State government funding of transportation departments is at an all time low. The economic crisis, recession and other factors have led states to cut back. This isn’t a bad thing, but the Missouri Department of Transportation is cutting back to unprecedented of levels.
This is a long time coming. The initial plan can be boiled down to the following points:
- Reduce staff by 1200
- Close 135 facilities
- Sell 740 pieces of equipment
- Spending reduced from 1.2 billion a year to 600 million.
- Close the centers in Joplin, Macon and Willow Springs.
Wow.
Missouri Department of Transportation Director, Kevin Keith, said:
We don’t like having to do this, and we aren’t proposing these changes lightly, because we know they will be personal and painful for many people, but heading in this direction is the right thing to do. It’s what we have to do to survive. Without these actions, Missouri would lose millions of dollars in federal funds for transportation.
MODOT will hold many community meetings. I never go to these, but I think I will this time just to see what it is like.
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