Wednesday, December 14, 2011
MODOT says commercial motor vehicle drivers will be banned from using hand-held mobile phones while driving on Jan. 3, and it may be just a matter of time before the ban is applied to all drivers.
After it announced on Monday that a fatal multi-vehicle crash in 2010 might have been related to a driver texting, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said it would hold a Tuesday morning meeting to determine the probable cause of the crash and consider proposed safety recommendations. The crash in question happened in Gray Summit (southwest of St. Louis) and affected several vehicles and more than 40 people. It included two fatalities and 38 injuries, NTSB said in a press release. “This crash involved a series of collisions; first, a pickup truck struck the back of a stopped truck-tractor,” said the release. “Following that, a school bus struck the back of the pickup truck and finally, the first school bus was struck in the …
Friday, June 10, 2011
MoDOT's plan to save $512 million by making job, facility and budget cuts is approved. The necessary changes are already taking place.
The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission approved the Missouri Department of Transportation's (MoDOT) plan to cut staff, facilities and equipment in an effort to save the department $512 million. MoDOT presented the plan to the commission on May 4 and it was approved Wednesday. (Read Previous Story: Transportation Funding Crisis Blamed For MoDOT Cuts) For the most part, the approved version of the plan is what was presented in May: reduce the size of staff by 1,200, close 135 facilities and sell more than 740 pieces of equipment. MoDOT Director Kevin Keith said that by 2015, this plan will not only save the department $512 million, but it will save the department $117 million annually, which will be used for road and bridge …
Thursday, May 5, 2011
MoDOT officials said Wednesday that a transportation funding crisis is forcing cuts in staff, facilities and equipment that will save the department $512 million.
Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) officials said Wednesday that a transportation funding crisis is forcing cuts in staff, facilities and equipment that will save the department $512 million. In a news release, MoDOT officials said that a severe decline in funding and the inability to match federal funds in the near future has led the department to propose reducing the size of its staff by 1,200, closing 135 facilities and selling more than 740 pieces of equipment. MoDOT Director Kevin Keith presented that plan to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission Wednesday. He said that by 2015, this plan will save $512 million that will be used for road and bridge projects. "We asked the director to put forth a bold plan of …
