Governor outlines T-WORKS projects, additional investments to move forward with transportation funding

Governor Laura Kelly and Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz announce plans to invest $160 million in revenue included in the FY2020 budget.

Governor Laura Kelly joined Kansas Secretary of Transportation Julie Lorenz to announce the Kansas Department of Transportation’s (KDOT) plans to invest $160 million in revenue that is included in the Governor’s FY 2020 budget for transportation.

Governor Kelly addresses the audience and announces four delayed T-WORKS projects across Kansas will resume construction.

The $160 million comes from reducing the amount of money transferred out of the State Highway Fund. Since 2011, more than $2 billion has been transferred out of the State Highway Fund, causing costly project delays, reduced highway preservation work, a decline in the health of our highway system and an inability to plan for future projects.

“With this $160 million in revenue, we will strengthen our highway system, take steps towards completing T-WORKS, and provide resources to communities across the state,” said Governor Laura Kelly.

“These are important steps forward, but to be clear, we still have a long way to go in order to get our transportation system where it should be.”

With the $160 million in FY 2020, KDOT will:

• Increase the highway preservation investment from $350 - $400 million
• Move forward with four delayed T-WORKS projects:
  o US-54 in Seward County (Expansion project; let for construction Fall 2019)
  o US-169 in Anderson County (Modernization project; let for construction Fall 2019)
  o US-281 in Russell County (Modernization project; let for construction Spring 2020)
  o US-50 in Lyon County (Expansion Project; let for construction Spring 2020)
• Reinstate the Kansas Local Bridge Improvement Program
• Implement a new cost-share program for state/local partnerships
• Enhance its safety program
• Increase City Connecting Link maintenance payments
• Increase funding for modal programs (e.g., transit, aviation, rail and bike/pedestrian)

These investments are aligned with recommendations from the Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force that met last year.

Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz discusses investments at a press conference held yesterday at KDOT Headquarters. 

“We look forward to working with communities and our partners across the state to deliver these investments,” said Secretary Julie Lorenz. 

“We know that funding reductions have impacted the health of our system. I’m so pleased to work with Governor Kelly to take this important step forward to achieving the goals the task force laid out and improving our state’s transportation system.”

Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force – Olathe and Manhattan meetings

Preservation Needs, Funding Methods and Economic Development – The final regional stakeholder meetings took place on Nov. 8 and 9 in Olathe and Manhattan. The presentations covered a variety of topics — including declining pavement health and the need to fund preservation, the economic impact of transportation and KDOT initiatives and innovations. KDOT also shared information on how projects are prioritized and selected. 

Paula Gough, District Engineer for the Missouri Department of Transportation’s Northeast District, presented case studies on Transportation Development Districts and other cost-share programs that are used to address transportation needs in Missouri communities. Additionally, Suzanne Loomis, City Engineer and Director of Public Works for the City of Newton, presented information on local roads and the transportation needs of cities in Kansas. Presentations from the meetings can be found here.

Local Testimony Consistent with Themes from Across Meetings – During public testimony, many key themes from previous meetings continued.  At the meeting in Olathe, we heard about the critical role transportation plays in encouraging economic development in Johnson County.  We heard about the need for the expansion of U. S. 69 in Overland Park as well as expansion of other corridors in Olathe and Lenexa.  Other stakeholders also shared the importance of safety improvements and the need for improved bike and pedestrian facilities. 

In Manhattan, numerous stakeholders provided testimony on the need for improved safety on K-177, a vital connection for Manhattan and nearby communities. We also heard about improvements needed for K-31. Stakeholders and local community officials also discussed transportation as an economic driver and the importance of bicycle and pedestrian facilities as connectors to the overall transportation system.

Task Force Recommendations.  The next step in this process is for Task Force members to meet, discuss the information that was shared during the regional meetings and develop recommendations for the next Kansas transportation program.

Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force – Wichita Meeting

Evolving Technologies and Transportation – At the meeting last Thursday in Wichita, the Task Force turned its focus to technology and its impact on transportation. To begin the meeting, we heard from the Mayor of Wichita on the importance of transportation as an economic driver to draw businesses to Kansas. KDOT presented an overview of existing and emerging transportation technologies, including Intelligent Transportation Systems as well as the movement toward electric vehicles and eventually autonomous and connected vehicles. Discussion also included the partnerships and infrastructure that will be needed as technology advances and changes how people move across the state. Presentations from the meeting can be found here.

