PARTNERSHIPS STRESSED AT TRANSPORTATION DINNER

Again stressing the Missouri Department of Transportation's desire to form a partnership with the people, District 10 Engineer Scott Meyer addressed a group of 150 Thursday night.

The event was the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce's Transportation Dinner, conducted at the Drury Lodge. Jim Ham, chairman of the chamber's Transportation Committee, said the yearly event focuses on the importance of all forms of transportation to Southeast Missouri's economy.

Most recently, his committee has followed the progress of the new Mississippi River bridge now under construction. Members also supported the half-cent city transportation sales tax passed in August 1995. They currently are working to secure more state funding for the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport tower.

But Thursday, committee members and others gathered to hear Meyer's assessment of Transportation Department goals. Meyer has spoken to several other groups recently, always focusing on his department's new approach to designing transportation systems in Missouri.

He said his department used to be a paradox -- while transportation is supposed to eliminate isolation, most of the highway design work and construction was done in isolation. There weren't solid partnerships built with Missouri residents or contractors.

The department is changing, Meyer said, and he tied those changes into a list of the top 10 things he didn't learn in engineering school. Among them was the concept that two plus two doesn't always equal "four point zero, zero, zero."

"As engineers, we think everything is a science," Meyer said. "When we do studies on traffic signals, we add up all the numbers. If the total comes out one-tenth too short, it's too bad.

"But we must look at the human element behind signals, speed bumps and signage."

He said doing so is part of being a public servant and looking out for people's safety and well being.

Another lesson Meyer said he learned was that lasers are better than shotguns. Instead of randomly shooting at a variety of problems, the Transportation Department should tightly focus on the largest problem, then the next largest and so on.

"When we come together as a group with one purpose, everyone else wants to come on board," he said. "Everyone wants to be on the winning team. If everyone is arguing, nobody wants to be a part of that."

Meyer ended his speech by saying his department also is focusing on "regionalism," ways to connect Southeast Missouri with the rest of the world.