Throwback Thursday

Check out this video about work zone awareness from 2015.  And don't miss out on your opportunity to help promote safety in work zones this year by signing up for our thunderclap.  Click here to do so.

Watch 12 years of construction on New York’s $4 billion transportation hub in 1 minute

Much work went into making the World Trade Center Transportation Hub a reality. Check out New York Magazine's short video about it below.

Can you design an intersection better than a 5th grader?

As part of a Math and Science Club project, students at Village Elementary School in Emporia, Kan. redesigned a local intersection.  KDOT Secretary Mike King was on hand to view these design projects.  Check out the work of these talented students below.

How many counties have met the $8 million promise?

When the Kansas Legislature passed the state transportation program, T-WORKS, in 2010, it required that at least $8 million be invested in every Kansas county.  The $8 million could be made up of highway, rail and aviation projects. Currently, 93 out of the 105 counties have met that promise.

Of the remaining 12 counties, many have work currently scheduled that will get them to the $8 million mark.  For example, $6.7 million of work has been completed in Rush County so far and another $1.4 million worth of work is currently scheduled to begin in the next few years.

You can learn more about the $8 million promise and check it's progress by clicking here.

Westbound I-70 closed at Hays

Westbound I-70 at Hays west to the Colorado border has been closed as of 7:15 am CDT because of winter weather conditions in Colorado and limited truck parking.

Other roads in northern Kansas may be snow-packed or icy.  Drivers should use extra caution today.

For up-to-date information on road closures and road conditions, call 511 in Kansas or 866-511-5368 outside Kansas, or check travel information online at www.kandrive.org.

Would you use an app to help you find parking?

The U.S. Department of Transportation and Alphabet's Sidewalk Labs have announced a new platform, Flow, which uses real-time data to direct users to available parking and helps adjust travel patterns to alleviate congestion.

“Essentially the way this will work is we will build a platform to ingest different forms of data to help users understand [it] in real time,” said Sidewalk CEO Dan Doctoroff. “It can come from third party apps or city’s own data [about road closures/construction]. It will enable cities to create dashboards for transportation, parking.”

This effort is part of USDOT's Smart City Challenge program that seeks to identify sources of congestion and areas underserved by public transit.

“Empowering disadvantaged communities to take advantage of technology and innovation is a key component of the Smart City Challenge,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx. “By embracing smart technologies and concepts that eliminate the digital divide, strengthen connections to jobs and remove physical barriers to access, we can strengthen communities throughout the country.  Our partnership with Sidewalk Labs will help cities engage citizens, improve access to mobility and help cities manage evolving transportation challenges.”

You can learn more about Flow by clicking here.

What is a ghost bike?

With warmer temperatures on the way, many Kansans will be riding their bikes more.   We encourage bike riders to please use extra caution.  While motor vehicle crashes have been in decline since 2009, bicycle and pedestrian accidents have actually increased during the same time period.  In 2012, more than 5,000 pedestrians and bicyclists across the U.S. were killed in crashes with motor vehicles.

Check out this chilling video below to learn more.

Clay Center airport receives $120,000 grant

Learn more about this project in the video below.

St. Patrick's Day can be a dangerous day on the roads

Over St. Patrick’s Day from 2009 to 2013, there were a total of 276 lives lost in drunk-driving crashes.  It can be a particularly dangerous day on the road.  Please find a designated driver if you plan on drinking today or any other day for that matter.

The Last Mile: Transportation enables health care access for rural areas

Safety March Madness

Our friends at the Kansas Traffic Safety Resource Office have put together a "Safety Madness" bracket.  The matchups will be determined by which "team" gets the most votes on social media.

You can learn more about each of the tournament teams by clicking here.

Voting starts today.  Please cast your vote at https://twitter.com/DriveSafeKansas.

Spring-Forward Monday has a higher amount of car crashes

Drivers should use an extra bit of caution today as the drowsiness associated with daylight savings time has been associated with a higher rate of car crashes.

In 1999, researchers at Johns Hopkins University and Stanford wanted to find out what happens on the road when millions of drivers have their sleep disrupted.

Analyzing 21 years of fatal car crash data from the U.S. National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, they found a very small, but significant, increase of road deaths on the Monday after the clock shift in the spring: The number of deadly accidents jumped to an average of 83.5 on the "spring forward" Monday compared to an average of 78.2 on a typical Monday.

"We didn’t expect to see anything, actually," Richard P. Allen, the Johns Hopkins neurologist who oversaw the study. "To me it was really amazing that one hour made that difference."

So please stay safe today.

How to fix potholes in 62 seconds

Check out KDOT's portable  pothole patching process.  And say that three times in a row while you're at it.

College basketball player shares powerful story

As we enter tournament season in college basketball, millions of people will be celebrating their teams victories across the country.   Let's make sure no one drives home drunk after these victory parties.  Check out, a budding college basketball player, Antonio Mason's story about how his life was changed in an instant because of a drunk driver.

Tuesday Trivia: Amelia Earhart

In honor of International Woman's Day, today's trivia subject is transportation pioneer and Kansas native Amelia Earhart.

1.  Amelia Earhart was born in which Kansas town?
        A. Atchison
        B. Dodge City
        C. Wichita
        D. Salina

She was born in Atchison, Kan. on July 24, 1897.

2. Was Amelia Earhart the first woman to receive a pilot's license?
       A.Yes
       B. No

She was not the first woman to receive a license.

3. How many women received their pilot's licenses before she did?
       A.1
       B. 8
       C. 15
       D. 22

15 women received their license before she did.  Earhart was number 16.

4. Was Amelia Earhart married?
        A. Yes
        B.  No.

She was married to George Putnam on February 7, 1931.

5. How much did the U.S. government spend on the search for Earhart?
       A. $250,000
       B. $500,000
       C. $1 million
       D. $4 million

The government spent $4 million in the air and sea search making it the most costly search ever at that time.
     

      

     

11 projects approved in February letting

A $19.9 million project to replace five bridges on I-235 in Wichita between Zoo Boulevard and K-96 was approved as part of the Feb. 17 KDOT letting. Dondlinger & Sons from Wichita will be the prime contractor.  The two new bridges over the Arkansas River and the Wichita-Valley Center Floodway Canal on the southbound lanes of I-235 will be constructed in 2016, with the roadway being fully re-opened to traffic late this fall. Work will resume next spring to construct the two new bridges on northbound I-235 over the Arkansas River and the Floodway Canal, as well as the 25^th Street overpass over I-235.

The project will utilize the “Smart Work Zone” system to better handle the traffic flow through the construction zone. A Smart Work Zone consists of a group of devices that work together, using software to automatically detect traffic conditions and respond using preprogrammed messages on travel times and slowed/stopped traffic conditions through the work zone, to provide advance traffic condition information to motorists approaching the work zone.

To see more details about the 11 projects approved in last month’s letting, click here.

Transformation Tuesday: Benton Airport

Did you know that there are 138 public use airports in Kansas?  These airports provide critical air ambulance service for area residents and can generate economic growth for a community.  However, to be able to do all this, sometimes, they need a makeover.

Here's an example of what the Benton, Kan. airport runway looked like before the project took place.

And thanks to funding provided by KDOT's airport improvement program, this is what the runway looked like after the project was completed.

Not only did this improve the accessibility for the airport, it helped to generate additional development around the area.  Check out what it looks like today.

To learn more about KDOT Airport Improvement Program, click here.