Poll: Should MoDOT Make I-70 A Toll Road To Raise Funds?

Missouri doesn’t allow toll roads but MoDOT wants to change that.

Under the scenario, MoDOT would contract with a private firm to rebuild I-70 and collect tolls as specified in the contract. In the existing model, no tolls would be collected in the St. Louis and Kansas City metropolitan areas.

State lawmakers briefed about the concept estimate about 50 percent of Missourians would support a toll project. (Source)

Another option is increasing the state fuel tax 0.15¢ per gallon.

In the 21+ years I’ve lived in St. Louis I’ve made 15-20 round trip drives to Oklahoma City, paying tolls to drive on I-44. My trip two weeks ago cost me $16 in tolls. I bought gas twice in Oklahoma on this trip but paid nowhere near $16 in Oklahoma gas taxes. I used the road and, over the years, have paid for said use to the tune of about $200.

From a 2002 MoDOT study on tolls:

The Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) was established in 1947 to construct, operate and maintain the Turner Turnpike. In 1954, OTA’s responsibility was expanded to include the construction of additional turnpikes. In 1999, the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority changed its name to the Oklahoma Transportation Authority. Today there are 566 miles of toll roads in Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Transportation Authority board consists of seven members including the Governor and one from each of the six congressional districts. They are appointed by the Governor and approved by the State Senate.

Operation of the Oklahoma turnpike system is financed by toll and concessionaire rentals. The average toll rate for passenger cars is 4.1 cents per mile and 10.6 cents per mile for commercial vehicles. The revenues generated by tolls and concessionaire rentals pays for all of the operation, maintenance, and construction costs of the Turnpike. The Operating Revenues in 2000 were $132.8 million of which $14.2 went to toll collections and $35.6 million went to debt service. PIKEPASS is the electronic toll system for the turnpike. PIKEPASS users comprise 49 percent of the total vehicle traffic.

The Oklahoma system of toll collection has changed since I first moved to St. Louis in 1990. At that time you took a ticket to show where you entered the toll road and paid when you exited. Now they have two big toll plazas along I-44, one between the Missouri state line and Tulsa and the second between Tulsa and Oklahoma City.

If you enter from Missouri but exit before the toll plaza then you pay at the exit. These are unmanned booth with bill changers so drivers can get coin to deposit into the bin. If you exit after the toll plaza but before the end of that section you present your receipt to the person who refunds you the difference. An electronic device (PIKEPASS) is available so you don’t have to stop, you just keep on driving and it debits and credits your pre-paid account.

Since I only do the drive once a year I’ve never bothered getting the device, even though I’d save money each trip (PIKEPASS users get a discount on tolls). A round trip in a semi-truck costs $80 ($20 per stop). I noticed many trucks in the toll plaza during my four stops to pay. MoDOT seems to think everyone will use an electronic device, which just isn’t true based on my experience.MoDOT’s 2002 report indicates 49% pay electronically. Obviously this may be different nine years later.

On the positive side, I-44 in Oklahoma is very well maintained and self sufficient when you include federal transportation funds. The toll booths also create jobs in rural areas.

Right now Missouri is in the bottom group of states when it comes to gas taxes. MoDOT’s 15¢ per gallon alternative would put us near the top — paid by everyone in the state. Clearly they are trying to get the Missouri legislature to allow them to toll I-70. Regardless of tolls on I-70 I think our gas taxes should be increased 3-5 cents per gallon to put us into the average for the surrounding states.

The question of tolling I-70 is the poll topic this week. You can vote in the right sidebar and add comments below.

– Steve Patterson

Reurbanizing Jefferson & Lafayette Pt 1

The Union Club once stood on the SE corner of Jefferson & Lafayette:

The Union Club was a social club which built its Romanesque Revival home on the current Union Club site in 1890. The Great Cyclone of 1896 completely destroyed the first Union Club building which was rebuilt on the site in 1900. The building remained until the 1950’s when it was demolished and an Aldi Grocery store was erected on the site.

The history above is far too brief, for example, Aldi didn’t begin US operations until 1976. The building that had the Aldi store is visible in a 1971 satellite image. In 1958 the site had a large oval object. You can view images at HistoricAerials.com, just search for 1700 S. Jefferson 63104.

I-44 wasn’t around in 1958 but was in place by 1971. The former gas station on the NE corner of the intersection was built in 1960, per city records. That property is now owned by the Church of Scientology, again per city records. The gas station still in operation on the NW corner was built in 1950.

I’ll be looking closer at the NW corner on Monday, today I want to focus on the SE corner. For decades this intersection, with the exception of the Barr Library on the SW corner, went from urban walkable to auto-centric drivable. All over the city the same thing happened, one by one corners were chipped away and then the spots between the corners until nothing urban remained. It took decades to destroy this intersection and it will take decades more to reurbanize it.

Thankfully in 2007 a big step forward was made with the construction of the Union Club condos.  It’s not perfect but it gives the SE corner much needed massing.

Just because an area was turned over to the auto decades ago doesn’t mean it must remain the way forever in the future.

If we build the right forms in the right places we can reorganize the city one intersection at a time. Monday I will look at the NW corner mostly occupied by the long vacant National/Foodland.

– Steve Patterson

Walk The Path The Homeless Do, Saturday 11/19

For those of you that think the homeless have it easy, with meals and other services handed to them, have I got the event for you!

