Which traffic project do you want to see completed?

5:48 a.m. CDT, June 23, 2011

If you have ever complained about traffic in Springfield, now is your chance to help fix it.  Citizens are being asked to help identify what should be a transportation project priority.

(edited news release)

The City of Springfield's Department of Public Works is asking citizens to choose their top priorities for transportation improvements in Springfield through an online survey.

Public Works engineers have identified more than 70 proposed projects designed to not only make streets safer, but also more user-friendly for all modes of transportation. The list was created using the following criteria:

•Increased safety for all users

•Support of economic development

•Protection and enhancement of the environment and quality of life

•Intermodal connectivity

•Condition of the infrastructure

•Opportunity for public and private partnerships

The survey results will help Public Works and the City determine where resources should be directed in the coming years. The City has two dedicated sales taxes for transportation improvements (1/8-cent and 1/4-cent) that voters have renewed by wide margins in recent years. Taken together, along with various federal funding and grants, these revenue streams will produce about $200 million for improvements in the next 20 years.

"We are fortunate that Springfield voters have had the foresight to dedicate and renew these two sales taxes," said Phil Broyles, Co-Interim Director of Public Works. "Yet we have more than $250 million worth of improvements that could be made in the City. So prioritizing is key, and citizen input is an important part of that process."

Public Works has traditionally given voters a list of proposed projects before each 1/8-cent and 1/4-cent renewal election, dating back to the inception of the 1/4-cent Sales Tax for Capital Improvements in 1989 and the 1/8-cent Sales Tax for Transportation in 1996. The new survey is an attempt to seek more public input earlier in the process. This is meant to be a dynamic, adaptable, responsive program that is evaluated on a regular basis to ensure that the projects accurately reflect the community's changing transportation needs.

Take the Public Works Transportation Survey now, so your voice can be heard.