Getting Ready to Race

When the gun is fired Sept. 7 in St. Louis, the third annual Tour of Missouri will begin -- moving along more than 600 miles of Missouri's roads before ending in Kansas City Sept. 13. As the MoDOT Tour of Missouri project coordinator, I'm teaming up with a variety of highway and traffic experts and public information co-workers around the state to take care of our two primary responsibilities.

First, we've worked with other partners to identify a race route that's safe and attractive for both the professional cyclists and those who will watch along the roads. We consider things like work zones, traffic hazards and construction projects. Most of the course is planned on low-volume, rural routes where hills and curves offer the American and foreign atheltes the challenges they like.

Second, we make sure the traveling public will be informed of the traffic interuptions throughout the seven-day event by coordinating traffic management plans with local communities and law enforcement agencies. We make plans to get the word out so those that want to avoid traffic delays can do so.

We also helped the Missouri Tourism Division by creating host city signs. These signs are being put up on the current city limit sign posts along key routes leading in and out of the communities that will be hosting a race start or finish.

We’ve worked hard to help make this a successful event for our state, and as the race goes along, safety for the traveling public and the cyclists is our main concern.

We're proud the national and international race coverage will highlight our state and that Missouri’s highways will be on display throughout the world!

You'll find race information, race route details and photographs at http://www.tourofmissouri.com/ and http://www.modot.org/.

Starts With a Bang, Ends With a Whimper

Suppose your boss surprises you one day with an unexpected one-time bonus. You decide to use the money to build that new patio you always wanted for your house. Because you’ve planned for that patio for some time and have carefully researched prices, you end up getting a good deal. The money you save on the patio lets you do some repairs and other odd jobs around your house.

But suppose looming in the future is the likelihood your income will decline to almost a third of the current amount. You’ll be lucky to keep what you own, much less buy anything new.

That’s how it is with the Missouri Department of Transportation’s five-year highway construction program. As MoDOT Director Pete Rahn puts it, “It’s a lot like when someone comes to you and says, ‘Do you want the good news or the bad news. That’s how it is with our construction program. We’re going to be able to do a lot of great things at the beginning, but we won’t be able to maintain that momentum.”

Boom!

Did you know Missouri has more major river bridges than any state in the nation? Replacing large bridges is an extensive and costly process, and the old structures go out with a bang.

Enjoy this explosive video as a complement to the fireworks you see this weekend. Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Seventy Days of HEAT

The HEAT is on this summer and it won’t just be 90-degree August days. For the past four years, Missouri has recorded the highest number of fatal and serious injury crashes between July and September.

The Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety is partnering with law enforcement to take precautions to reverse this trend. Law enforcement agencies across Missouri will be using High Enforcement Action Teams to crackdown on impaired drivers and ticket speeding and unbuckled drivers and passengers.

In order for Missouri to reach the statewide goal of 850 or fewer fatalities by 2012, the spike in fatalities between July and September must be prevented.

Enforcement will be coupled with paid media in July and August.

We had a lot of fun - and a lot of heat - shooting the video spot for the campaign. Check it out.

Braking News

Knowing that I work in the motor carrier world, friend Pepper Foxpath (not her real name) asked if I would address some things she’s always wondered about commercial trucks. She asked some fabulous questions that I’ll address over the next several postings.

Today’s subject is braking distance. Pepper wanted to know how cars and tractor-trailers compare. I found some stats from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety that are very interesting. If we look at average total stopping distance at 55 mph, the reaction and braking time for a car and trucks are as follows:

Passenger car -193 feet (2/3 of a football field)
Loaded tractor-trailer with cool brakes -256 feet
Loaded tractor-trailer with hot brakes -430 (twice as long as a car!)
Empty tractor-trailer -249 feet
Tractor only (driving without a trailer) -243 feet

I’m impressed that a loaded truck’s stopping distance is just 63 feet longer than a car when its brakes are cool. Think about it. The semi and its load weigh 20 times the average 4,000 lb. weight of American cars, minivans and SUVs. That’s some fantastic mechanics! Still, that same truck with hot brakes has a stopping distance 68 percent longer.

Truck brakes heat up as they’re used. That’s why in mountain states, downhill stretches of highway have mandatory pull-offs where trucks sit and cool their brakes.

So when you’re out on the road, how can you tell if a truck has hot brakes? From the driver’s seat of your car, it’s nearly impossible. I think I’ll just drive as if all the trucks around me are steaming hot. No darting in front of trucks or making a last-minute turn into the same lane. Giving trucks the full passing lane as we both descend Missouri’s steep spots. Not braking willy-nilly because I think a truck is tailgating me. Driving smart could keep me from being squashed!

Be On the Lookout for Striping Crews

This is a busy time for highway striping crews. These workers are taking advantage of the warm, dry weather to paint brighter, more visible lines on Missouri roads.

Despite the fact that several trucks, complete with flashing signs, travel behind the paint truck to warn drivers to slow down and change lanes, five MoDOT crews have already been involved in crashes this year and have narrowly escaped injuries.

So what more do motorists need, you might ask? MoDOT has a ready response: pay attention and focus on the task at hand - driving. Be patient, obey the speed limit, don't talk or text on cell phones, keep a safe distance from other cars and buckle up.

That just may keep a near-miss from happening to you.

Breathe Easier

Some people say government is full of hot air. With MoDOT and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources working together to reduce diesel emissions, our air will be easier to breathe.

The departments have joined forces to improve air quality and public health in the state's metropolitan areas. MoDNR will administer a grant that helps MoDOT retrofit more than 130 vehicles with technology that reduces pollutants.

Emissions will drop by 288 tons per year - enough to fill 427 Goodyear blimps. Updates for the fleet will also mean better fuel efficiency.
Blue skies all around!