A legislature-created task force has held its first hearing toward the goal of finding a long-term solution for Missouri’s need for transportation funding.

The 21st Century Missouri Transportation System Task Force was created by the adoption of HCR 47, offered by Kansas City Republican Kevin Corlew. He chairs the Task Force.
The task force heard a presentation from the Director of the Department of Transportation Patrick McKenna in which he outlined the funding issue facing the state’s transportation system.
McKenna also reiterated what many lawmakers already know about Missouri’s bridges – many are in need of repair. He said about 1,300 have restrictions on how much weight can be on them because of their condition. 866 more bridges are considered to be in “poor condition.”

Task force members and those who testified, not including McKenna, shared the opinions that have framed the transportation funding debate in recent years. Some spoke for or against increasing Missouri’s motor fuel taxes. Others spoke about other possible solutions such as different ways of utilizing the tax money the Transportation Department already receives. Still others commented on the possibility of public-private partnerships and tolling.
Ron Leone, the executive director for the Missouri Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association, told the committee he didn’t expect it to come up with any new possible solutions beyond those that have been debated before.
Corlew is more optimistic that the task force could come up with some new possible approaches or combinations of approaches
“I think that every day as technology increases and as people really put their minds together and think creatively that there’s innovation coming out. We’re seeing it throughout the country, new ways of funding things. I don’t have a hidden gem right now, but that’s the purpose of this task force – is to get input from the public, to get input from other states, and find out, are there new mechanisms?” said Corlew. “I’m not at a place where I’d say we won’t uncover anything new.”
Corlew said one reason he proposed this task force was because the legislature wasn’t making much progress towards a transportation funding solution in recent sessions.
Corlew intends for the task force to have proposals ready for consideration by the legislature in its 2018 regular session. It will hold more sessions throughout the state in the next few months.