Get "To the Point" with MoDOT Director Kevin Keith

Want to hear about MoDOT’s plans straight from the director? No problem. Just subscribe and listen as MoDOT Director Kevin Keith gets “To the Point” with Community Relations Coordinator Jorma Duran in a brief, weekly interview on what’s happening at your department of transportation.

“To the Point” is a collection of Q&A interviews that cover the hot topics affecting MoDOT, from the new five-year direction to maintenance, construction projects and financing. The podcasts are available at www.modot.org/modotpodcast or on iTunes. An extensive archive of all the previous recordings is also available so you can pick and chose the subjects that interest you most. To get started, look for the “MoDOT Podcast” button in the right hand navigation of the MoDOT homepage at www.modot.org or click on the podcast icon at the top of the page.

Listening to these podcasts is perhaps the easiest way to keep up with MoDOT events. I mean, all you have to do is click the play button. You can listen to the podcasts at home, at work, in your car or online. Whatever time works best for you.

MoDOT wants you to be a part of Missouri’s transportation solutions. There’s no easier way to do that than to sit back and get the scoop straight from the source.

It's Personal

When it comes to transportation, it's personal. Whether we realize it or not, transportation affects the lives of each of us. It's much more than driving or using public transit. It's about your child's soccer shoes ordered online with the expectation of delivery, or the groceries you need to grab on the way home. It's the connections that keep businesses up and running. Transportation not only moves us, it makes the movement of goods and services possible.

It's our connection to work, safety and economic growth.

MoDOT Director Kevin Keith presented the personal side of transportation today at the 2011 Missouri Conference on Transportation. Missouri organizations like the Farm Bureau, State Highway Patrol, Transportation Alliance and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry gathered to discuss meeting the demands of a diverse population, ensuring economic growth and global competitiveness.

Keith pointed out that it really comes down to two choices. Door number one opens to the choice of doing nothing - Missourians lose the transportation gains we've made, such as smooth roads and fewer fatalities than seen in the last 50 years. We watch roads and bridges get worse, and find ourselves with the inability to attract and retain vital businesses.

Or, there's door number two. That door opens to finding a way to invest in infrastructure -- building better roads, and providing literal and figurative bridges to improve our economy.

It's a challenge in today's political and economical environment, but a plan of action is needed.

Which door will you choose?

Missouri Miles

For this month's Missouri Miles, listen to MoDOT's new director Kevin Keith, appointed this month. You'll also learn about a MoDOT employee who walked more than 90 miles to pay tribute to his fallen co-workers and to raise money for a Fallen Workers' Memorial. Get the latest update on MoDOT's five-year direction and how we have worked to cut costs. Finally, don't miss the view of the windfarms. All that and more on this month's edition!

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MoDOT Veteran Named New Director

A familiar face for those acquainted with MoDOT is taking over as director of MoDOT. The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission today tapped Kevin Keith to lead the department. Kevin had been serving as MoDOT's interim director since April. Before that, he was the department's chief engineer for nine years. Altogether, he has been with MoDOT for more than 25 years. Kevin was selected as part of an intense, national search for a new MoDOT director that began in April.

Kevin is known to be innovative, results-oriented and a straight-shooter. He is nationally recognized for his innovative efforts to implement "Practical Design," a no-frills approach enabling MoDOT to satisfy customer needs while saving money to put toward more transportation improvements. Practical Design has saved Missouri taxpayers more than $1 billion and has been adopted in numerous other states.

As he moves forward in his new capacity, Kevin said his top two priorities are to make the best use of the resources MoDOT has available and to have a conversation with Missourians about our transportation needs and how we will fund improvements in the future.

So begins a new chapter in the MoDOT history book.