TTF plan a start for streets, but we're in for a bumpy ride

Just about any time Cape Girardeau's city government has rolled out the welcome mat for input, the city's residents have responded with their concerns about the condition of city streets.

The city mapped out a Transportation Trust Fund tax plan after several open meetings and found that residents were much more concerned about fixing old streets than building new ones. The TTF 5 plan is expected to bring in as much as $24 million. The tax will sunset in five years, and calls for about half of that amount to go to fixing and repairing city streets.

But as we learned recently after an interview with city manager Scott Meyer, the TTF funds will help but won't put the city ahead of the deterioration. In other words, even after the five-year TTF sunset is finished, the city will likely have to increase the percentage of funding for repairs even more in the next TTF proposal to get the city's streets in good shape.

According to the reporting by Mark Bliss, officials estimated three years ago that the city would have to spend more than $28 million over the next five years to fully fix the deteriorated city streets. The TTF plan falls short of that estimate.

Why are the streets in such poor shape? Meyer points to the city's previous low standards on street foundations as one reason. Prior to 2009, developers and contractors were allowed to build streets on compacted dirt rather than a four-inch gravel base, which is now the standard. The previous standard allows for moisture and settling problems. Many new streets were built during a heavy growth period in the 1980s and 1990s, and now those streets, particularly with the flimsy bases, are reaching their life expectancy. Those now-substandard streets are "going to haunt us for a generation or two," Meyer said.

We know the city faces a battle in keeping up with street maintenance. The most recent TTF plan is a start, but it's not nearly enough. Along with the TTF funds, the city has continued to pour resources into its street budget from the general fund.

Anyone who drives the city's streets with regularity should be prepared for a bumpy ride that's not going to be fully solved for a number of years. It will be interesting to see how the city moves forward in funding these important infrastructure needs in the future.