To conclude National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week The Bridge takes you on a walk for a couple of hours:

The Bridge invites you to the 4th Annual Walking Home event on Saturday, November 19

Doors open at 9:00 a.m, Event starts at 10:00

Lunch following The Walk

Music by The St. Louis Big Band

Experience a small part of the journey traveled every day by hundreds of residents of downtown St. Louis who are currently without a home.

Walk in their shoes. Hear their stories.

Learn how you can make a difference.

The Walk is a no-fee event. Free-will donations are welcome.

Lunch is provided after the walking tour, donations are accepted but not required. This event will take place rain or shine! Parking is available but the #10 Gravois/Lindell MetroBus has a stop at 16th & Olive. Numerous other bus lines are nearby as is MetroLink light rail (equal distance from Union Station & Civic Center stations).

– Steve Patterson

Outdated Info At MetroBus Shelter

One thing my friends and I want to accomplish with the Transit Riders Union of St. Louis is to get Metro to keep information provided to bus riders updated at least as well as info for MetroLink light rail riders, we’ve all noticed a separate and unequal treatment.

Another friend, a regular MetroBus user, posted the above pic on Facebook Tuesday and I asked if I could use it. He called Metro to report the information was way out of date.

Really? Information from five years ago still up at a bus shelter!

The current fare is $2.00 so there has only been one fare increase since August 2006. It’s possible my friend just happened upon the only shelter that didn’t get updated but it’s also possible others are also outdated. I know I’m going to pay more attention to the information at shelters. Hat tip to S.A. for noticing!

– Steve Patterson

Readers: Saint Louis University Shouldn’t Be Allowed To Raze The Historic Pevely Dairy Complex

College campuses often reflect their location: rural, suburban or urban. Although Saint Louis University is in an urban location, it is doing a great job of destroying all aspects of urban life.

Last week the majority of readers that voted in the poll do not want this to continue:

Q: Should the St. Louis Preservation Board allow SLU to raze the former Pevely Dairy building at Grand & Chouteau?

1. No 134 [66.34%]
2. Yes 43 [21.29%]
3. Maybe 14 [6.93%]
4. Other: 9 [4.46%]
5. Unsure/No Opinion 2 [0.99%]

The 43 “Yes” answers must be from those who think they have a rational look at life.

The reality is each and every time an urban building is replaced with an anti-urban building set behind a green lawn the environment is denigrated, making revitalization that much harder. Wealthy institutions know this will help them but more land, something they couldn’t do if areas thrived with private investment.

Here are the nine other answers provided by readers:

1. Not the main structure.
2. Hell no! Apparently SLU thinks its interests are parallel to ours. WRONG!
3. only if they replace it with a huge fountain or better yet museum of fountains
4. Yes, SLU doesn’t own enough vacant land for this project.
5. No, there’s a shortage of university housing, build reasonably price apts
6. Need to see post-demo land use plans before final determination
7. SLU has a Center for Sustainability with no real estate–rehab Pevely for that
8. No, they should renovate it and add on another building if needed
9. If it can’t be rehabbed

From the nomination (PDF) to the National Register of Historic Places in 2009:

The Pevely Dairy Company Plant sits on an approximately eight-acre site in the Midtown Neighborhood of St. Louis on the west side of South Grand Boulevard between Chouteau and Hickory Avenues. Constructed between 1915 and 1945, the Pevely Dairy Company Plant was designed as the headquarters for the growing company; it remained in service as a dairy until November 2008. It is comprised of three buildings, a smokestack, and two parking lots. The 1915 four-story, red brick office building is located at 1001 South Grand Boulevard. It features a three-bay façade with large display windows in the first level, and retains the original wood door and pedimented entrance surround. A terra cotta cornice with colored tile designs ornaments the flat roofline. Many of the original wood industrial windows have also been retained on this building, as well as the glazed brick walls and floors and intricate woodwork. The 1916 milk plant sits behind the office building at 3626 Chouteau Avenue. This three-story brick and concrete industrial building had additions in 1943, 1945, 1975 and 1997. Featuring metal hopper windows, three loading docks, two metal coolers and two steam tanks, the milk plant’s architecture is primarily functional rather than artistic. The interior retains its glazed brick walls and floors, as well as large, open storage rooms that include concrete mushroom columns. A 1928 garage is located south of the milk plant at 1101 Motard Avenue. This brick, arch-roofed structure retains original glazed glass metal windows, with sliding metal doors and stepped parapet walls on the east and west elevations. The interior consists of an open parking area with a concrete floor. Originally connected to a boiler and powerhouse, the 1943 smokestack now sits across a parking lot from the office building. The brick structure includes a glazed brick design spelling out the Pevely name. The adjacent parking lot and a lot between the milk plant and garage have historically served as open parking and loading space, and are included in the boundary. Though three of the Pevely structures have burned since the period of significance, the factory as a whole retains the industrial structures primarily associated with the company. These buildings are in good condition and continue to reflect their industrial significance.

The issue is said to be on the November 28th Preservation Board agenda, which isn’t available yet. I’m glad to see Mary “One” Johnson is no longer on the board, she consistently voted in favor of demolitions.

Saint Louis University must show the structure(s) cannot be reused — not necessarily for their intended purpose  but for any reasonable use. We’ll see how they try to spin this at the meeting.

– Steve Patterson