Welcome to this virtual open house for Connected 2050!
Connected 2050 is the East-West Gateway (EWG) Council of Government’s long-range transportation plan (LRTP), which is updated every four years.
This open house includes four sections for you to provide input on the Guiding Principles. Are there principles we’re missing or should include? How can we measure success for these principles? Click the blue feedback buttons to give us your input on the proposed Guiding Principles and our Equity Investment Analysis.
CONTENTS
- Connected 2050 Overview
- The LRTP process
- LRTP Survey
- Guiding Principles
- Equity Investment Analysis
- Feedback and Resources
Connected 2050 Overview
Connected 2050 aims to build and maintain a safe and accessible multimodal transportation system to support a thriving quality of life in the St. Louis region, and covers the following topics:
- Guiding Principles that will influence decisions on future investments for the region’s transportation system
- An assessment of the equity of past investments in the transportation system
- A State of the System Report that includes transportation system condition and performance data
- The process used to evaluate and select transportation improvement projects
- How transportation projects impact air quality in the region
The LRTP process:
- Establishes the long-term vision and priorities for the St. Louis region’s transportation system, including highways, bridges, public transit, and bicycle and pedestrian routes.
- The LRTP is a Federally required process that must be updated every four years. The LRTP serves as the framework for regional transportation decision-making and investments, and balances technical needs, budgetary constraints, and public desires.
- Aligns with Federal transportation priorities identified in the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
- Establishes a set of performance measures that track progress toward achieving the region’s transportation goals. These measures correspond with EWG’s Guiding Principles.
LRTP Survey
As part of Connected 2050, East-West Gateway conducted a survey (census-weighted to provide statistically valid information) to obtain resident feedback on the best ways to improve the St. Louis region’s transportation system.
Guiding Principles
Connected 2050’s Guiding Principles are a key element of the LRTP and will guide transportation policy and investment in the St. Louis region long term. The proposed Guiding Principles are divided into three categories:
- Our Communities and Region: These principles focus on improving community and regional quality-of-life outcomes.
- Our Transportation System: These principles are linked to performance measures that will monitor how the transportation system meets the needs of the region’s residents.
- Our Process: These principles establish the framework and approach for EWG’s transportation planning process.
Why are the Guiding Principles so important?
The Guiding Principles directly impact projects that are selected for funding via EWG’s Transportation Improvement Program (TIP). The TIP is updated annually and incorporates local and state transportation projects over the next four years. Projects identified in the TIP must support and be aligned with the region’s Guiding Principles and policies established in the long-range transportation plan.
What’s in the TIP?
- The TIP includes a schedule of transportation improvements planned over the next four years.
- Transportation projects must be included in the TIP to receive federal funds.
- The TIP is developed in cooperation with partner transportation agencies. Projects are often funded with a combination of federal, state, and local funds.
Watch the videos below to learn more about the proposed Guiding Principles.
Our Communities and Region
Our Transportation System
Our Process
Equity Investment Analysis
Equity in transportation seeks fairness in mobility and accessibility to meet the needs of all community members. A central goal of transportation is to facilitate social and economic opportunities by providing equitable levels of access to affordable and reliable transportation options based on the needs of the populations being served, particularly populations that are traditionally underserved.
EWG is conducting a regional Equity Investment Analysis to ensure that transportation investments support the needs of all residents. This analysis will also explore the distribution of transportation investments over the past 20 years and illustrate how those investments have affected different communities and socio-economic groups within the region. This analysis will explore historical transportation policies and investments over the last 50 plus years, as well as other policies at the federal, state, and local levels that have impacted played a role in transportation access and socio-economic conditions in the St. Louis region.
Feedback and Resources
Public input and engagement are central to the success of EWG’s long-range planning efforts and EWG is committed to engaging stakeholders in a variety of ways.
For more information, download or review the following resources:
- Guiding Principles presentation
- LRTP survey results
- Where We Stand (2018)
Contact Saranya Konala (Corridor & Long-Range Planning Coordinator) for more information (saranya.konala@ewgateway.org).
EWG fully complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and related statutes and regulations in all programs and activities. For more information, or to obtain a Title VI Nondiscrimination Complaint Form, see www.ewgateway.org/titlevi or call (314) 421-4220 or (618) 274-2750. This project is supported, in part, by a grant provided from the U.S. Department of Transportation through the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Illinois Department of Transportation. The opinions, findings, and conclusions expressed in this document are those of the author and not necessarily those of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, the Illinois Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, or the Federal Transit Administration.