Play Nice!

Remember the game Red Rover? You know, when two teams would form on the playground and one team would call out, “Red Rover, Red Rover, send Wanda on over!” and Wanda would take off running, trying to choose a point where she thought she could break through the line of hand-holding opponents.

If you wanted your team to win, you never tried to run between Greg and Eric. It’s not that they were mean. It was because even by third-grade standards, those guys were big. There’s no way you’d take them on if you wanted to avoid a bruise.

I think of Greg and Eric when I drive my car near a commercial truck. Like them, truck drivers are mostly gentle giants. Still, I will always choose to respect that size and adapt my driving strategy so I’m more visible to the driver and less likely to cause them any concern.

That’s the point of Operation Safe Driver Week – October 16-22 – drivers of big trucks and passenger vehicles respecting each other, paying attention and avoiding unsafe behavior that could result in a crash.

And Eric, if you are still driving that gas tanker, just put on the blinker and come on over. Just like back then, I’m not going to try and stop you!

On the Rise

River Runner Ridership is on the Rise - say it five times fast!

More and more customers are choosing to use Amtrak's Missouri River Runner for their travels. Service is up 8.5 percent in September compared to September 2010, and their on-time performance rate is at 90 percent.

Amtrak chose St. Louis to celebrate another milestone. Yesterday, they honored a St. Louis customer with a 30-day pass on Amtrak's service to celebrate the 30 million passengers that have chosen Amtrak in FY2011.

So, have you chosen the Missouri River Runner lately? Tell us about your trip!

Filling the Beast

You can now go behind the scenes via YouTube or an online streaming video feed and watch as crews work to fill the “Beast,” a large scour hole on U.S. Highway 136 in Atchison County. At 480 feet long and 65 feet deep, the Beast is longer than the Statue of Liberty at 305 feet tall, longer than a football field at 360 feet, but not quite as big as the St. Louis Arch which is 630 feet tall. 

This is the second project to restore access on U.S. Highway 136. It includes filling the last and largest of four gaps in the pavement. The three other gaps were filled during a previous project. All four areas will receive temporary pavement to make the surface drivable this winter. The target completion for this project is Nov. 28, with permanent paving installed next spring.

The Northwest Missouri Flooding Information page, www.modot.org/northwest/flooding.htm, provides weekly flooding updates for Northwest Missouri, the latest news releases, links for detours and the MoDOT traveler information map, as well as photos and videos.

Taking Extra Steps

104 miles. That is the distance a MoDOT employee and his wife will walk on the Katy Trail from St. Charles to Jefferson City for five days. They are making this journey to raise money towards the construction of a Fallen Workers Memorial in Jefferson City.

MoDOT Weldon Spring Maintenance Crew Leader Jim Feeney, and his wife, Theo, left this morning from St. Charles. The walk will end on Tuesday, Oct. 11, in Jefferson City.

The memorial will honor MoDOT employees who have been killed in the line of duty. It will be totally funded by private donations.

Anyone wishing to make a contribution to the memorial fund can make a check payable to State Highway & Transportation Employees Association of Missouri and mail it to: Fallen Workers Memorial, Attn: Dave B. Taylor, 3929 East 7th St., Joplin, Mo., 64801.

Me Want Smog!

Nom, nom, nom ... this concrete doesn't care much for cookies, but can't resist a nice batch of smog.
MoDOT and contractor Fred Weber Inc., will test a new type of concrete on a section of Route 141 in St. Louis this month.

A new additive which breaks down smog will be added to the stretch. The additive absorbs smog, uses sunlight to break it down and releases it as nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

Stay tuned for the result!

Bolder Direction

MoDOT’s plan to reduce staffing, facilities and equipment has resulted in $177 million being redirected to critical road and bridge projects in Missouri.  As of Sept. 30, the department had eliminated 667 staff positions, closed 23 facilities and disposed of 245 pieces of equipment under its Bolder Five-Year Direction.

Those moves have allowed the department to save $177 million. More than $64 million of that money has been used to improve the state’s rural roads.

As part of the plan, MoDOT has strategically placed engineers throughout the state to serve as community contacts for their respective areas. Find them here:

Are You Walking Yet?

Today is International Walk to School Day. It's a great opportunity to reflect how you can incorporate more exercise into the day for your family, as well as how you can reduce congestion around schools and help your community's environment. 

If you missed walking or bicycling this morning, don't give up! October is Walk to School Month, so there's still plenty of time to celebrate. Need an extra incentive besides the gorgeous fall weather? The Missouri Bicycle and Pedestrian Federation has included a Walk/Bike to School Savings Calculator on their blog to help you determine the money your choices can save. 

