Missouri Public Transit Association

MoDOT Long Range Plan - first in history to completely integrate biking and walking - is open for public comment through Dec 23rd

http://mobikefed.org/2013/12/modot-long-range-plan-first-history-completely-integrate-biking-and-walking-open-public-comm

Submitted by Brent Hugh on Wed, 12/18/2013 - 10:45am

 

MoDOT has released a new long-range transportation plan that will guide the spending of the proposed new $8 billion MIssouri transportation funding initiative over the next 10 years if the initiative passes--as well as the remainder of MoDOTs spending over the next several years. 

 

The plan is open for public comment through December 23rd, 2013.  

 

The plan is groundbreaking in its inclusion of biking, walking, transit, and other transportation modes as one of the four core values of the plan.  MoDOT needs to hear from citizens like you that you strongly support this new direction.

 

If you'd like to make a brief comment on the plan, you can do so on the MoDOT web site:

 

    Submit your comments on the new MoDOT plan here

 

If you would like to make a brief comment, our suggestion is to emphasize the first point below--the importance of and your support for MoDOT's new direction to "Give Missourians Better Transportation Choices".

 

If you have time to write a longer comment, you may wish to address some of the other elements in our suggested comment below.

 

MoBikeFed's Suggested Statement on the MoDOT Long Range Plan

• We strongly support MoDOT's choice of emphasis to "Give Missourians Better Transportation Choices" and to fully incorporate bicycling, walking, transit, and other modes into our transportation planning and funding.
   
• We would like to see the new emphasis on Transportation Choices fully integrated throughout the entire long-range plan.  For instance, in the sections on Safety, Maintenance, and Economic Development, examples and statistics about bicycling, walking, and transit should be incorporated throughout, putting these modes on an equal basis with roads and highways within the planning document itself--which is the first step in putting these modes on equal footing within MoDOT itself.
   
• The plan should give emphasis to transportation's effect on the public health, sustainability, land use, and creation of vibrant, livable, healthy communities across Missouri.  Particularly, transportation's very large impact on the public health is nowhere mentioned or documented; MoDOT's embrace of the multi-modal transportation paradigm has the potential to have a huge positive effect on the health of Missourians.
   
• "Consideration" vs actually providing facilities and connectivity: Consideration of bicycle, pedestrian, and transit early in the planning process is important, but MoDOT needs to go beyond consideration of bicycle and pedestrian needs to actually provide those facilities that are needed and appropriate.
   
• Turning high level concepts into reality via stakeholder process, including statewide and regional bicycle, pedestrian, and trails plans: The draft plan incorporates a major shift in thinking within MoDOT and its regional planning partners by fully incorporating a multi-modal view of Missouri's transportation future.  Many important details of this process are outlined in the LRTP using broad phrases such as "impacts to other modes must be considered," "consider and prioritize needs across all transportation modes," "MoDOT has modified the project development process to consider bicyclist and pedestrian needs and facilities early in the project development state," and the like. Right now, different MoDOT Districts and planning regions around Missouri appear to have very different conceptions about what these broad phrases and concepts mean.  Developing bicycle, pedestrian, and trails plans statewide, in each MoDOT District, and with each of MoDOT's regional planning partners, and then following up with training for MoDOT staff and contractors based on the plans that are developed, will create a definite, time-limited, stakeholder-driven process for turning these broad concepts into definite plans, processes, and institutional changes.

More details about the plan and how to submit more detailed comments

 

Comments Due Dec 23rd
 

If you'd like to submit more details comments than you can in the online form, you can submit via email or USPS:

 

  Submit to onthemove@modot.mo.org (preferred) or
    Transportation Planning 
    105 West Capitol Ave 
    Jefferson City, MO 65102 

See the MoDOT Long Range Plan detail documents here.

See the section that emphasizes bicycle, pedestrian, and transit facilities here.

Group seeks public input on transportation project list

http://www.news-leader.com/article/20131220/NEWS06/312200030/Ozarks-transportation-sales-tax-Missouri?gcheck=1

Dec. 20, 2013 5:36 AM

Written by Jonathan Shorman

In hopes that a proposed 1-cent statewide transportation sales tax will go before voters next year, community leaders are moving to develop a list of projects to be funded.

