MoDOT Needs Mo’ Money

I promise you that is the last time I am going to use a version of that line. Before I go any further, I want to give a nod to Jonathan in Jeff City, who loves the blog and reads it every day. I won’t get him in trouble by printing his full name or position, but he’ll know who I mean when he reads this. (Not that it would really get him into any trouble, but it’s fun to pretend it would.)

Combest had a nice link yesterday to a Missourinet story about MoDOT Director Pete Rahn’s talk with legislators. The great part about the presentation is its inclusion of notions that would have been almost unthinkable for Missouri just 10 years ago. Many people would probably recoil at the fee for vehicle miles traveled, but I don’t mind it so much — provided it replaces existing taxes (as opposed to just raising new ones), and provided it’s done as part of an annual inspection, and does not involve GPS tracking of your car and where it goes. The idea is worth considering, as are toll roads and public-private partnerships in transportation. It is great for our state that Director Rahn has been such a promoter of new thinking for Missouri.