A Big Start to Spring

With the arrival of spring comes the beginning of the MoDOT construction season, and for the Safe & Sound Bridge Improvement Program, every week of good weather is spawning more and more bridge projects.

Last year, 121 bridges across the state were improved. Three more have already reopened in 2010. There will be more than 200 projects this year as MoDOT's design-build contractor -- KTU Constructors -- makes its first big foray into the field. KTU plans to build 150 new bridges this year, while MoDOT manages another 50 rehabilitation projects. By the end of 2013, 802 of Missouri's poorest bridges will have been repaired or replaced.

MoDOT's contract with KTU requires that they average 45-day closures for the 554 bridge replacements they are delivering. That's twice as fast as the normal pace for a bridge project! KTU built four new bridges in the fall to test their design and construction strategies that will bring speed to the program.

Over the winter, KTU was busy establishing regional offices in Lee's Summit, Bethany, Chillicothe, Sedalia and Benton -- nearby the areas where much of this year's work will take place. They completed bridge designs and put packages of bridges out for bid with Missouri sub-contractors who will perform much of the work. They also have suppliers busy fabricating pre-cast beams that will be used in this year's projects.

To help motorists stay abreast of the construction schedule and to navigate around these projects, MoDOT has created an interactive Web map that includes suggested detour routes, project details and schedule information -- http://safeandsoundmap.modot.mo.gov/sas.htm.

The color-coded map shows bridges that are under construction, those that have been completed, those that are to begin with three months, those that are to start in the next year, and those that are scheduled for construction in 2011-12-13.

All Aboard!

Amtrak Rider Karen French has seen a noticeable improvement in her Amtrak ride. While in the past she found herself always late to meetings because of late train arrivals, she has now been reaching her destination on time.

"The train is really an advantage for me, and by being on schedule is great," said French.

Since November 2009, and for the first time in history, Amtrak and MoDOT can announce 100 percent on-time performances for Missouri River Runner trains connecting Kansas City and St. Louis. This has been made possible due to rail improvements made just west of California, Mo.

Check out the video “Amtrak on Time”  below or on MoDOT’s YouTube site to visit with passengers and long-time Amtrak users who have seen instant benefits, and learn about how ridership has dramatically increased with the positive changes.

All Aboard!

MoDOT Brings News and Traffic Info Front and Center

We have some new and exciting features on our homepage.

For starters, you'll see links to real-time traffic sites including Gateway Guide, Kansas City Scout and Ozarks Traffic. Similar links will spring up as we add cameras and content to other parts of the state. These sites give drivers current info on traffic speeds, incident reports and road conditions so they can better manage their drive times.

We’ve also put a sharper focus on news items. While we had a little box off to the right that linked to press releases, we now have a bigger presence front and center of the home page. Visitors will also be able to watch videos and listen to audio files related to news items.

Let us know what you think and how we can continue to get important Missouri transportation news to you!

When You Hear the Click

Under Missouri’s Graduated Drivers License Law, seat belt use is required for young drivers. Unfortunately 40 percent of Missouri teens still don’t buckle up. Starting today and continuing through the end of the month, law enforcement will issue tickets to unbuckled drivers.

So why aren’t teens buckling up? A Southern Boone High School student says, “I just don't see it as the most important thing. I think there are other things you can do to avoid a crash.” Do you think the 304 teens killed in traffic crashes over the past three years thought the same thing?

Wearing a seat belt isn’t going to help you prevent a crash. It will, however, greatly increase your odds of surviving a crash. One in four Missouri traffic crashes involves a young driver, and seven out of 10 teens killed in traffic crashes are unbuckled.

Wear your seat belt every time you get in your car. It doesn’t matter if you’re going across town or to another state. It is one of the easiest ways you can protect yourself. Don’t wait until you are in a crash to realize it’s too late. Buckle up and Arrive Alive.

Moving down the Missouri River... Again!

Six thousand tons of fertilizer on top of four barges began its Missouri River trek from St. Louis to Brunswick, Mo. on Thursday morning. In previous years, especially over the past eight, most who would hear or read this news would probably say that can't be true. Well, believe it!