The Ozarks Transportation Organization on Thursday formed a subcommittee that will gather public input on possible projects.

A list is scheduled to be approved by the OTO board in June and submitted to the Missouri Department of Transportation by July 1.

The tax has been proposed under the initiative petition process. Supporters must gain enough signatures by May to have the question — along with a list of projects — appear on the November 2014 ballot.

“This is the first time we’ve had the opportunity to develop a project list like this. And it’s the first time we’ve been able to include every kind of mode of transportation,” Sara Fields, OTO director, said.

The tax stands to pump $250 to $300 million worth of projects into the OTO region, primarily Greene and Christian counties, over 10 years, Fields said.

The tax would sunset after 10 years but could be renewed by voters.

The subcommittee will work as a partnership between OTO and the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s Transportation Committee.

Committee member and City Councilman Jeff Seifried said the subcommittee will help gather ideas from the public while affirming existing priorities.

“When this opportunity came about, it was really how can we get the greatest input from the community,” Seifried said.

Using a subcommittee will help save money, Seifried said, adding that the group could have hired a consultant instead.

“We really feel like we have the expertise, between our group and OTO, to put a thorough input process together. Also, very important, we want to showcase how creative we can be in this particular process,” Seifried said.

A 1-cent transportation sales tax is not a new idea in Missouri.

A legislative proposal to put the tax on the ballot failed to pass in the General Assembly last spring, though the measure had bipartisan support.

Interstate loop gains OTO support

The OTO board voted unanimously to support designating the highways encircling Springfield as an interstate loop, perhaps to be named I-244.

With OTO support, a request to the Federal Highway Administration will ask if the designation is possible and what improvements would be needed, according to an OTO briefing book.

Fields said that preliminary estimates indicate it may take $500,000 to $1 million to bring the highways up to interstate standards.

She characterized that as not a huge amount. Costs would include new signs and possibly extending some ramps.

CMT releases 2014 Legislative Priorities

http://cmt-stl.org/cmt-releases-2014-legislative-priorities/

Posted 12/11/2013 by Kim Cella

The 2014 Legislative Session is right around the corner, and Citizens for Modern Transit is going to be making the case for funding for transit on the local, state and national level as well as setting a list of transit priorities for the St. Louis region. CMT’s Legislative agenda adopted by the CMT Board on Tuesday,  includes working for state funding for public transit.

Missouri falls near the bottom of the list for funding for public transit projects. Last year, CMT and others were successful in helping to increase funding for public transit operations with an additional $500,000 from General Revenue for a total of $1,060,000 million for transit operations for 33 providers in the state.

However, this still provides very little funding to Metro in the St.  Louis region as a match for federal capital dollars to expand our current system. The St. Louis region and the State of Missouri can be competitive on the national front without a significant investment in public transit in order to compete for federal dollars. Currently the local match is about 50 percent for most projects.

In addition, state funding for operations could help to free up more of the local funding raised for capital.  For every one dollar invested in public transit, there is a four dollar return to the region in economic activity.  We know that transit creates jobs during construction and beyond.   Reach out to your legislators and let them know transit needs to be important in Missouri and Illinois as a way to move our states forward.

CMT 2014 Legislative Priorities

Oklahoma's transit service is sparse, but ridership rising

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/local/oklahoma-s-transit-service-is-sparse-but-ridership-rising/article_676c58eb-d9a0-57fa-a5e0-6492f6338158.html

Posted: Sunday, December 15, 2013 12:00 am | Updated: 9:02 am, Sun Dec 15, 2013.

By JENNIFER MATTHEWS Oklahoma Watch |

Oklahoma's biggest transit systems, often used by low-income people, provide less service than those of other cities in the region despite ridership increasing, federal data show.

After a decline two years ago, the number of trips taken by riders in the four largest systems has rebounded and promises to increase further as Oklahoma City and Tulsa implement changes that will boost the frequency of bus service.

From fiscal 2007 to 2011, the number of annual boardings in the four transit systems — almost all of it on buses — rose to more than 7 million, then slipped to 6.9 million. In the past two years, the count has risen above 7.5 million.