To join others in the fun, visit www.walktoschool.org to find an event specific to your community.
So what are you waiting for? Hit the road (or sidewalk).

Weigh In

Roads & Bridges magazine is asking a question on their most recent poll that is likely to provoke some strong feelings:

Should truck drivers have shorter hours and on-time duty? FMCSA says yes, and Washington says no.

What's your take? Visit www.roadsbridges.com to weigh in.

Fall Color Update

As the weather cools, it looks like Missourians are in for some beautiful fall drives.

The Missouri Department of Conservation has put out a report on the color you can expect to see in your area. Those of you in the Ozark area are in for a special treat this season.

So where will you head? What are your favorite fall drives in Missouri? No matter where you travel, be sure to stay alert, buckle up and Arrive Alive.

Hungry Bugs

They are tiny, tireless, hungry, and environmentally friendly – except to one invasive weed.

           They’re called seedhead weevils, and the Missouri departments of Transportation and Conservation, along with the University of Missouri – Extension, are using them to help control Missouri's newest noxious weed – spotted knapweed.  The weevils, Larinus minutus and Larinus obtusus or "Larrys" as some researchers like to call them, are small, flying, dark brown or gray bugs with a long snout.  They can spread throughout a knapweed patch in a few years. 

           "Knapweed infestations occur in poor soils along rock cuts and steep slopes, and the weed produces an herbicide within its roots that kills nearby plants," explained MoDOT Roadside Manager Chris Shulse. 

           This noxious weed resembles the garden flower called bachelor’s buttons. Although pretty, if knapweed is not controlled, it can spread onto private lawns and pastures, where it significantly reduces the available forage. Knapweed is hard to eliminate with herbicides alone because it grows in difficult to reach areas, often extending beyond the roadside onto private property. 

MoDOT began to release the weevils on roadsides in southern Missouri in 2008 and in northeast Missouri in 2009. They are typically released in July when knapweed is in bloom so the females can lay eggs on the flowers. When the eggs hatch, the larvae go to work, eating the flower and seeds, reducing the plant’s ability to reproduce. A single larva can eat every seed in a flower.

A second knapweed-controlling weevil, the root-boring Cyphocleonus achates, or “Cy” is larger and doesn’t fly well. Its color helps it blend into rocky ground. These insects are released in August, when females lay eggs on young knapweed plants. The larvae burrow into the roots, causing the plant to die within a few years. Researchers documented reductions as high as 99 percent in knapweed patches where “Cy” took up residence.

           In addition to the 2009 release, MoDOT introduced the hungry bugs to infested areas last month.

“Although it will take a few years for the weevil populations to increase enough to make a difference, our tiny partners will no doubt play an important role in suppressing knapweed,” Shulse said.

MoDOT Minute

Your MoDOT Minute for this week discusses repairs to damaged roads in Northwest Missouri due to flooding, as well as results from the The HEAT Is On campaign:

The Three E's

Engineering ...
Enforcement ...
Education ...

These three things are used successfully by the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety to keep traffic fatality levels at a level not seen since 1950. Today, the Governor's Highway Safety Association recognized MoDOT as a leader in that success.

MoDOT received the Peter K. O'Rourke Special Achievement Award for spearheading the safety coalition that has realized a decrease in traffic fatalities and disabling injuries for the past five years. Traffic fatalities in Missouri have decreased by 35 percent since 2005 and the trend continues downward. To date in 2011, traffic fatalities are down by 11 percent.

For more information on how MoDOT has worked to improve highway safety in Missouri, visit www.savemolives.com.

Car Seat Check Saturday

It's National Car Seat Check Saturday! Check www.savemolives.com today for a list of where you can have your car seat checked by a certified technician.

Three out of four seats are not installed correctly -- make sure the seat carrying your most precious cargo is not one of them.

Flood of 2011

The Flood of 2011 has been like nothing any other Missouri River states have ever experienced.  Unlike other historic floods which rose and fell within weeks, this time the water flowed continuously over -- and in many cases under -- the Northwest and Kansas City Area Districts' highways for months. Entire sections of shoulder, pavement and foundation washed away in some areas.

Now, we're working to get flooded routes open as quickly and safely as possible by the end of 2011.