Since 2002, drought and low water levels basically shut down shipping on the Missouri River corridor -- in fact, river traffic became almost non-existent because water levels were so low. Well, for the start of the 2010, water levels are back up! Thanks to healthier water levels, this large 6,000-ton load of fertilizer is signifying the start of what many hope will be a very prosperous waterway shipping year.

Moving freight on the Missouri River provides many advantages compared to moving freight in other modes. The most immediate include cost savings and reducing the amount of carbon dioxide emissions. For example, it costs .72 cents per ton, per mile, on a barge to ship commodities or products -- compared to more than 26 cents per ton, per mile, for semi-truck trailers to move freight.

One barge full of freight on the Missouri River roughly equals the same amount of cargo found inside 70 semi-truck trailers. That's an impressive amount of gas and emissions saved.

I would say it's a great early start to the Missouri River shipping season when you can move so much cargo with just one waterway shipment. Hopefully many more will follow.

MoDOT's Five Year Direction

The following text is today's script of Director Pete Rahn's weekly podcast. It carries an especially important message regarding a new direction for MoDOT as we face severe funding challenges ahead. You may also listen here. A video of Rahn's full presentation to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission is also available on MoDOT's Web site at http://www.modot.org/.

Over the past five years, MoDOT has made great strides improving Missouri’s transportation system and rebuilding trust with the people we serve. Now, 86 percent of our major roads are in good condition. Overall satisfaction with MoDOT is at 85 percent and 89 percent of Missourians trust us to do what we say we will do.

However, over the next five years, we are faced with a great challenge. Our construction program is declining due to stagnant state revenues, uncertain federal funding, rising costs from employee benefits and no more money coming from Amendment 3 mandated bonds.

Our plan for the next five years is to focus on keeping our existing transportation system in good shape rather than building new highways, bridges and other facilities. We are also committed to meeting all commitments made in the five-year Statewide Transportation Improvement Program.

It won’t be easy and it will require MoDOT to make tough decisions. By reducing the size of our workforce and changing the way we do business we will save more than $200 million over the next five years. Internally, that will mean an immediate hiring freeze on most positions that become vacant, reducing the number of offices and buildings we own and reducing administrative costs.

There also will be reductions that are more visible to you. Mowing and litter pickup activities will be reduced and signs will be replaced less frequently. We will find a less expensive way to do striping, reduce our use of consultants and use shorter-term pavement treatments.

These actions are not taken lightly, but they are necessary. Your Department of Transportation will rise to the challenge. We are fully committed to keeping the existing transportation system in good condition and maintaining your trust and satisfaction with the department at the current high levels or higher.

Let's Pick It Up

Let’s Pick It Up

Have you heard the song “I Got a Feelin” by the Black-Eyed Peas? Whether you’ve heard it or not, whether you like the band or the lyrics, surely you’d agree that the thumpin, beat makes you want to get up and dance or maybe pick up some litter?

All winter long we drive Missouri’s roads and see it. It’s in the grass, on the river banks, in the ditches, it’s everywhere, and it’s disgusting. Luckily, April brings warmer weather and the annual No More Trash! Bash in Missouri, so let’s all jump off that sofa and pick it up!

In 2009, more than 10,000 volunteers collected more than 111,134 bags of trash throughout Missouri, 26,659 bags more than last year. MoDOT crews, Adopt-A-Highway volunteers, incarcerated personnel, Department of Conservation staff and Stream Teams combined to make our roadsides more attractive. Many others also participated in litter-prevention educational events

Some things you might consider for April:
• Pick up litter
• Educate others about litter
• Conduct a litter-free activity
• Encourage friends and family to participate
Please report your activity to us by May 15 and we’ll send you a No More Trash Bash lapel pin.

If you are already pitching in and cleaning up, thank you.

I got a feelin that Missouri is going to be cleaner than ever this April. Help us pick it up and make Missouri litter free!

MoDOT Property Sales = $$ For Roads and Bridges

Garage sales are a great way to get rid of stuff you don’t want anymore but that might be worth something to someone else. MoDOT recently held a garage sale of sorts to dispose of property it’s no longer using to build or maintain the state’s highway system.