Until 2012, the four agencies reporting annual figures to the National Transit Database were the Central Oklahoma Transportation and Parking Authority (Oklahoma City area), the Metropolitan Tulsa Transit Authority, the Lawton Area Transit System and the Cleveland Area Rapid Transit (Norman and the University of Oklahoma). Edmond's system, which began operating in 2009, started filing those reports in 2012.

Oklahoma's rural systems are not required to report annually to the database.

Despite growth in ridership, Oklahoma remains a transit-thin state. Bill Cartwright, general manager of the Tulsa authority, said the extent of service offered in the state's urban areas lags that of other cities in the region.

A chart prepared by the Tulsa transit agency, based on 2010 federal data, shows that Oklahoma City had fewer hours of bus service per capita than Wichita, Tulsa and many other cities. Tulsa's rate also was low.

"Oklahoma is right at the bottom of the group in terms of how much service we provide," Cartwright said. Still, in Tulsa "the (ridership) trend is definitely up. We see ridership going up in double digits."

In many cities, transit is used most frequently by lower-income residents. Systems with limited service pose problems for the working poor, who may have no vehicle and depend on transit.

Cartwright said the last survey of Tulsa riders found that 54 percent were using the system to travel to and from work, and 11 percent were traveling to and from school or vocational training.

"With the economy improving, you would expect that (transit) activity to improve, as well," he said.

Oklahoma City and Tulsa are taking steps to increase their service.

The Oklahoma City agency is revising its bus routes next year so that the buses travel only on major streets, not through neighborhoods. The agency also will increase frequency of service using an additional $1 million in funding, said Michael Scroggins, spokesman for the Oklahoma City-area system.

Most routes will have more than a 30-minute interval between buses.

When the agency tested the changes on some routes a few years ago, "we saw nearly a 20 percent increase in ridership," Scroggins said. "That's a pretty big jump."

The city's system still does not operate buses after about 7:30 p.m. on weekdays or on Sundays.

In September, the capital's City Council also approved the first phase of a 4.5-mile streetcar rail project under the Metropolitan Area Projects improvement program. The $129 million system, scheduled to open in 2017, will serve as a circulator in downtown and adjacent areas to the north using five or six vehicles.

Possible future extensions are mapped to the northeast, northwest and south. In many larger cities, including Dallas and Phoenix, the urban rail systems are full light-rail ones, a level above streetcars, though railed streetcars look similar.

The streetcar circulator will cater mainly to visitors and downtown employees, students and residents, Scroggins said. If the streetcar system is successful, it may help persuade voters in the region eventually to approve dedicated funding for expanded rail service, he said.

A 2011 study sponsored by the Federal Transit Administration found that downtown circulator projects succeed best when, among other things, they have stable, reliable funding, are branded well and cater to visitors and tourists.

"An 'if-you-build-it, they-will-come' approach is not realistic," the study said.

In Tulsa, voters approved a bond issue in November that includes $15 million for a Bus Rapid Transit system. BRT buses will make fewer stops and run more frequently than local buses along mainly Peoria Avenue. The buses will stop at new designated stations.

Cartwright said it will take between two and three years to get the service in place, and acquiring the new buses alone will take a year and a half. The agency also is doing a route assessment to better match its service with demand.

Public Transit Is Underfunded Because the Wealthy Don’t Rely on It

http://www.wired.com/autopia/2013/12/brt-middle-class/

• BY KEITH BARRY
• 12.16.13
• 6:30 AM

Another report has come out in support of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), an innovative way to provide public transit at a low cost with dedicated bus lanes, stops, and schedules.

The study (PDF), from pro-transit group Embarq, found that BRT drastically reduced commute times, improved air quality, and cut road fatalities in congested cities like Bogota, Istanbul, Johannesburg, and Mexico City. And we already know that BRT is one of the most cost-effective public transit investments a municipality can make.

The catch? In most cities examined in the report, those benefits only extend to low- and middle-class residents. (In Johannesburg, the poorest residents did not use BRT).

“Since the dominant benefit is travel time savings,” the study’s authors wrote, “the majority of benefits tend to accrue to the strata most represented by BRT users — typically lower- and middle-income.”

