|
Aug. 22, 2008 For more information, contact: Transportation Advisory Committee Supports Primary Seatbelt Law ST. JAMES—The Meramec Regional Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) is joining forces with the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety to promote the passage of a primary seatbelt law in Missouri in 2009. The TAC, meeting in regular session Aug. 14, passed a resolution in support of a primary seatbelt law and agreed to sign on as a safety belt partner. Passage of the law is estimated to save 90 lives a year and prevent more than 1,000 serious injuries. Taxpayers could save some $230 million in medical costs annually, and Missouri’s Medicaid costs could be reduced by $10 million annually. The state would also qualify for an additional $16 million in federal transportation funds. Committee members learned that this is the last year that the state could qualify for the additional federal funding. The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety is leading the legislative effort this session. Tom Stehn, District 9 engineer with the Missouri Department of Transportation, indicated that passage of a primary seatbelt law will also be MoDOT’s top priority this year. Of the 500 traffic laws in Missouri, only the seatbelt law is restricted to secondary enforcement. The TAC also directed Dent County member Donald Dodd, who is also the at-large transportation representative on the board of Meramec Regional Planning Commission, to recommend that MRPC also pass a resolution in support of a primary seatbelt law. The MRPC approved that recommendation at its meeting later that evening. Persons interested in becoming primary seatbelt partners can sign up at www.savemolives.com/programs/PSB /PSBinfo.htm. In other business, the TAC began discussing the funding options available to the state to increase transportation funding. MoDOT and its planning partners have identified some $31 billion worth of needed projects over the next 20 years. The state will have only about $12.6 billion to cover the costs, leaving a gap of nearly $19 billion—about $938 million annually. “It’s going to take an educated program,” said Jim Kleffner, who represents Maries County on the TAC. “It needs to be promoted not as an cost but as a savings. It’s going to take a combination of a lot of things.” A one-cent per gallon fuel tax generates about $41 million annually; a 1 percent motor fuel sales tax generates about $ 72 million annually while a 1-percent general sales tax creates about $700 million annually. While MoDOT does not intend to promote a funding mechanism or a plan, the state does hope to engage Missourians later this fall and get their ideas on what improvements are needed. MoDOT will present the proposal—“A Conversation to Move Missouri Forward”—to the state highway commission in September. With the commission’s approval, MoDOT and its planning partners will share the needs and project identified and prioritized through the Investment Priorities process and ask Missouri citizens for direction. “This is a discussion; it’s not a plan,” Stehn stressed. “We’re not going to talk about funding mechanisms. We’re going to talk about what we can deliver.” He added that MoDOT wants input from Missourians on whether the list of needs and projects are on target and what’s most important to them. Persons needing more information on MRPC’s Transportation Advisory Committee may contact Connie Willman at MRPC, (573) 265-2993. Each county in the region has three representatives on the TAC, which meets every other month at MRPC. Meetings are open to the public. The group will meet again Oct. 9. |