The agency advertised 21 highly marketable pieces of property for sale by auction or sealed bid over a five-day period. The realty blitz not only brought in $676,739 that will be used for road and bridge projects, it transferred idle land in the state’s inventory to interested property buyers.

Because the effort was so successful, MoDOT will hold a second sales blitz from April 26-30. Thirty-two pieces of property ranging in size from a quarter of an acre to 200 acres will be offered for sale to the public at that time. More information can be found at www.modot.org/realtyforsale.

Roads, Rivers and Runways

Last Friday was a deadline for MoDOT to obligate more than $30 million of Recovery Act funds to important projects in public transportation, airport and river port projects. Did we make it?

Absolutely. In fact, that deadline was more than met -- much of the money has already been put to work, and improvements are fast and furious.

More than $20 million went to public transportation. Already, more than 300 rural transit vehicles have been purchased and delivered. Four of six purchased intercity buses have been delivered, and five transit facilities are being improved. All of these improvements are a lifeline for citizens depending on public transportation.

On the river, more than $4 million is being invested in five port projects that are all already under construction, including construction of a high-water rail line at Southeast Missouri Regional Port in Cape Girardeau County.

And more than $5 million was obligated for projects at four Missouri ariports, including runway rehabilitation and the construction of aircraft aprons. These projects are complete and benefitting Missourians today.

This is all in addition to the $31 million in high-speed rail grants MoDOT received in January. That money is funding three projects that will increase reliability, speed and safety between St. Louis and Kansas City via rail.

These vital improvements keep Missouri on the move. So, where do you want to go today?

Is Transportation Important to the Economy?

Director Pete Rahn addressed the U.S. Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works this morning and answered a key question: Is Transportation Important to the Economy?

Pointing to the jobs that have been created with transportation Recovery Act funds, his answer is a resounding "yes." While transportation received six percent of total Recovery Act funds, it created 14 percent of direct jobs saved or created to date.

But you don't just have to take his word for it. The American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials has found workers across the country whose jobs were saved or who went back to work. Their stories show just how investment in transportation benefits all of us.

The Highway Trust Fund has been extended for another 30 days, and it's a welcome relief as DOT workers can get back to the business of improving the nation's economy. But as Director Rahn pointed out to the committee this morning, a multi-year authorization bill is still vital.

Listen to Director Rahn's comments at the hearing here.

Missouri Miles

Many people may not realize how much transportation really affects them. More than just road work or your daily commute, transportation affects how you live, work and play each day in Missouri.

To show you the scenes behind those orange cones, MoDOT has started a video series to keep you up-to-date on everything Missouri. We take you along Missouri Miles to show you construction projects in your area, provide tips on safe travel and show some unique perspectives of how transportation affects you. With our pilot show, you even get a chance to take a road trip to Bennet Springs for a little winter fishing.

Travel Missouri Miles each month by visiting www.modot.org/modotvideos or through our YouTube channel. Let us know what you think, and what you might like to see covered on a later show.

Nobody Likes a Pothole

It will soon be that time of year; the snow will begin to melt, temperatures will begin to warm up and before you know it we’ll hear the first sounds of spring…our tires falling into potholes. Potholes are annoying – period.

Potholes occur because of expansion and contraction of water under the pavement. This expansion causes pavement to bend and crack, leaving gaps or voids. When cars drive over these gaps, the pavement collapses and pieces of roadway are kicked out, creating a pothole. The more freeze-thaw cycles an area has (like most of Missouri), the more potholes you will see.

Roads with high traffic volumes have more potholes due to amount of use. Bridges and ramps, which receive more salt and snow removal chemicals in the winter, also are more prone to potholes. Older roads tend to have more, as you’ve probably noticed.

Our Maintenance crews try to get out and patch potholes for safety reasons, as soon as the weather allows. Repairing potholes during inclement weather, or when an immediate repair is needed to maintain safety, means using cold patch asphalt until a more permanent repair can be performed. These patches are quick to do, but only temporary.

When the weather warms up, hot asphalt patching of potholes begins. These patches usually take more time to fix, depending on size and location, but will last considerably longer.