While it’s great to have a system that improves transportation access for the majority of a city’s population, BRT’s mass appeal could — ironically — be a political concern that prevents its adoption, at least in the U.S. As Alex Pareene wrote in Salon, public transit often suffers because politicians and donors rarely rely on it. The results show in the states, whose existing BRT systems lag behind those in cities around the world.

Even in densely populated and traditionally liberal cities like New York and Minneapolis, politicians neglect transit. And “because they don’t know or interact with or receive checks from people who rely on it every day, there’s almost no hope for cheap, efficient mass transit options anywhere,” Pareene wrote.

Indeed, the Embarq report echoes the public transit wealth gap, and cites that most BRT systems are often paid for by tax revenue collected from those who may never ride it. Bogota’s famed TransMilenio was financed by increased gasoline taxes, and all the systems required both substantial investment and support from municipalities.

But the Embarq report also showed that BRTs benefited cities with environmental and productivity gains more than they strained financial resources. For example, the average commuter in Istanbul now gets to and from work about an hour faster thanks to the Metrobüs, and Mexico City’s BRT system reduced air pollution enough to save 6,000 sick days a year.

As cities continue to grow and congestion increases, the benefits of BRT may become impossible to ignore — even to the rich and powerful folks who are stuck in traffic.

New Online Survey Measures Satisfaction with St. Louis's Transit System

Citizens for Modern Transit has just released  an online survey to look at St. Louisans’ satisfaction with the public transit system and messaging that resonates well with them.  This survey work is a part of a larger grant that CMT has received to increase ridership on the transit system.   Please consider taking a moment  to complete the survey.  It should take less than 10 minutes to complete. It will first focus on your transportation habits and then ask for general demographic information to help our research.  In addition, once you take the survey, you will be entered into a drawing for some great prizes including a Kindle Fire, an Ipad Mini and monthly transit passes.  
 
 Take the survey here: http://www.stltransitsurvey.com/

All aboard! Staying safe and healthy on mass transit

http://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org/content/43/9/24.full

Kim Krisberg

Grabbing a good seat and getting to work on time may be top priorities when using mass transit. But whether you’re traveling by train, bus, streetcar or subway, following a few easy safety and health tips can help make your daily commute a smoother ride.

In 2011, Americans used public transportation to take more than 10 billion trips. In fact, each weekday, people board some type of public transportation 35 million times. And as with any other type of transportation — a motor vehicle, a bike or your own two legs — there is a safety risk in traveling from one destination to another that can often be prevented with some common-sense precautions. But first, what exactly is mass transit?

Mass transit is made up of large-scale public transportation systems and can include a variety of modes, such as buses, trains, cable cars, light rail and ferries. According to the American Public Transportation Association, public transit is becoming so popular that between 1995 and 2011 it experienced a greater growth rate in use than the nation’s highways. So if you’re among the millions who’ve decided to leave the car in the driveway in favor of mass transit, it’s still a good idea to make safety a regular traveling companion.

First, take the time to familiarize yourself with a transit system’s schedules and services, says Greg Hull, assistant vice president of public safety, operations and technical services at the American Public Transportation Association. Most transit systems offer online trip planning or have phone lines staffed by customer service representatives, Hull says. Also, be aware of where you’ll be waiting for mass transit to pick you up, such as an outdoor bus shelter, or where you’ll be dropped off, and prepare accordingly.

“For example, you might get dropped off in an environment that’s dimly lit at night,” Hull says. “These types of situations aren’t specific to transit, so you should take the normal personal safety precautions you’d take in any other open environment.”

Stay alert of your surroundings and watch where you’re going. For instance, while it’s easy to let our personal electronic gadgets distract us as we’re walking down the subway platform, make sure you don’t walk too close to the edge, Hull says. For people who are visually impaired, most train platforms use tactile flooring — such as tiles with bumps — to provide users with a nonvisual warning that they’re too close to the platform edge. Also, distracted riders in crowded environments are the perfect targets for pickpockets, so always keep your valuables in safe possession on your person, Hull advises.

Also, abide by everyday safety rules when waiting for buses or streetcars, such as looking both ways before crossing the street and obeying pedestrian walk signs.

