March 7, 2008

For immediate release
Contact: Bonnie Prigge, 573-265-2993

MRPC Approves Coordinated Transit Plan Hears report on county issues

ST. JAMES—Exploring new transportation technologies and maintaining and increasing existing transit services were among the top strategies identified to address transit needs in the Meramec Region in a recently developed transit coordination plan. At the recommendation of its Transportation Advisory Committee, the board of Meramec Regional Planning Commission adopted Public Transit-Human Services Coordination Plan for the Meramec Region during its regular meeting on  Feb. 14, 2008,  at Meramec Regional Planning Commission, 4 Industrial Drive, St. James.

Recent changes to the federal transportation law now require projects funded through certain Federal Transit Administration programs be derived from locally developed, coordinated public transit-human service transportation plans.  In mid-2007, the Missouri Department of Transportation contracted with the Meramec Regional Planning Commission to coordinate and prepare the public transit coordination plan for the Meramec Region, which includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties.

"We held meetings and conducted surveys to determine transit needs and strategies,” explained MRPC Assistant Director Bonnie Prigge, who coordinated the planning process. “The needs fell primarily into four categories: Lack of funding, gaps in services, need for coordination and need for marketing and education.”

“We then identified strategies to meet those needs and prioritized them,” Prigge continued.  “Stakeholders identified a total of 14 strategies. We appreciate all the people who have been involved in the developing the plan.”

The plan has been delivered to the Missouri Department of Transportation and is posted on MRPC’s website—www.meramecregion.org—by mid-month, Prigge added.
In other business, the MRPC board:

• Received copies of the Rural High Speed Internet Task Force Report. MRPC’s Executive Director Richard Cavender was one of 25 individuals appointed by Gov. Matt Blunt to serve on the task force.  “The report recommends a strategy for achieving 100 percent broadband coverage throughout the state,” said Cavender after the meeting.
• Heard a report from Osage County Commissioner Russell Scheulen on the Missouri Association of Counties conference. Scheulen said counties discussed the need for a 911 fee on cell phones to help fund 911 services since revenues from landline phones are decreasing. County commissioners went on record in support of legislative action to design a complete and detailed plan for upgrading statewide 911 wireless services. There are now more wireless users than landline users. Some 21 Missouri counties do not have 911 and only 68 of the 171 public service answering points (PSAPs) have enhanced wireless service. Additionally county commissioners went on record in opposition to unfunded or underfunded mandates, specifically state prisoner per diem. Currently, counties are paid $21.25 per day to house state prisoners in county jails while the state statute sets the rate at $37.50, which is still less than the actual cost incurred by some counties to hold prisoners.

MRPC is a voluntary council of local governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities.  Officers are Chairman Bob Reed of Washington County, Vice Chairman Laura Antolak of Rolla, Secretary Russell Scheulen of Osage County and Treasurer Gary Brown of Salem. A professional staff, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance and services, such as grant preparation and administration, transportation planning, housing assistance, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business loans, strategic planning and other services to member communities upon request.

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