Local Testimony Highlights Importance of Addressing Congestion and Improving Safety – During the public testimony, we heard from a variety of stakeholders on the importance of improving existing transportation infrastructure to meet the increased demands of today. As both freight and personal vehicle traffic has increased, congestion has increased in areas such as the Wichita North Junction and K-254 highway.  Like other meetings, safety continued to be emphasized. 

Considerations for Future Task Force Discussions – The Task Force reviewed the variety of information sources that will be available to help inform recommendations later this year including fact-books, which summarize information from presentations; the online funding/expenditure/performance calculator; the list of projects shared by stakeholders and local input testimony from each meeting. Task Force members also indicated they like to learn more about cost-effective safety improvement options, opportunities for partnerships as new transportation technologies evolve and a variety of funding options.     

The next task force meeting Is taking place today at Fort  Hays State University in Hays, Kan. At this meeting, topics will focus on alternative delivery methods and the county transportation system in Kansas. More information about future meeting locations and directions on how to provide testimony can be found here.

Local Programs and Rural Mobility Discussion in Hays. Before the task force meeting in Hays, we will hold a stakeholder meeting to discuss local programs and rural mobility from 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. An urban mobility focused stakeholder meeting will be held before the meeting in Olathe on Nov. 8.

Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force – Garden City Meeting

Safety is a Key Component of Transportation – At last Thursday's meeting in Garden City, the Task Force turned its focus to safety.  KDOT provided updates on various safety campaigns targeted at driver and passenger behavior, such as increased seat belt usage. Other ways KDOT works to increase roadway safety includes adding rumble strips to help prevent lane departures and installing roundabouts to reduce serious injuries and crashes. Presentations from the meeting can be found here.

Local Testimony Highlights Need for Safety Improvements – During the public testimony, a variety of stakeholders shared personal stories that showed the importance of improving the safety of our state’s roads. Stakeholders would like to see safety improvements made to K-156 and U.S. 54, as well as the addition of passing lanes on U.S. 83 between Scott City and Garden City. Stakeholders also shared the importance of transportation infrastructure as it plays an integral role in supporting the state’s economy, including transporting agriculture products to markets. 

Task Force Goals and Discussion – Now that the Task Force has completed half of the scheduled meetings, they reviewed and discussed their stated goals, including:  

·         Define transportation needs/priorities

·         Identify how much funding will be required to meet those priorities

·         Identify funding options that can be consistently provided to meet those priorities

No changes were made to the goals and the Task Force has asked for additional discussion and information to be provided on a variety of topics, including:  city and county transportation needs; federal funding; and ways pavement life can be extended.

The next task force meeting will be at Wichita State University on Oct. 18. This meeting will focus on technology, including Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) and autonomous and connected vehicles. More information about future meeting locations and directions on how to provide testimony can be found here.

Aviation, Transit, and Bike/Pedestrian Stakeholder Meetings in Wichita. Before the task force meeting in Wichita, we will hold stakeholder meetings to discuss Aviation, Transit, and Bike/Pedestrian topics from 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. Additional topic-specific stakeholder meetings will be held at future meetings in Hays and Olathe.

Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force – Pittsburg meeting

More than 125 people joined us in Pittsburg for the third Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force on yesterday, including legislators, industry leaders, local government representatives, and a variety of stakeholder advocates. Presentations from the meeting can be found here.

Transportation Funding in Kansas – At this meeting, we provided an overview on the different funding mechanisms used in Kansas including federal funds, motor fuel tax, registration and licensing fees, sales tax and local funding, along with financing approaches like bonding.  As we look to the future, we need to consider how we need to adapt our funding sources to meet the changing opportunities and demands of transportation. We also heard from Steve Hewitt, CEO of the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA), on tolling trends and how the KTA is modernizing its system.

Funding and Finance Approaches in Other States – To provide context for how other states are handling the funding challenges to meet their transportation demands, we looked at how peer states (Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma) approach transportation funding. Additionally, 21 states across the country are currently considering legislation to address transportation funding. Six states have also implemented legislation to try to ensure transportation funds are spent on transportation projects.

