urbanSTL

The reality is that this debate is raging on all over the place. Find an article in from the USA Today.



http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/200 ... ghts_N.htm



I'm going against the grain of the thread on this one. MoDOT is acting every bit like a state highway department will in a state that has to support an extensive rural highway, interstate and urban road network. What is the surprise? The marjority of the cities roads/streets/bridges don't fall within MoDOT mandate. What is dissappointing in my mind is how little stimulus funding was directed through the East West Gateway Council where Slay has voting power and influence on regional decisions. Slays' outrage should be directed at the US Congress and our representatives for how they directed these funds.

MODOH (or MOD'OH) might be a more apt title.

^ No, no, no. The MO Dept. Of Road Construction. (Works much better.)

Nixon obviously worried about going against his rural constituents

http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/the-pl ... lus-funds/

In some respects, what surprises me is that their is a 17 cent per gallon discrepency in state gas tax within the Metro area. Yet, no one on the Missouri side of the Metro Area sees this difference as an opportunity. St. Louis City and County as well as St. Charles could have a 5 to 10 cent per gallon fuel tax and still be cheaper then Illinois as well as having a price rather low compared to most Metro regions in the country (My basis is living in Chicago prior to St. Louis, working in other metro areas and now moving to the Bay area this summer). This is on top of the fact that we don't have any toll roads or bridges. The reality in my mind is that we have gotten a lot on the Missouri side for what we are willing to support ourselves. Especially if you compare to other Metro Areas. Griping about not getting a fair share of stimulus funds or complaining about MoDOT, which highly regarded organization by other state DOT's and trade organizations, is not a good position for the region's development.

Grover, can see your point. But the problem is the flip side has ruled and will rule after the stimulus funds are gone. Look at where transit has been expanding and its everywhere but here. Minneapolis/St. Paul started running a new commuter train and will start construction on a new light rail line, Denver has been build out mode, Dallas and Houston have expanded on consistent basis, etc.

If you support highways, it took ten years longer then we should have to start building a bridge across the Mississippi for I-70 nor we will see a means to replace the west bound bridge of Hwy 40/I-64 across the Missouri in the foreseeable future. To top it off, the county had to take from Peter (Metro's share of the Sales Transportation Tax) to pay Paul (Hwy 141 extension land purchases). In return, Chesterfield payed Metro as requested by area businesses to run express buses in order to get employees to Chesterfield Commons. A favorite of mine for any West County folks who think transit is a waste of money. St. Charles would love to finish off the Page Ave freeway. Their betting on a long shot in a TIGER Grant while MoDOT would rather build seperate I-70 truck lanes around Columbia, so St. Charles County is actually competing with the state to build freeway lanes.

[devils advocate] we just opened a new light rail line 2 years ago. People act like it's been 15 years since we expanded. [/devils advocate]

Can't help be skeptical on any TIGER grants headed our way. I'm having a tougher time trying not to be political about it either. Wouldn't be surprised if Chicago CREATE is the biggest piece of the pie followed by the NYC train station. Waiting on the other shoe to drop for California and Florida.

Couldn't help notice that Freight rail coming and going from the East Coast was a bigger winner. CREATE is meant to free up the Chicago rail bottleneck, especially freight going Eastbound. Crescent Corridor is meant to help freight move between the NorthEast and New Orleans. Finally Gateway Freight Rail Corridor once again is suppose to help move freight in the East. They represent $300 million alone.

The good part in my mind is that LaHood is recognizing the value of putting intermodal freight on trains rather then highways. A big win over the MoDOT's truck lanes to no where.

However, dissappointed in St Louis getting passed over again and that they choose a new public dock for Tri-City area over giving funds to rebuild and expand an existing Port of St. Louis Dock at the end of N. Market Street on the northside. Can't help to think political about that one. Especially when KC got 50 million to revitalize a city neighborhood.

Sometimes it IS politics, though, Grover.

I'm sad about Metro's projects not getting any TIGER funds - particularly the Forest Park/DeBaliviere MetroLink Station TOD project.

Someone was complaining about the rate of transit expansion in St. Louis. Check out this video showing how MARTA (Atlanta's system) was ahead of the game and then other cities jumped on the bandwagon and beat MARTA at what was, once, their game.