MISSOURI COMPLETES LONG-RANGE ROAD PLAN

The Missouri Highway and Transportation Department has released its first-ever long-range plan, a blueprint for meeting the state's transportation demands while promoting walking and bicycling, limiting the use of herbicides and attempting to minimize the impact of humans on the environment.

Department officials, interest groups and at-large members of the public began meeting in 1993 to discuss a transportation plan because of a federal mandate called the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991, or ISTEA. Often referred to as "ice tea," the mandate required states to create plan for their highway and transportation departments to use as a guide.

Instead of putting together a plan that would simply meet the federal guidelines, input from 1,500 Missourians who attended 53 meetings over a two-year period was gathered for the Show-Me Transportation Plan, a plan that would be used by the department well into the 21st century.

"There are no exact requirements in the plan," Long-Range Planning Engineer Mike Shea said. "There is no timing element or anything else. It's a policy guide that can be put on the table every time projects are discussed."

The Show-Me Transportation Plan is short on specifics but replete with goals and policies for making decisions in future department projects. The plan was intentionally designed that way because of the state's diversity, Shea said.

"What's good for Sikeston probably isn't good for St. Louis. What's even good in one area of a district might not be good in another area. This plan allows for that," he said.

Shea said specific guidelines and decision-making formats designed in Jefferson City probably wouldn't work in other areas of the state. The plan provides basic guidelines that the department's 10 districts can use in creating their own decision-making processes, he said.

The plan's policy statements say the Show-Me Transportation Plan will provide a transportation system that strives to attain excellence in safety and standards; accommodates the travel needs of the system's users; supports economic well-being in Missouri; maintains and enhances quality of life; is sustainable into the future; and involves both the public and private sectors in the transportation decision-making process.

Other specifics in the plan include greater attention to other modes of transportation, including walking and bicycling.

The plan says that walking and bicycling have been overlooked in other transportation plans for decades in the United States. As the popularity of those modes of transportation continues to grow in Missouri, the department should address the needs of "non-motorized" travelers in current and future projects, according to the plan.

A policy outlining the department's environmental concerns never was written until the creation of the Show-Me Transportation Plan, Shea said.

In addition to adhering to federal laws regarding the environment, the plan states that future projects should be designed to "protect or enhance the integrity of the natural environment."

It calls for the department to do that by reducing the use of herbicides and using native vegetation in plantings when completing projects.

Promoting a transportation system that reduces the human impact on the environment also is advocated.

Long-range planners expect to meet with many of the district offices and go over the plan in detail soon, Shea said. Not only is input from the district officials important, but future public input also will be sought.

As required by the federal mandate, the state Highway and Transportation Department received public input for 45 days after the plan was released Sept. 3. Shea said the department will continue receiving input.

"We always want to hear general thoughts on how they feel the plan is performing in their part of the state," he said. "We wanted to get the public involved early on and keep them involved."