Local Testimony Highlights the Importance of Economic Opportunities and Safety Improvements – During the local input testimony, we heard from many stakeholders, including industry representatives, local elected officials, and private citizens. For example, we heard from Pat Cedeno, Senior Vice President of Network Relations for WATCO Transportation Services, on the importance of rail, with railcar loads having more than doubled in Kansas over the past several years. The multimodal facility fund helps provide access to rail as freight moves across our state. Stakeholders shared the importance of completing projects identified under the T-WORKS program. Completing these projects would help improve the safety of our roads for travelers and bring economic develop opportunities to adjacent communities. We heard personal stories from residents of southeast Kansas on the importance of improving safety on roads, including highways such as U.S. 69, U.S. 169, U.S. 400 and K-99. Community representatives shared the importance of expanding U.S. 69 to a four-lane highway. Expansion of the highway could have the potential to attract additional businesses and increase the economic vitality of the region.

The next meeting will be at the Meridian Center in Newton on Oct. 4. Topics include rail and freight, local programs, and program structure and budget scenarios. We will also begin exploring a calculator simulation that will help the task force examine different funding scenarios and consider tradeoffs as we work toward recommendations later this fall. We encourage you to attend a meeting near you and provide public testimony about why transportation is important to you, what’s working well and what could be improved. More information about future meeting locations and directions on how to provide testimony can be found here.

Freight and Rail-specific meetings in Newton. We will also host a meeting for stakeholders that are interested in discussing freight and rail topics. This meeting will be held from 8:00 – 9:30 a.m. at the Meridian Center in Newton before the task force meeting begins at 10:00 a.m. Additional topic-specific stakeholder meetings will be held at future meetings, including aviation, transit, and bike/pedestrian at the Wichita meeting on Oct. 18. Keep a look out for additional details on stakeholder meetings as future meetings approach!

Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force – Kansas City meeting

Approximately 125 people gathered in Kansas City for the second Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force yesterday, including legislators, industry leaders, local government representatives, and stakeholder advocates.

Kansas is Beachfront Property – Since the beginning of T-WORKS, we’ve emphasized the importance of our state’s central location as a natural advantage in logistics markets. Within one day and 5 miles of the task force meeting, Overstock.com announced it is filling a distribution center in the Turner district and will employee 100 people. Our geographic advantage is vital for business, as more and more companies move distribution centers to Kansas, and transportation infrastructure will be a key component of future economic development.   

Business supports transportation investments – Joe Reardon, CEO, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce addressed the Task Force on behalf of businesses in Kansas City, telling the Task Force nothing affects economic opportunity and quality of life more than transportation.  His briefing emphasized the vital role transportation plays in the state and regional economy and he told the Task Force the Kansas City business community supports funding for transportation.

Opportunities and Impacts. KDOT presented information on demographic and economic trends along with information on aviation, transit and bike/pedestrian modes. Even as Kansas becomes more urban, rural residents depend on quality transportation options to access specialized and urgent care that may be miles from their homes. As the state’s population continues to age and technology like automated and connected vehicles continues to develop, how to adapt the state’s infrastructure and programs must be considered. Whether it’s a potential increase in demand for transit, the need for improved signs and pavement markings or new revenue sources, our transportation system and programs will need to adapt in the future.

Local Testimony Highlights Importance of Transportation Options. The Task Force heard about many ways that transportation is important to Kansans:  regional transit agencies help Kansans get to work on time and to medical appointments, a private citizen talked about the importance of improving the safety of an intersection to reduce traffic collisions, and bike and pedestrian advocates outlined the need for additional funding to increase safety and infrastructure availability for a mode that is seeing increased use around the state. Other stakeholders shared the importance of improving transportation infrastructure to drive economic growth.

The next meeting will be at Pittsburg State University on Sept. 20. Topics include projected transportation needs and funding and financing approaches in Kansas. The Task Force will also look at system conditions and the approach to funding and finance in other states.

The public is encouraged to attend a meeting and provide public testimony about why transportation is important to you, what’s working well and what could be improved.

Future meetings will discuss transportation modes in more detail:

• Freight / freight rail / passenger rail – Newton, Oct. 4 from 8:00 – 9:30 a.m.
• Aviation / transit / and bike/pedestrian – Wichita, Oct. 18 from 8:00 – 9:30 a.m.

Presentations from the meeting, information about future meetings, and instructions for providing testimony can be found on the Kansas Legislature website.  

Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force – Salina Meeting

The Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force held its first regional meeting last week in Salina. Here are some highlights:

Lots of people. More than 100 people attended the Sept. 6 meeting. Attendees included legislators, industry leaders and local government representatives. KDOT staff presented information on the T-WORKS progress, including the successes and challenges of the program and current system conditions of the state’s highways and bridges. Presentations from the meeting can be found on the Kansas Legislature website.

