A program designed to help local communities with infrastructure and transportation projects has been suspended.
The Missouri Moves Cost Share Program, established by the Missouri General Assembly for the 2017 fiscal year, pooled together money for public and private applicants to use on transportation projects in Missouri.
The program received 101 applications requesting over $71 million from the program’s funds. But Gov. Nixon cut $20 million from Missouri Moves on Sep. 15. Because of the budget cuts, the Missouri Department of Transportation suspended the program.
“The overwhelming response from this many applicants shows that there is a local need for sustainable funding for transportation in Missouri,” MoDOT spokesperson Matt Hiebert said.
Jefferson City submitted two applications to the Missouri Moves program, one to build new sidewalks on Missouri Boulevard and another to access the river front across from the railroad tracks in the city.
“The state legislator had appropriated $20 million that then would go out to projects," Jefferson City engineer David Bange said. "I think their intention was to try and spur some infrastructure improvements that wouldn’t otherwise get built.”
Because the Missouri Moves program was suspended, Jefferson City will need to seek out new funding.
“Certainly we would like to move forward with them," Bange said. "We won’t be able to do that without some other type of grant funding."
Bange said the city plans to submit other applications to competitive grant programs to find funding for these projects elsewhere. However, he still sees a need for there to be further funding for infrastructure projects in Missouri.