One of Dent County Health Center’s initiatives is promoting community health through our built environment, physical activity, and active transportation. Physical inactivity underpins much of the health problems facing our community today, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
One of the easiest ways to increase heart health is through regular exercise, including walking. Individuals who live in areas where it is easy and pleasant to walk have lower rates of heart disease. DCHC strives to advocate to improve the walkability and the built environment in Salem and Dent County.
One way that we do this is through advocacy and outreach. MoDOT controls many of the major roadways in Salem, including Scenic Rivers Blvd (32/72), Main St (19), and MacArthur (Rts HH/J). MoDOT is currently in the planning phase for improvements to MO 32/72. Now is the time to provide comments on the project and to let MoDOT know your opinions.
Ideas to Comment On
MO32/72 and 19 Pedestrian Improvements (Project #CD0129)
- Talk about areas where crosswalks are nonexistent or in disrepair
- Consider routes that people take on bikes
- Consider how someone might walk from north of 32 to the Elementary school
- Consider how someone might walk from South of 32 to work somewhere north of 32
- Consider how someone might walk to Walmart or Country Mart.
- Talk about areas that may need sidewalks
- Talk about common pedestrian/biking and car conflicts
- Talk about other issues that are important to you regarding the project.
- Consider the City of Salem’s Active Transportation Plan in your comments.
How to Comment
Go to https://www.modot.org/form/draft-stip-comments to submit your comments. The main project affecting Salem at this time is the MO 32/72 & 19 project. Include the CD0129 when you can. Provide your comment by May 31st.
Sample Comment
Still not sure? Read the following comment for ideas. It’s not necessary to provide this much detail. Your comment can be as short as a couple sentences. The important part is to make your voice heard!
Sample Comment Text
Thank you for the chance to comment. There are a few projects I would like to discuss that align with the City of Salem’s Active Transportation Plan (ATP).
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The first is MO-32 (CD0129). We greatly appreciate MODOT prioritizing this route for ADA pedestrian upgrades, extending out to Craig Industrial Drive. Connecting Country Mart, a local grocer, with the rest of the pedestrian network is vital This area receives a lot of pedestrian and bicycle traffic and will benefit from improvements. This is also the #1 sidewalk priority area in the Salem ATP.
We would also suggest that a bike lane be considered in this project, especially on 32-East where there are very wide lanes and sufficient shoulders. Currently, bicycles ride on the sidewalks. We also expect that bike lanes on this important stretch of 32 would support business growth as more people could travel to the business in this area. In addition, it will help connect cyclists to Country Mart.
We would also ask that you consider the construction of the Doss Road stoplight. Given this is a major pedestrian pathway (and the only crosswalk across Hwy 32 E), we would suggest paying extra attention and devoting more resources to this in your design. Perhaps a roundabout could provide better traffic flow and pedestrian and biking protections here, as in the mornings there is a lot of traffic going toward the school, as well as toward the Casey’s and the new Coffee business.
Highway 32 West, which connects to Walmart, another important grocery store, could also benefit from a bike lane and improved pedestrian connections. Currently, there is no way to safely cross this road. It is designed for higher speeds and motorists do not yield for pedestrians. Most of the places people want to go are on Highway 32, and there is no sidewalk on the entire southern portion of this road either. We consistently monitor people walking on the south side of 32 to go Walmart and the residential areas on the South of town. Consider a road diet for Highway 32 West to make space for a bike lanes and a pedestrian path on the south side of Highway 32. The Salem ATP identifies the sidewalk on the south side of MO32 from 19 to Missouri Ave as the #3 sidewalk priority.
The east side of Highway 19 from Roosevelt St to the north is the #9 priority on the ATP. Again, since there are few crosswalks on this road, it is important to provide pedestrian facilities on both sides of the highway.
We hope that the plan also provides for some crossing areas to get across highways 32 and 19. We would suggest that more crossings are necessary than would normally be considered because there is no sidewalk (and we are assuming there are no current plans to install one) on the south side of highway 32.
In the city of Salem’s Active transportation plan, there are 7 proposed crosswalks prioritized, and five of them are in the project area. They are, in priority order according to the plan:
1) MO32/Hwy 19 (No ability to cross this intersection in any direction). Additional consideration should be given here to the new McDonalds which has caused a lot of left turning conflicts on the roadway.
2)MO32/Askins St – Important for allowing pedestrians access to Walmart. There was a pedestrian severely injured at this intersection in the past.
3) MO19/Franklin St. –
4)MO32 E/Babb Ln
5) MO19/Center Street
The Active Transportation Plan
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The second project we wish to comment on is J and K Highway in Dent County (5S3564). We understand that this is probably either chip and seal or an oil application, and we assume restriping of the roadway will be necessary afterwards. We hope consideration will be given on route J (MacArthur) in Salem during restriping to make space for a bicycle path, or to sign the road and lanes as bicycle shared lanes.
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Third, we are disappointed to see that Highway HH in Salem (MacArthur) is not on the STIP for pedestrian improvements. This commuter road goes through a heavily residential area, and many children and pedestrians walk on this road. There is no shoulder of any kind and nowhere for people to walk except in the road. There have been dozens of near-misses because of this. MODOT should prioritize pedestrian facilities on this roadway to prevent incidents from occurring here. Sidewalks on this route are #8 priority on the Salem ATP.
Thank you again for the opportunity to comment. We hope to hear back and to be a part of the design process for these projects.
