Eeyore– sad and gloomy like MoDOT– will soon cheer up on a bicycle.

A decade ago, MoDOT sent federal money back rather than spend it on bike/ped facilities. MoDOT killed the Complete Streets bill that had gained traction. MoDOT was The Enemy.

As the funding crisis loomed, MoDOT Director Pete Rahn bailed on his sinking ship and the new leadership looked for solutions to his legacy. Seeking allies in every corner, MoDOT suddenly understood the importance of bicycling and walking. I was excited and happy with the new MoDOT. There was a creative energy and a sense of bucking the trends that had gotten us into this mess. As I planned my career change into transportation, I wanted to be part of this changing MoDOT.

With the failure of Amendment 7, MoDOT has lost heart. Despair has replaced the excitement of overcoming challenges. MoDOT’s new mantra is “Save the Highways”, which doesn’t tug the heartstrings like “Save the Whales” or “Save the Rainforests”. There’s no talk at all of multimodal transportation or safety, as if paving a few sidewalks and adding some shoulders would ensure the doom of our precious highways.

MoDOT is once again sending federal dollars back (Transportation Alternatives Program) rather than spend them on bike/ped accommodations.

Our highway system is too big for our pocketbook. Innocent people and corporations will suffer hardship as we adapt to this reality. Last year, the challenge we faced was finding new money. We failed. Today, the challenge is to dramatically change how we operate so as to fit within a severely reduced budget.

It is still a challenge, a challenge that we can face with fear and trepidation or with excitement and adventure.

MoDOT proposes the Missouri 325 System, named for the $325 budget that is short of the $485 million needed to match federal tax dollars. Under the Missouri 325 System, 8000 miles of state highway are primary and 26,000 miles are supplementary. Primary roads will be maintained and repaired, but will receive no new capacity of any sort. Supplementary roads will receive bare minimum maintenance and no major repairs.

I don’t want to be part of this sad and gloomy MoDOT.

Instead, I’d like to see this message from MoDOT:

6000 miles of primary highway will be the safest and best highway we can make it, with adequate shoulders and sidewalks where relevant.
The remaining 28,000 miles will be supplementary and receive bare minimum maintenance and no major repairs.

This is subtly different from the Missouri 325 System message. The majority of roads that could benefit from sidewalks are in the supplementary system, and neither my plan nor the Missouri 325 System plan allows for sidewalks on those streets. In practice, the end result of my plan might be largely indistinguishable from the Missouri 325 System plan.

The difference is one of attitude. Let’s make the best of what we have. I hope that when I graduate next year, I’ll find an excited and energized organization who wants an excited and energetic transportation planner. Maybe MoDOT will have cheered up by then, but if not, there are plenty of cities and states facing funding shortfalls– and change– with courage and pride.

I just learned that MoDOT Director Dave Nichols announced his retirement. This makes me sad as we had developed a good working relationship with him and he was generally supportive of our efforts. I am hopeful that his successor will bring optimism back to MoDOT.