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A View from the Commission: Thank you, Steve Miller.

by the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission

Former Commission Chair Steve Miller started this newsletter back in March of 2014 to keep transportation stakeholders, elected officials, the media and others abreast of the many issues we face as we seek to deliver the type of transportation system that Missourians want and deserve. Since that first issue, he penned more than 70 installments that were very effective in communicating our challenges and our successes. We intend to continue that mission with this rebranded “View from the Commission.”

Steve’s seven-year tenure on the Commission came to an end on July 1. We owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude for the leadership he provided and for keeping transportation as a top-of-mind subject for all Missourians. He kept MoDOT’s long-term insufficient funding problems at the forefront and worked diligently to build non-partisan support for additional transportation investment in Missouri. At our June meeting in Kansas City, Commissioner Tom Waters may have said it best: “Steve Miller was the hardest working volunteer I’ve ever seen.”

We were disappointed that legislation for additional transportation funding did not advance out of the Missouri General Assembly this session. But the fact that the discussion continues, with widespread acceptance of the need for investment in our total transportation system, is a positive. Keep the conversation going and eventually we will find the sweet spot for a funding solution that Missourians will accept.

·         New Commission Vice Chair … At last week’s meeting in St. Louis, Commissioner Mike Pace of West Plains was elected vice chair. He was appointed by Governor Nixon on Jan. 6, 2015.

·         2017-2021 STIP Approved … Also last week we approved the 2017-2021 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program. It focuses on safety and the preservation of Missouri’s highways and bridges. The STIP includes 855 projects and has $3.97 billion available for construction awards, ranging from $700 million in 2017 to $860 million in 2020 and 2021. The overwhelming majority of projects – 88 percent – are designed to take care of MoDOT’s existing system.