One of the first big steps began Wednesday with the start of emergency contract repairs in Atchison County on Route 136. This is the first of a two-phase project that will be necessary to restore access completely across Route 136 where four large gaps exist. Three of the gaps should be fixed by October 15. The fourth gap is a 600-foot scour hole, but damages cannot be assessed until waters recede.


"We are committed to doing everything possible to get these roads opened as quickly and safely as possible for Missourians," said Don Wichern, MoDOT's Northwest District engineer. "In some areas we are still waiting for waters to recede, but we are spending every available minute planning how to repair and reopen these roads so we can all move forward."

Would you let your child ride on the top of your car? Not likely. And yet so many parents allow children to ride inside a car without being safely buckled -- and many of them may not even know it.

Three out of four car seats are installed incorrectly. How confident are you about yours?

This week is National Child Passenger Safety Week. It's a perfect time to take a moment and get your seat checked. Find a technician near you in Missouri.

Or, visit one of the events held this Saturday for Car Seat Check Saturday.

Taking a few moments to make sure your seat is installed correctly could be life-saving for your most precious cargo.

Can You Do Better?

Hey high school students! Check out this video working to convince teens to buckle up. It won last year's Battle of the Belt Challenge.

Think you can do better? Show us! Sign up today for the Battle of the Belt Challenge for this fall and put your cinematic skills to work.  Who knows? There's more than prizes at stake -- if your video convinces a friend to buckle up, you may save a life.

Make it click by clicking here!

Sept. 11-17 is National Truck Driver Appreciation Week

Look around. Really. Turn away from the screen for a minute and look around the room.

Chances are, the vast majority of items you see were hauled by truck at some point. Flooring, concrete, mail, paint, furniture, light bulbs, clothing, chairs, pens and snacks – it sat behind a truck driver.

Truckers drive 400 billion miles a year in the United States. Most of the time, you never notice them. That’s actually the goal. If you don’t notice them, it’s because the driver is operating safely and courteously.

If you are lucky enough to know a professional driver, ask them about the challenges and joys of the job. There are plenty of both. And no one spins a story quite like a truck driver.

So if you have the chance this week, wave or smile to thank the truck drivers you see. Everyone likes acknowledgement for good work.

Safest Driving Cities

Springfield, Mo., is one of the safest cities in the nation for drivers.

The Allstate Insurance Company released their 7th annual Allstate America's Best Drivers Report. It ranks the nation's 200 largest cities in terms of car collision frequency to identify which cities have the safest drivers.

Springfield ranks seventh, with the average driver going 12 years without collisions.

Springfield has completed several major projects that help keep traffic moving smoothly. The nation's first diverging diamond interchange opened in 2009, with a second opening in July 2010. The award-winning, innovative design helps relieve congestion in a tight area, keeping drivers safer.

This week, Springfield opened the first six-lane highway in southern Missouri on Route 65. The project added a lane in each direction in the median, with a 7-foot-wide median shoulder and a concrete barrier separating the northbound and southbound sides. These improvements will keep traffic moving and motorists even safer.

Based on your travels in the state, which city would you say had the best or worst drivers?

Are We There Yet?

A recent survey of Missouri motorists shows that more Missourians are buckling up - that's great news!

But are we where we need to be?

The national average for seat belt use is 85 percent -- even with the recent three-percent jump in Missouri, we're still at 79 percent.  How comfortable are we to know that 21 percent of motorists in our state face ejection from their vehicle if a traffic crash occurs?

Some vehicle types stand out when looking at seat belt use. For example, pickup truck drivers are among the worst with only 66 percent buckling up. Considering those rockin' trucks also have an affinity to roll, that makes quite a bumpy ride (or flight) for that unrestrained driver.

MoDOT continues to support the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety to support seat belt use and work to make sure everyone makes it click when they hit the road. A primary seat belt law would likely raise our percentage and save lives - 32 states already have this.

In the meantime, make sure you and your passengers are buckled every trip, every time. Learn more about seat belt safety in Missouri at www.savemolives.com.

New and Improved

On Friday, children, families and teachers in Bevier celebrated a safer walk to school.

Through the Safe Routes to School program, the City of Bevier was able to construct needed sidewalks to keep students from walking in the street to get to school. This is a tremendous improvement in safety for these students.

The purpose of the Safe Routes to School program is to enable and encourage more children to walk and bike to school across Missouri. Why is this important? Besides reduced traffic around schools and a healthier lifestyle for the children, the students list one more important reason: it's fun!

Learn more about how Safe Routes to School can get your community moving!

Walking to school can be fun for both students and families!

Bevier now has a safer, more appealing way to get to school.