Future is in your hands

Missourians who have been keeping track of state government for any length of time are well aware that the Missouri Department of Transportation has far more needs than dollars to pay for those needs. Missouri also has more miles of state-maintained highways that most states, placing an additional burden on the agency, which gets most of its funding from state fuel taxes and federal highway appropriations.

Keep in mind that MoDOT is not responsible just for highways. It oversees all forms of transportation that serve the state. The crucial challenge is to spend the money it has so that every dollar is stretched as far as possible.

Even with good planning and good use of available funding, MoDOT can see that future needs, some of them major projects, will go unmet unless a different strategy and, possibly, other funding sources are in place. MoDOT is using HTNB Corp., a major player in highway construction projects (it designed the new Mississippi River bridge here in Cape Girardeau) to gather data all over the state that will be used to formulate an extensive long-range transportation plan for Missouri.

Last week, HNTB representatives met in Sikeston, Mo., with what is called the Southeast Regional Working Group to gather information about critical needs in this part of the state. Similar gatherings are scheduled all over Missouri.

One bit of information to come out of that meeting could be important to Missourians who would like to have direct input into the process. A Web site has been set up that outlines many of the transportation issues facing the state and invites participation from Missourians.

That Web address is: www.mapourfuture.org.

This is the time to get involved. Information being gathered today will become the transporation plan of tomorrow. Included in that plan is likely to be recommendations for additional revenue sources. That could mean more taxes.

This is an important issue for Missouri. You have an opportunity to chart the course.