Public, business officials weigh in on East Sunshine safety plan

Installing medians to limit left turns on East Sunshine Street is an idea that is seen by officials to have safety benefits, but business leaders along the route have expressed vocal opposition to the plan since it was proposed in 2022. 

At a meeting today in Springfield of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission, the idea’s pros and cons were discussed by officials and business owners, with strong opinions on either side. 

Matt Morrow, president and CEO of the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce, thanked the commission for taking a thoughtful approach to the proposal. 

Morrow described a request made by the business community at the outset of the project. 

“I know you did everything that’s required … but we’d like you to go back and ask more questions and really engage with those stakeholders along that corridor,” he said, referring to the community’s request at the time. “Take the extra time to measure twice, cut once, and get this right.” 

Morrow said there are multiple perspectives, but he noted it is important to have a safe corridor on East Sunshine and build capacity.  

“It’s good for business, and we want to see that happen as well,” he said.  

David Cameron, Springfield city manager, spoke to follow up a letter of support he had sent to commission members. 

He said corridor improvements are one of the city’s top 10 priorities in its comprehensive plan, Forward SGF. 

He noted Sunshine is joint owned between the Missouri Department of Transportation on its east and west ends and the city of Springfield in the center section. 

He added that the city is supportive of the changes, and he noted that in the last three years that the plan has been evaluated, there have been numerous serious crashes as well as fatalities. 

“This is a material opportunity and situation that for our public safety and transportation that we have to take very seriously,” he said. 

Two Springfield City Council members offered support. 

Councilmember Brandon Jenson also noted corridor improvements are one of the top 10 recommendations ofForward SGF. He added that over a year ago, the city adopted a mitigation plan for its section of the route to use some of the same strategies. 

“You’re not doing this work alone, and it’s being done in full view of the local decision-makers,” he said. 

State Rep. Bill Owen, R-Springfield, said the route has a left-turn lane along its entirety that serves drivers well. 

He also said he knows multiple people with businesses along the route, as well as multiple residents, and he does not know a single person who supports the plan. 

Rep. Curtis Trent, R-Springfield, said adding a median to the corridor would be a harmful move. 

“You’re going to see permanent, tangible harm done to that economic corridor that will have unintended side effects that will be negative for the whole region,” he said. 

Councilmember Bruce Adib-Yazdi also offered support, noting that he takes a longer view than most as an architect. He said traffic is already increasing and changing driving habits on the route. 

“Things are going to change,” he said. 

If customers are inconvenienced by a median, he said, they will change driving habits to accommodate. 

The meeting ended at 12:03 p.m., publication time for the SBJ Daily Update, with no decision by the commission on the corridor issue. 

This is a developing story.