CAMPO considers grant applications for transportation projects

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) Technical Committee sent four proposed transportation projects forward for consideration for a state grant.

The four projects were ranked by the committee before they were sent over to the Missouri Department of Transportation (MODOT). The ranking set the project the team believed had the best prospects for funding, as MODOT is more likely to award funds from its Transportation Alternative Program (TAP).

The committee’s first-ranked proposal was a $494,000 project that would create 1,400 feet of sidewalk along Rainbow Drive in Wardsville. The new path would connect school buildings and parking areas to the athletic complex at Blair Oaks’ school campus. The project came with a 20 percent match proposal from the city, tied for the lowest match of the four projects; paired with a lower price tag and the treacherous terrain of the area got the project to the top of the list after a brief discussion.

“A lot’s changed out there,” said Eric Barron, planning manager for the Planning and Zoning Division. “I understand that the street needs to be closed down during events in order to allow people to safely get to the various athletic fields.”

Second on the list was a 2,700-foot Greenway bridge connecting Riverside Park and St. Louis Road, which would cross over Boggs Creek. The bridge would cost $959,703 with a 48 percent proposed local match.

A planned Rainbow Drive sidewalk project claimed the third spot on the list. The Cole County-led project would handle the construction of 3,000 feet of sidewalk stretching from Hunters Run to Terra Bella near Pioneer Trails Elementary School. The county would be responsible for the match of the $721,000 undertaking, proposing a 31 percent contribution.

Finally, a 1,765-foot multi-use trail and a 1,170-foot sidewalk were placed at the bottom of the list. The $627,645 paths would wind around a roundabout intersection at Satinwood and Stadium, with the city on tap for a 20 percent match.

The committee approved the ranking and voted to send the bundle of projects on during a meeting Thursday morning.

TAP is a competitive program, with nine applicants vying for funding. Proposals have totaled $5.2 million in requested funds, but only $1.11 million is available. The program’s Board of Directors grants higher scores to projects that focus on connectivity, safety, barriers to access and proximity to activities.

Rankings are due to MODOT’S Central District by Feb. 21.

The committee also named a new chairman in David Bange, a Public Works employee. Outgoing chair Sonny Sanders is retiring later this month.

The group also went over its Title IV program, which ensures CAMPO’S compliance with the 1964 Civil Rights Act’s prohibition of discrimination based on race or national origin. The motion opened a 45-day public comment period on the policy.

The next CAMPO meeting is scheduled for 10 a.m. Thursday, March 2.