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Residents and council press MoDOT over Clarkson Road "bump outs" after local testimony and committee hearing
Summary
Multiple Chesterfield residents and council members urged removal of 72 curb bump-outs installed on MO‑340 (Clarkson Road), criticizing lack of municipal notice and citing safety and emergency access concerns. Speakers said a recent state legislative hearing and Representative Ben Keithley’s work could lead to removal.
Chesterfield residents and several council members pressed the Missouri Department of Transportation over recently installed curb bump-outs on Clarkson Road (MO‑340), saying the features were added with little municipal notice and are creating safety and access problems.
At the podium, Patricia Tocco, a Ward 2 resident, told the council she requested email records under the Sunshine Law and received more than 600 pages showing internal and external communications about the bump-outs. She quoted a city public-works email saying the city does not control state highways and asked whether the city had taken an official position or provided input to MoDOT.
The nut graf: residents, former city officials and council members described the bump-outs as numerous and disruptive, said communication with MoDOT has been inconsistent, and encouraged coordination with state representatives after testimony at a legislative committee hearing.
Former Council Member Michelle Oley, who testified to the state Committee for Transportation about House Bill 6 65 (as she read it), told the council she and others view MoDOT’s work as "reckless spending" done without coordination with municipal governments. Oley said the bump-outs have hampered use of shoulders during peak traffic hours (including morning and late‑afternoon peaks) and limited emergency vehicles’ ability to pull aside.
Council members and staff reiterated that the city does not have regulatory authority over state highways. City Administrator Jeff Geisel and other council members said they have repeatedly communicated concerns to MoDOT representatives (Tom Blair and others) and that city officials attended the MoDOT meeting on the issue. One council member said there are 72 bump-outs in the corridor and that the installations began around last November.
Oley and others pointed to recent activity at the state level: Representative Ben Keithley was reported to be working with MoDOT leadership about the installations, and Oley said she expected the bump-outs to be removed "fairly soon." Patricia Tocco and others said they want a formal city statement and clearer lines of communication going forward.
The meeting also included an allegation that the city’s lobbyist had been instructed to remain silent at the legislative hearing; council members said they would investigate who gave that instruction and report back.
The council did not take a formal vote on the matter during the meeting; speakers and members limited the session to public comment and discussion. Mayor and council members asked staff to follow up with MoDOT and with Representative Keithley’s office and to report back at a future meeting.
Ending: Council members urged continued resident input and said city staff will pursue additional clarity with MoDOT and the state representative to determine whether the bump-outs can be removed or modified.
