State Transportation Director Pete Rahn makes his pitch to lawmakers on how his agency will spend the extra money now that voters have approved Amendment Three – the end of the diversion of state gas tax dollars to agencies other than MoDOT. Rahn tells the Joint Committee on Transportation Oversight his folks have a three-tiered plan, with the first part re-paving 2,200 miles of roads around the cities and corridors connecting those cities. Representative Charlie Schlottach is concerned the Transportation Department might be leaving out the rural folks. Rahn says the rural areas will see a trickle-down benefit from the money spent on what some see as urban roads, with other dollars planned for rural projects. The Transportation Department hopes to turn the $130-Million to $150-Million gained from ending the diversion into one and a half billion dollars in bonding.
