Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) works in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) on transportation planning activities for the region. The development and implementation of MoDOT’s Transportation Planning Framework made MRPC a partner at the decision-making table. With this responsibility, comes the recognition of the vast transportation needs that Missouri has both locally and statewide and the limited amount of funds available for addressing them. As MRPC works in partnership with MoDOT, it allows for the opportunity to offer new and different information as well as a local perspective that should be brought to bear on transportation decisions.

As a partner in the decision-making process, MRPC must also be willing to share the responsibility of the decision-making and support the final outcome. Decisions cannot be made in a vacuum. Since MRPC must represent the views of the local elected officials and their constituents, it is imperative that MRPC and the Transportation Advisory Committee have a strong connection to one another. As planners, MRPC must be able to identify – and bring to the forefront – the information that is necessary for local elected officials, transportation advisory members, and staff to make sound, prudent and defendable recommendations.

MRPC Transportation Priorities FY24

County Needs Lists

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Regional Transportation Plan

Region’s Funded FLAP Projects

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Transportation Advisory Committee

The MRPC TAC is a volunteer advisory committee that encompasses all modes of transportation. This group identifies and prioritizes transportation issues as they impact the Meramec Region and advises the MRPC board, who it turn, provides information to the Missouri Department of Transportation. Each county has three representatives and meets every other month on the second Thursday at 4:00 p.m.

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Completed Plans

Public Transit – Human Services Transportation Coordination Plan – Completed Feb. 9, 2023

SMTS Phelps County Deviated Fixed-Route Study – Completed 2022

Public Transit & Mobility Management in the Meramec Region – Completed 2018

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Resources

Transportation Funding Opportunities

• DRA – aimed at developing transportation infrastructure that supports economic development in the region; application procedure and timeline announced annually;
• CDBG
  • General Infrastructure offers grants to Missouri communities to improve local facilities, address health and safety concerns, and develop a greater capacity for growth. Activities include, but not limited to streets, drainage, and bridges.
    Grant Amount: Up to $500,000 or $5,000 per household.
  • Industrial Infrastructure helps communities develop infrastructure that allows industries to locate new facilities, expand existing facilities, prevent the closing of a facility or the relocation of a facility outside the state. Funds can be used for public streets, water or sewer lines, engineering and other public facilities necessary to support the private sector project. A public entity must own the facilities to be funded.
    Grant Amount: Up to $2,000,000
    Max Per Job: $20,000
    Capital Investment: A minimum of one dollar of capital investment must be pledged for every dollar of grant funds requested.
• EDA Public Works Program – provides economically distressed communities and regions with comprehensive and flexible resources to address a wide variety of economic needs. Projects funded will lead to the creation and retention of jobs and increased private investment. EDA solicits applications from applicants in order to provide investments that support construction and non-construction activities that improve or expand public infrastructure including roads and bridges.
• MoDOT Cost-Share – a partnership with local entities to pool efforts and resources to deliver state highway and bridge projects. MoDOT will match investments up to 50%. Applicants are required to deposit their share of project costs with MoDOT.
• USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Loan and Grant Program – provides affordable funding to develop essential community facilities in rural areas — does not include private, commercial or business undertakings. Rural areas are defined as less than 20,000 residents as of the U.S. Census Data. Examples of essential community facilities include: public facilities such as town halls, courthouses, airport hangers or street improvements.
• Missouri Department Finance Board (MDFB)
  • Public Entity Loan Program – provides loans to local governments to finance general public infrastructure improvements and economic development projects.
    Loan Minimum: $1 million (no maximum amount)
  • Tax Credit for Contribution Program – a tax credit granted by MDFB equal to 50% on the value of any eligible contribution to the Board by a taxpayer. Applicants must be local political subdivision, a local governmental entity created on behalf of or for the benefit of the local political subdivision, or a state agency. Infrastructure facilities means: highways, streets, bridges, water supply and distribution systems, mass transportation facilities and equipment, telecommunication facilities, jails and prisons, sewers and sewage treatment facilities, wastewater treatment facilities, airports, railroads, reservoirs, dams and waterways in this State, acquisition of blighted real estate and the improvement thereon, demolition of existing structures and preparation of sites in anticipation of development, public facilities and any other improvements provided by any form of government or development agency
• Tax Increment Financing (TIF) – available to municipalities to encourage redevelopment of blighted areas.
• Community Improvement District (CID) – a local special taxing district that collects revenue within its designated boundaries to pay for special public facilities, improvements or services.
• Neighborhood Improvement District (NID) – a special taxing district that collects revenue within its designated boundaries to help pay for public infrastructure, facilities or other improvements that confer a benefit on property within the district, normally a residential area. NIDs are strictly a local initiative.
• Transportation Development District (TDD) – created by the Missouri Highways & Transportation Commission if the project involves any of the states highway’s or transportation system to fund or operate one or more projects that would assist the promotion, design, construction, improvement or operations of the infrastructure. Funding is accomplished through an add-on sales or property tax and/or real property special assessments. Tolls may also be charged to users of certain infrastructure with the approval of a majority of qualified voters in the district.

MoDOT STIP – https://www.modot.org/statewide-transportation-improvement-program-stip

County GIS

MoDOT Maps

Average Annual Daily Traffic

Traveler Information map

Printable County Maps

Larger List of State System Maps