The long-term solution to potholes is to reconstruct the pavement, but this is also the most expensive option that takes the most amount of time.

If you notice a pothole on a state route, try using MoDOT’s online form to let us know. So even though we all agree potholes are annoying, please be patient as our crews work hard to patch them as quickly and safely as possible.

For a better look at how roads deteriorate over time, view the Life Cycle of a Highway video:

MoDOT's Environmental and Historical Preservation Section Launches New Web Site

Many people don’t know it but MoDOT’s responsibilities go beyond building roads and bridges. The department must also be a vigilant steward of Missouri’s environment and historical culture.

Because of the nature of its work, MoDOT encounters many opportunities to preserve and protect elements of Missouri’s culture and natural resources. In fact we have an entire division dedicated to these tasks.

The group is called the Environment Studies and Historic Preservation section and it is dedicated to protecting the things that give Missouri its identity.

Recently the section launched a new Web site to inform the public of what it does and how it does it.

On the site, visitors can learn about how MoDOT studies and addresses air quality, community impacts of projects, endangered species, Missouri archaeology, historic bridge preservation, and noise pollution.

To learn more about MoDOT’s Environmental Studies and Historic Preservation section, go to http://www.modot.org/ehp.

Our Primary Goal

One of the top strategies for reducing fatalities and injuries on Missouri roads is strengthening Missouri's seat belt law to allow for primary enforcement. Getting this law passed in our state will save lives, reduce injuries and save our state a lot of money. To me, it’s truly a no-brainer, but there are still people who don’t understand why we need a primary law.

Seven out of 10 Missourians killed in 2008 Missouri traffic crashes were unbuckled. Of those not killed or injured, 97 percent were wearing their seat belt at the time of the accident. And although our fatality rates on our roads have been decreasing for the last four years, we still had 880 people killed on our roads in 2009 – and many of them weren’t wearing their seat belts.

In fact, a 2009 survey reported only 77 percent of Missourians are buckling up. The state's rate has been at a plateau since 2004 and remains consistently below the national average of 84 percent. Research shows a primary seat belt law would increase the usage rate saving 63 lives, 759 serious injuries and $179 million in costs in the first year it goes into effect. Amending the current law will also provide $16.2 million in a one-time federal incentive grant to use for safety enforcement, education and engineering.

Missouri’s current seat belt law is considered only a secondary offense, meaning that a person must first be cited for some other traffic violation before being issued a ticket for failing to wear a safety belt.

Representative Steve Webber from Columbia recently introduced HB 1877 to the House of Representatives that would change all that. This bill would modify Missouri’s current seat belt law by making it a primary traffic offense and all drivers and passengers would be required to wear a safety belt.

I know there are still some people who won’t be in favor of a primary law, but the truth is Missouri needs it. This law will save money, reduce injuries on our roads and most importantly save lives – maybe even of someone you love. Let’s make this the year Missouri makes safety its primary goal.

One Year Later

What were you doing one year ago? 

One year ago sites like facebook and Twitter still seemed relatively new to many - now users have increased exponentially and both of my parents have accounts.

One year ago my daugher still didn't know about Dora the Explorer - now I sing the "map" song every night before bedtime, in the car, during dinner...

And one year ago today Missouri made history as the first state in the nation to begin a Recovery Act project - now Missouri has shown that investing in transportation creates jobs, boosts the economy and improves our roads and bridges.

See some of those improvements in the photos of that first-in-the-nation project, the Osage River Bridge.

And one year from now?  Who knows, but I'll hopefully have expanded my repertoire of children's songs by then.

How Fun is That?

I was happy today to check MoDOT's facebook page and see that we have surpassed the 3,000 fan mark. How fun is that? If you're a page administrator, trust me, it's pretty fun.

In checking some of the demographics, it turns out MoDOT has fans from mulitple states and countries, including Turkey, Denmark, South Korea and Jamaica. Wow! It's interesting to think of our Jamaica fans, perhaps with a laptop under a sunny tropical sky, checking the latest MoDOT update while crews are out today clearing roads on a snowy Missouri Monday.