Take a moment to locate the emergency call boxes on the train and platforms, which you can use to alert transit officials in case of an emergency.

“Anytime you feel that you or others are at risk, use that support device that’s available to you,” Hull says.

During flu season or disease outbreaks, Hull offers more common-sense advice: Wash and sanitize your hands often and sneeze or cough into a tissue or into your elbow.

Using mass transit isn’t only convenient, it’s also an easy way to incorporate regular physical activity into your daily routine.

“One of the most sedentary activities we do as human beings is drive a car,” says David Goldberg, communications director at Transportation for America, an organization working to improve the nation’s transportation system. “But it’s pretty difficult to use public transit without some physical exertion.”

Not only is walking to and from transit stops good for your physical health, bypassing the congestion and frustration of rush hour by jumping on the train is good for our mental health as well, Goldberg noted. Plus, fewer cars on the road can translate into less air pollution and irritation for people with respiratory diseases such as asthma.

“A lot of people are realizing that between walking, biking and transit, they can get (to) lots of places pretty cheaply and incorporate exercise into their lives pretty easily,” Goldberg says. “From a health perspective, there’s a lot in favor of public transportation.”

Pay attention during emergency situations

Transit systems have plans in place for emergencies and disasters and regularly hold emergency preparedness drills, Hull says. If a disaster happens when you’re on public transit, the “No. 1 thing to do is to listen for instructions from transit officials,” Hull advises.

Also, take some time during your daily commute to read about the emergency and evacuation procedures that are often posted inside mass transit vehicles.

• Copyright The Nation’s Health, American Public Health Association

Southeast Kansas could lose shelter, transportation funding for families in poverty

http://www.joplinglobe.com/topstories/x602339301/Southeast-Kansas-could-lose-shelter-transportation-funding-for-families-in-poverty

By Andra Bryan Stefanoni

news@joplinglobe.com

PITTSBURG, Kan. — Southeast Kansas residents who met recently in Pittsburg to tackle poverty challenges left with more questions than answers.

Key among them is what to do about an emergency shelter for homeless families, built in 2008, that likely will close in March. Transportation services also could be in jeopardy, said Becky Gray, director of grants development for the Southeast Kansas Community Action Program, or SEK-CAP.

The shelter serves about 320 families a year; SEK-CAP’s general public transit program gives 150,000 rides annually.

At Memorial Auditorium on Friday, Gray, along with 220 SEK-CAP staff members from 12 Southeast Kansas counties, joined more than 40 stakeholders, a statewide leader and a national poverty expert to discuss problems, establish priorities and look at possible solutions. The group included representatives of agencies involved with law enforcement, health, education, foster care, developmental and intellectual disabilities, community colleges and housing.

Earlier this year, SEK-CAP learned that the Kansas Housing Resources Corp. proposed cutting the region’s Community Services Block Grant funding in order to shift money to community action agencies in western Kansas. SEK-CAP annually receives around $743,000, and the cuts, depending on variables, could be between $371,000 and $396,000.

The state’s eight community action agencies use the funding to support various programs, including Tenant Based Rental Assistance, or TBRA, homeless shelters and general public transit.

“We intended to use CSBG dollars to provide transition support specialists who would work one on one with the families receiving TBRA subsidies to ensure they were working toward education or employment, to link them with other resources, assist them in understanding appropriate and constructive tenant and landlord relationships, assist them in advocating for safe or repaired or appropriate housing, help them establish asset building plans like saving accounts, and so forth,” Gray said.

The idea, she said, was to help members of a household out for a year with full subsidy and transition support; after they successfully met all expectations, their subsidy would continue for a second year.

“This second year would allow time for asset development — savings accrual, transportation improvement, educational expenses,” Gray said.

But with cuts proposed in CSBG funding, that can’t happen.

CHOICES

The emergency homeless shelter, called Choices, which serves families from several Southeast Kansas counties, is funded by almost $200,000 in local donations and a grant. It continually faces a shortfall of nearly $200,000 — a gap that the agency has filled with CSBG money.

SEK-CAP also is facing a reduction in general public transportation in Pittsburg, according to Executive Director Steve Lohr. Stakeholders said Friday that reductions in transportation funding would jeopardize access to education and employment.