Lots of questions. Task Force members asked several important questions, which set the stage for thoughtful consideration about facts, trends and trade-offs in future meetings. From highways that need to take new technology into consideration to revisiting popular local programs such as the Revolving Fund and County Bridge Program, it’s clear there’s a lot to cover in upcoming meetings.

Lots of testimony topics. Following lunch, the task force co-chairs opened the meeting for public testimony. We heard about how Salina benefits from being located at the intersection of two interstates and how important their airport is to the local economy; how Lindsborg could develop if an interchange was added near the community; and how difficult it is to hire transit drivers due to low wages and how important those trips are for medical care. 

Several speakers talked about how KDOT programs  have helped address local city and county transportation needs – from low-cost loans to the Federal Funds Exchange program that allows them to use less restrictive state funds instead of federal funds. An Economic Lifelines representative discussed the organization’s diverse membership and the support the organization has shown for past transportation programs. The group stands ready to support future programs.

The next meeting will be Sept. 12 at Memorial Hall in Kansas City. Topics will include demographic and economic trends and impacts as well as a look at modal programs such as aviation, transit, bike and pedestrian. We encourage Kansas residents to attend a local meeting and provide public testimony about why transportation is important to you, what’s working well and what could be improved.

More information about future meeting locations and directions  about how to provide testimony can be found here.

KDOT participates in Transportation Task Force initial session

KDOT Secretary of Transportation Richard Carlson provides an update to the Transportation Task Force.

The Transportation Task Force met in Topeka yesterday to set goals, identify constraints and develop a process to gather local input as part of transitioning to a new transportation plan.

The task force is comprised of 31 voting members, including legislators, industry representatives and local officials. KDOT is one of four ex-officio (non-voting) members of the task force. The Kansas Turnpike Authority, The Kansas Department of Revenue and the Kansas Department of Agriculture are the others.

KDOT’s role Monday was to assist the committee as they met to understand the process of developing a long-term transportation program. 

“Our goals are to preserve the current system, complete T-Works and create a reliable and sustainable source of future funding,” said Transportation Secretary Richard Carlson.  “We are here to provide you the data you need and answer your questions.”

As the task force evaluated the progress of T-Works, they also looked at what in the T-Works process worked and what they believe may need to be different as the task force creates recommendations for the next generation of transportation planning.

The Transportation Task Force Co-Chairs Rep. Richard Proehl and Sen. Carolyn McGinn attend the initial Transportation Task Force session.  

Task force co-chairman Rep. Richard Proehl said the purpose of the task force is to connect a statewide vision for the future with regional visions and ensure transportation projects support overall goals.

“Transportation projects need to stand the test of time,” Proehl said.

Proehl said the task force will need to balance engineering data, economic development, emerging needs and funding sources.

“We need to ask ourselves if we have the right program structure for moving forward to meet the state’s transportation needs,” Proehl said.

During the KDOT update, Carlson reported the T-Works program to date did have several successes, including 12,871 lane miles of lane miles improved and 846 bridges improved.

Carlson said each year of T-Works, KDOT provided local agencies a total of $10 million in economic development funds, and it was his recommendation the future program double that investment amount.

“When we look at the strategic impact of those dollars, it’s significant,” Carlson said.

The Transportation Task Force initial meeting was widely attended. The task force will hold nine regional meetings across the state this fall.  

KDOT provided the task force a budget update and identified the fiscal realities of completing the remaining 21 projects on the T-Works list and catching up on preservation and addressing emerging local needs following three years of highway fund transfers.

“To complete the remaining projects on the T-works list,” said State Transportation Engineer Catherine Patrick, “we need about $500 million over five years.”

Patrick said the five-year process is due to projects being paused in various phases of the design process.  Many projects were paused before right-of-way purchases had been completed, and others still need design work before moving forward.

Patrick also said in order to catch up on preservation, KDOT needs $500 to $600 million per year to complete the preservation necessary to position KDOT to maintain the highway infrastructure to a level of service the driving public needs.

The task force is set to hold a total of nine regional meetings across the state from September through November.  After the regional meetings are held, the task force will reconvene to begin the process of creating recommendations to meet transportation needs in Kansas over the next 10 years or longer.

“It won’t be easy.” Proehl said, “But it will be worth it.”