I want to thank all of our facebook fans for their comments and participation. I hope you'll continue to give us your valuable feedback, and ask your friends to do the same. We want to hear from you!

In the meantime, we'll keep the updates coming and hope to see some of those sunny skies here soon, too.

Tangible Results

People expect their government to be efficient and held accountable. MoDOT takes that to heart and focuses on strong tangible results. A recent podcast by the Texas Department of Transportation interviewed MoDOT Director Pete Rahn and spoke with him about MoDOT's comprehensive performance management program. Listen to how it keeps Missouri moving in a positive direction and gives Missouri the accountability it deserves. Let us know your thoughts!

MoDOT's Performance Management

MoDOT Recovery Act Funds Obligated Ahead of Schedule

MoDOT meant business when it set out to show the world that transportation projects could have an immediate impact on creating jobs and boosting the economy. Before the ink was dry making the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act law, Missouri had signed a contract and began construction on the nation’s first stimulus project.

Keeping that momentum rolling, MoDOT has now obligated all of the $524.6 million it received in recovery act funds for MoDOT-administered projects well in advance of the March 2nd deadline.

“From launching the nation’s first transportation stimulus project to obligating all of our recovery act funds ahead of schedule, MoDOT has worked rapidly to show that transportation projects do play an integral role in supporting jobs and rebuilding our nation’s economy,” said MoDOT Director Pete Rahn. “While these funds don’t come close to covering all of our transportation needs, they have helped fill a short-term gap as other federal and state resources continue to decline.”

To date, the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission has awarded 187 economic stimulus projects totaling $469 million. The ARRA funding awarded to date will support 12,524 direct, indirect and induced jobs based on Federal Highway Administration estimates.

Under the Dome

I spent February 3 at the Missouri State Capitol. It was Transportation Day - a day when the leaders of MoDOT's regional districts and division leaders from headquarters make a special effort to visit with State senators and representatives.

I hung out in the Rotunda on the third floor, just outside the House of Representatives. Pretty rich surroundings for this office worker. Amid the marble, the columns, the bronze busts of honored Missourians and all manner of architectural wonder came Capitol visitors with comments and questions. Good comments and questions.

"I think the texting ban should extend to all ages." - Legislation to ban texting for ALL drivers was filed and is under consideration.

"What's with these train pictures?" - MoDOT administers the funding that makes AMTRAK possible in Missouri. The state legislature, federal lawmakers and administrators, Union Pacific Railroad and MoDOT worked as a team to jumpstart track improvements that have already improved on-time records for passenger rail service - and freight transportation time, too. More are on the way. The cooperative effort is a great success.

Between appointments, MoDOT leaders gathered to compare notes. They reported that legislators praised highway crews for valiant snow fighting efforts and asked questions about local projects and plans. They challenged the department to continue to squeeze the best value from every taxpayer dollar ... and to remain responsive to legislative ideas and requests.

The Capitol is a busy place of ideas, plans, action and opinions. Be sure to share your ideas and opinions on transportation and other topics with your elected officials - and with MoDOT, of course!

Traveling Through History

I’m sort of a history nut, so when our mapping and engineering policy groups started building the Missouri Highway Map Archive, I got into it. Those old maps were just the kind of historical gems I loved to bump into.

They were like snapshots of Missouri’s transportation history. It wasn’t just seeing the network of highways spread across their pages over the decades that was cool. It was the design of the covers, the Art Deco fonts from the 1930s, the flowery official language on the panels, the cover photos and layouts. All the details that captured the time period when they were printed. Even the map legends reflected issues of days gone by. Descriptions like “Earth Road Graded by State -- But Not All Weather” or designations for “Big Game Preserves” echoed values and concerns from a different era.

Now you can view these archives in PDF form at www.modot.org/historicmaps. They are printable but we scanned them at almost full size to maintain as much detail as we could. They won’t fit on 8 1/2 by 11 paper -- unless you want to print them in sections – so you may just want to view them on your computer screen. Either way, if you are a history buff or just interested in seeing what old Missouri road maps looked like, take a minute and check out these glimpses of our past. They show a changing picture of Missouri you just can’t get anywhere else.