ICYMI

Kansas Transportation Secretary comments on short-term highway bill 
Congressional passage on July 31 of a bill that extends federal highway funding through May provides temporary reassurance that Kansas projects and the jobs they create will continue as planned, said Kansas Transportation Secretary Mike King.

“Federal funding makes up nearly a quarter of the funding for Kansas’ 10-year transportation program, T-WORKS, so this bill is important to continue the projects that are underway or already scheduled,” said Secretary King.

“But Kansas and the nation still need a multi-year transportation bill from Washington that provides sustainable funding and certainty for departments of transportation as they address important infrastructure needs. In Kansas, transportation projects provide thousands of jobs in both the short and long term. The economic success of our state depends in large part on maintaining and improving our transportation system.”

Kansas is getting younger.  What does that mean in terms of transportation?

With millennials making up about 28 percent of its population, Kansas ranks ninth in the nation for youngest median age according a recent report by Governing.com.  D.C. takes the top spot followed by Utah, Alaska, North Dakota, and Texas.

Now at 80-million strong in the U.S., millennials are the largest generation in American history.  (The report defines millennials as those born from 1981 to 2000.) 

As more members of this generation become eligible to vote, this could lead to shifts in public policy especially when it comes to transportation as millennials value cars less and public transit more than previous generations. Click here to read more about this trend.