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State Won't Pay for Roads in St. Louis.

March 7, 2005
By: Bente Birkeland
State Capital Bureau

When it comes to fixing state roads, the city of St. Louis is on its own.

Bente (BEN teh) Birkeland has more from Jefferson City.

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A bill died that would have given the city of St. Louis state money to help repair its roads.

Right now, the Missouri Department of Transportation is not responsible for maintaining state roads in St. Louis.

Representative Villa, is a St. Louis Democrat. He says he sponsored the bill because he thinks the current system is unfair.

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"The city of St. Louis decided they didn't want the state to take care of our city streets. It's a lot different city now than it was in 1953-54 so as a result of that I put in this bill every year to get MoDot to come around and do what I think quite frankly is just fair."

A spokesperson for Missouri Department of Transportation says the agency doesn't have enough money to take care of the city's roads.

From the state Capitol, I'm Bente Birkeland.

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A bill died that would have given the city of St. Louis state money to repair its roads.

Bente (BEN teh) Birkeland has more from Jefferson City.

Story:
RunTime:
OutCue: SOC

Right now the city of St. Louis maintains almost all of the state roads that run through it.

Representative Villa, a St. Louis Democrat says that should be the Missouri Department of Transportation's responsibility.

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"For a Jackson county or a Greene county in Springfield to have more state roads maintained than the city of St. Louis, I just don't think is fair.

Villa says he sponsored the bill to make people aware of the problem. He says he didn't think it would pass.

A spokesperson for the Missouri Department of Transportation says the agency doesn't have enough money to take care the city's roads.

Roughly 78 miles of state roads run through the city of St. Louis.

From the state Capitol, I'm Bente Birkeland.

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A bill died that would have made the state responsible for maintaining city roads in St. Louis.

Bente (BEN teh) Birkeland has more from Jefferson City.

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Right now the city of St. Louis pays for repairs and maintenance on 44 miles of state roads that run through it.

Representative Villa, a St. Louis Democrat wants that to change.

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"It's a matter of equity. All the other counties in the state when the arterial roads go through their county they're maintained. But St. Louis city by a bad decision that was made in the middle 1950s, the city of St. Louis decided they didn't want the state to take care of our city streets."

Villa, says roughly 78 miles of state roads run through the city.

A spokesperson for MoDot says the state doesn't have the money or employees to help maintain all of them.

From the state Capitol, I'm Bente Birkeland.