MoDOT to hold meeting on Draft State Rail Plan | Events

POPLAR BLUFF, MO (KFVS) - The Missouri Department of Transportation will hold a series of public meetings for feedback on the Draft State Rail Plan, including one in Poplar Bluff on Wednesday, April 25.

The Poplar Bluff meeting will be at the Poplar Bluff Chamber of Commerce, 1111 West Pine Street.

MoDOT says all open house meetings will be held from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. with a presentation at 4:45 p.m.

According to MoDOT, the new draft of the State Rail Plan includes enhancing passenger rail service and improving freight rail access, which they say were among the top public recommendations. The plan is intended to provide a 20-year strategic framework for passenger and freight rail development in Missouri.

"Missourians told us both freight and passenger rail provide numerous economic, environmental and transportation benefits to the state," said Eric Curtit, state administrator of railroads. "They made it very clear increased access to both types of service is important to Missouri's future."

MoDOT says draft recommendations also call for completion of projects designed to improve the reliability of the state-supported Amtrak Missouri River Runner service, with a longer-term goal of adding more trains and schedule options to the route. They say this service currently operates at 79 mph and with incremental improvements could travel as fast as 90 mph. The plan also proposes a staged approach to establishing dedicated high-speed passenger rail service (110 mph or higher) between St. Louis and Kansas City and setting priorities for new corridor developments, such as service to Springfield and Hannibal and feeder bus routes to Branson, Columbia and St. Joseph.

"The ideas of guidance shared by individuals and organizations last fall led to the creation of a good plan," said Kristi Jamison, state rail plan project manager. "Public input is just as important now as we finalize Missouri's rail development strategies for the next two decades."

Other public meetings include:

• Tuesday, April 17 - Springfield Chamber of Commerce, 202 South J.Q. Hammons Parkway, Springfield, Mo.
• Wednesday, April 18 - MoDOT Central Office, Conference Room 100, 105 W. Capitol, Jefferson City, Mo.
• Thursday, April 26 - Kirkwood Train Depot, 110 West Argonne, Kirkwood, Mo.

The draft plan is available by clicking here, where the online version of the public meeting will also be available starting April 10. MoDOT says public comments will be accepted until May 4.

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