Mayor's corner: Transportation Trust Fund

Our citizens will be asked Aug. 4 to cast votes on extending the existing half-cent sales tax for street improvements for an additional five years (2016-2020). This issue deserves a YES vote.

The Transportation Trust Fund was originally established and approved by voters in 1995. Our city was in desperate need of establishing a funding mechanism to improve and expand the street network in our city. The concept was to create funds in a restricted account to fund a group of pre-established projects that would be completed over a five-year period. The projects, to be scheduled as the sales taxes were collected, would always be on a "pay-as-you-go" system. No bonds would be issued, thus no funds would be needed to pay interest. This actually is a user's tax, as it is funded by our citizens and visitors who use our streets. The concept had a sunset provision to enable voters to determine if the "trust" factor was followed and the projects were completed as promised.

This "TTF" concept has been very popular with our voting citizens, as it has been renewed each five years, in 2000, 2005 and 2010, with another schedule of new and restoration projects. TTF-4 sunsets this Dec. 31, thus it has been necessary to plan the next group of projects to bring to you for your consideration on Aug. 4.

Our city has more than 230 miles of streets, more than a round trip to and from St. Louis. We maintain more than 7,400 traffic signs, 22 traffic signals; we mow 600 acres of right-of-way, complete 6,500 miles of street sweeping, collecting over 130 tons of debris. These and other tasks are performed by only 16 full-time street maintenance employees.

The new list of projects for TTF-5 has been established over the past nine months by an appointed committee with staff support, public review, council and staff final review and approval. They include seven specific major projects, a group of general projects and a neighborhood street repair project.

1. FOUNTAIN STREET: A project to connect Fountain street from William to Independence. This will provide a new north-south through street from Highway 74 to Park.

2. INDEPENDENCE STREET: This project will address congestion, safety and improve traffic flow between Gordonville and East Rodney to Caruthers Avenue.

3. LEXINGTON AVENUE: This project will patch and overlay a deteriorating portion of Lexington from Sherwood Drive to West Cape Rock Drive.

4. MAIN STREET: Reconstruction from Roberts Street to East Cape Rock Drive to include curb and gutter, sidewalks and streetlights. This is the last phase of improvements on Main Street.

5. SLOAN CREEK BRIDGE: This bridge on Bend Road just north of the casino will be replaced as it is in substandard condition.

6. SPRIGG STREET: This project will mill and overlay Sprigg from William Street to Broadway, add new sidewalks and add a right turn lane onto William from southbound Sprigg.

7. WEST END BLVD.: Reconstruction, curb and gutter, sidewalks and streetlights from New Madrid to Bertling.

The general projects include existing paving, street and gutter repair, sidewalks and streetlights. Each of the past TTFs has had a general repair category that involved some 26 to 28 percent of the total funding. This plan increases this maintenance percentage considerably, which I will show in the total dollar recap.

With the passage of TTF-5, we will have an additional Neighborhood Street Repair project. The past two winters have been particularly hard on many streets in many of our subdivisions. We plan to address the majority of these issues in 2016 with this project.

The total dollar plan, in summary, is as follows:

TRANSPORTATION TRUST FUND 5 (2016-2020)

• Specific projects: $12.4 million
• General projects: $9.12 million
• Contingency: $2.47 million
• Total revenue: $24 million
• Neighborhood repair: $3.2 million (The funds for this project are on hand due to the cancellation of the TTF-3 Armstrong project. This project was canceled by council because of excessive right-of-way costs.)
• Total: $27 million

Our transportation projects have been very successful over the past 20 years and have been completed within budget. We have completed or have in design more than $80 million in new and repaired streets. Our city would not be the thriving city that currently exists without these funded projects. Can you imagine driving down Broadway from Kingshighway on a two-lane asphalt street, or driving on a two-lane Mount Auburn, or driving north on Perryville on a narrow two-lane, or driving out Independence on a narrow asphalt street, or turning right on Bloomfield from Kingshighway and seeing a two-lane street with no gutters or stormwater control?

There are other examples, but the above proves we have come a long way in the past 20 years via four successful Transportation Trust Fund votes.

I am personally asking you, my fellow citizens, to vote YES on Aug. 4 to continue progress in our wonderful city of Cape Girardeau, which we all call home.

Harry Rediger is mayor of Cape Girardeau.