Program
o Provides $64.8 billion for the Surface Transportation Block Grant Program
o Provides $13.2 billion for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program
Roadway Fatalities Update
Ashlyn Abate, 5-6 Winner
Roadway Safety Poster Contest Winner
The Southeast District has experienced 54 fatalities on the roadways in 2021 as of June 13. This number is up from 41 fatalities reported from May 23. Of these 54 fatalities, 29 occupants were not buckled and 46 were in rural locations. Statewide, the 2021 total thus far is 407 lives lost. This number surpasses the number of fatalities statewide Missouri has experienced in the years of 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, and 2016 at this time of the year.
Out of View
As much fun as the larger vehicles are to drive, they come with additional safety concerns that are gaining more attention. Consumer Reports is now tracking the ever-increasing size of SUVs and trucks contributing to the historic increase in the number of people struck and killed while walking. A recent Senate Commerce Committee bill, would require the USDOT to examine updating safety standards for hood and bumpers and also consider new tech to prevent injuries and fatalities suffered by "pedestrians, bicyclists, or other vulnerable road users."
MPA In The News
June 15 was a big news day with two major projects in the SEMPO Metropolitan Planning Area (MPA) being featured in the Southeast Missourian. The first was an update on the Center Junction Diverging Diamond Intersection project which remains on track and has a potential completion date of mid-September! The other article featured our SEMO Regional Port Authority loop track and terminal project which is still chugging along and on track to be complete in 2023. Both good articles and news for our area, links below.
Upcoming Items
At our July Transportation Planning Committee (TPC) Meeting we will begin discussions on the formation of a Tier 3 Road & Bridge Unfunded Needs List as well as a Multi-Modal list for MoDOT consideration and future funding scenarios. A draft of both lists will be due to MoDOT August 1st. We will also be performing our final review of the Request For Proposal for the Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan. I will be asking the committee for approval to issue the RFP pending any changes provided. The TPC will also be reviewing Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) Amendment No. 8. which includes new and revised projects for MoDOT and revised projects for CTA. The TIP Amendment is planned to go to the Board on July 21st. I hope to have a recommendation to the SEMPO Board on a selected partner for the Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan in an August/September timeframe.
SEMPO Trivia
In which state was the Transcontinental Railroad completed?
a. Utah
b. Kansas
c. California
d. Arizona
e. Missouri
f. Funding got held up in committee and it was never completed
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.
Why U.S. infrastructure is lagging behind other countries
Quick look at U.S. investments into infrastructure compared to other countries. Currently ranked 13th globally, investing 2.3% of our gross domestic product (GDP) into infrastructure. It's only 3 1/2 minutes, worth a watch.
Transportation Quote
"You are not stuck in traffic. You are traffic."
- 2010 TomTom ad