Tara Burch, who works with intellectually disabled clients at Mosaic in Pittsburg, noted that another stumbling block is the lack of available day care on weekends and in the evenings, which undermines the ability of single mothers to get a job.

Keynote speaker Gene Nichol said the rising cost of higher education is prohibitive for many of those seeking a way out of poverty. Nichol is the director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina School of Law and founder of the Center for Civil Rights at the university.

“If you come from a family making $90,000 or more, the chance of you getting a college education is one in two,” he said. “If you come from one making $35,000 or less, it’s one in 17.”

“To get someone through, they need it all — transportation, housing, education,” said Brian Inbody, president of Neosho County Community College in Chanute.

The community agency is exploring other ways of providing services and in a few weeks will begin seeking input, including one-on-one interviews, focus groups and online surveys.

Poverty level

ACCORDING TO FEDERAL income guidelines, the poverty level is about $23,000 a year for a family of four.

SOUTHEAST KANSAS has long been the poorest region of the state, with 27 percent of families in Crawford County and 26.5 percent in Cherokee County living in poverty. The statewide average is 18.76 percent.

HEALTH CARE AND PUBLIC TRANSIT PARTNERS AWARDED FUNDING

HealthTran Receives $499,906 from Missouri Foundation for Health

Jefferson City, MO, December 5, 2013– Southeast Missouri Transportation Service, Inc. was awarded $499,906 on behalf of HealthTran partners to study the impact of providing public transportation services in conjunction with service delivery coordination services. The project is focused on services for individuals presenting at the hospital emergency room or local community health centers with mouth pain, chronic diabetes and hypertension and also indicate a lack of consistent reliable transportation.

SMTS will contract with the Missouri Rural Health Association (MRHA) to administer the grant, with support from the Missouri Public Transit Association. Other HealthTran partners include Ozarks Medical Center, Jordan Valley Community Health Center, Missouri Ozarks Community Health, OATS, Inc., and Southern Missouri Community Health Center. HealthTran will be implemented in the south central region of Missouri in the counties of Christian, Douglas, Howell, Oregon, Ozark, Taney, Texas, Webster and Wright.

Suzanne Alewine, executive director for the Missouri Rural Health Association, states that “rural communities have limited resources for addressing problems or barriers and one of the greatest barriers to healthcare in rural Missouri is transportation. This funding will help HealthTran formalize its efforts to improve health status for those enrolled in the project through service delivery coordination and public transportation.”

“On a national basis, transportation reliably ranks high as a principle barrier in rural citizens seeking healthcare” says Brock Slabach, Sr. Vice-President of the National Rural Health Association, “we’re pleased to see a project like this dedicated to finding solutions to rural transportation issues.”

Funding for the project was provided in part by The Missouri Foundation for Health. The Missouri Foundation for Health is a philanthropic organization whose vision is to improve the health of the people in the communities it serves. The Missouri Public Transportation Association is also a key partner and supporter of the effort.

Missouri Public Transportation Association director, Doris Boeckman, states, “This funding presents an opportunity to evaluate the role public transportation plays in improving health status. By linking patients with transportation needs to affordable public transportation that is both reliable and consistent, we believe HealthTran can and will demonstrate that public transportation has a positive impact on clinical outcomes for patients, particularly patients with chronic conditions. MPTA is interested in the results of this project as a way to advocate for additional resources for public transportation in the State of Missouri. Missouri ranks 40^th in per capita funding for public transportation. Without additional resources, transportation will continue to be a huge barrier to accessing essential and preventive healthcare.”

The Missouri Rural Health Association is a non-profit, grass-roots, member-driven organization whose mission is to safeguard and improve the health of rural Missourians. MRHA accomplishes its mission by engaging in partnerships and providing leadership on rural issues through advocacy, communication, education, and research. The Missouri Public Transit Association was founded in 1980 to represent the interests, policies, requirement and purposes of public transportation in Missouri and values personal mobility as a basic quality of life. 

# # #

If you would like more information about this topic, please contact Suzanne Alewine at Missouri Rural Health Association or email at mrha@earthlink.net.