July letting paves the way for transit vehicles to utilize shoulder along I-35 in Wyandotte County

Transit vehicles have utilized the shoulders on I-35 in Johnson County since 2012. This service will now be expanded along I-35 into Wyandotte County as well.

A project to allow transit vehicles to utilize the shoulder along I-35 during times of congestion and continue the efforts of bus-on-shoulder operations in Wyandotte County is one of the projects approved as part of KDOT’s monthly construction letting for July.

In 2012, Johnson County Transit started operating on I-35 after legislation was passed in 2011 for the section in Johnson County only. Legislation passed last year allowing for it to be operational in Wyandotte County. Improvements along I-35 in Wyandotte County will be made as a part of this project, and completion of this project will now allow for usage of the shoulder on I-35 for the entire stretch from Johnson County to Wyandotte County.

The transit vehicles can operate on the shoulder at speeds of no more than 10mph above traffic flow and at a maximum of 35mph. The operation increases travel time reliability for the transit vehicles which can ultimately lead to increased usage of transit and serves as a congestion mitigation tool. In 2016 buses utilized the shoulder 2,053 times traveling more than 2,000 miles on the shoulder.

Gunter Construction Company of Kansas City is the contractor on the $119,058.15 project. To see all of the projects in KDOT’s July construction letting, click here.

Transit Day at the Statehouse to take place Feb. 28

The Kansas Department of Transportation and the Kansas Public Transit Association invite you to attend Transit Day at the Kansas Statehouse in Topeka from 8 a.m. to noon on Wednesday, February 28.

“This year’s Transit Day will highlight the work that more than 150 agencies do to provide reliable, clean and useful transit and paratransit services to the people of Kansas,” said Transportation Secretary Richard Carlson. “Come meet the people who make our programs successful by transporting Kansans to where they live, work, learn, heal and play every day.”

Legislators and other attendees are invited to meet the state’s service providers, tour new transit and paratransit vehicles, learn how transit reinforces economic development in our state, and learn about new technologies being used in Kansas. The free event will include display tables located in the first-floor rotunda and vehicles available to tour outside on the apron surrounding the capitol.

A briefing on public transportation in Kansas will take place at 10 a.m. and speakers will include Secretary of Transportation Richard Carlson, House Transportation Chair Rep. Richard Proehl, Senate Transportation Chair Sen. Mike Petersen, and Susan Duffy, Chair of the Kansas Public Transit Association.

“Public transit is here for all – rural, urban, young and old alike. It supports the local economy and gives access to jobs and healthcare,” said KDOT Public Transit Manager Mike Spadafore. “Transit Day will give everyone the opportunity to learn about transit and paratransit services in Kansas and our goal of keeping the people of Kansas living in and connected to their communities for as long as possible.”

Transit Day at the Statehouse makes a stop at Kansas Capitol

A visitor stops by a booth which details transit routes in Kansas communities.  

KDOT and the Kansas Public Transit Association hosted Transit Day at the Statehouse in Topeka yesterday. The event, in its second year, highlighted the work that more than 150 different agencies from across the state do to provide reliable, clean and useful transit and paratransit services to the people of Kansas.

Attendees met with state’s service providers, toured new transit and paratransit vehicles and learned about new technologies being used. Secretary Richard Carlson, Rep. Richard Proehl, Sen. Jake LaTurner and Susan Duffy, Chair of the Kansas Public Transit Association, gave a briefing on public transportation in Kansas
during the event.

Visitors had the opportunity to stop and visit with different agencies that provide reliable, safe and useful transit services across the state. 

“Public transit is here for us all – rural, urban, young and old alike – but we don’t spend much time talking about it,” KDOT Public Transit Manager Mike Spadafore said. “We hope that Transit Day gave everyone the opportunity to ask questions and learn about transit and paratransit services available in Kansas. Our goal is to keep people living in and connected to their communities as long as possible.”

Public transportation is getting greener

Over 40 percent of U.S. public transit buses are using alternatives-- more than double the amount a decade ago.

In honor of Earth Day, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) sent out a news release detailing all of the industries efforts to become more environmentally-friendly and energy-efficient.  According to APTA, each year 37 million metric tons of carbon emissions and 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline are saved due to the use of public transportation in the United States. 

“Whether it be environmentally efficient transit buses or solar powered buildings and bus shelters, public transportation is a leader in sustainability,” said APTA President and CEO Michael Melaniphy. “Many public transportation agencies and businesses know that sustainability not only helps the air quality of a community, but also pays off in cost savings.  It’s a good business practice."

In 2004, less than 20 percent of transit buses were using alternative fuels-- today it's 40 percent.

Kansas is not immune to this trend. Lawrence Transit System currently has three electric hybrids in its fleet.  And the entire fleet uses biodiesel according to Robert Nugent, public transit administrator.

And in November, the Kansas City Area Transit Authority (KCATA) board of commissioners approved a 10-year operation and maintenance agreement with Clean Energy to fuel its transitioning fleet of compressed natural gas (CNG) buses and paratransit vehicles. 

KCATA will begin replenishing its fleet with 25 CNG buses and an estimated acquisition of 15 additional CNG buses each year thereafter until 256 CNG buses have been deployed.

According to KCATA officials, CNG can be purchased for roughly half the price of what diesel costs. A drawback to CNG vehicles is that there are a limited number of refueling stations throughout the U.S. However, as the number of those stations increases, the transit industry expects more agencies to convert their fleets to save money and to reduce their carbon footprints.

First state government app for Google Glass is transit-related

Ever wonder when the next bus is going to arrive?  If you're in Utah, you can find out by putting on your glasses-- your Google glasses that is.

Utah.gov, the state's portal, has launched OnTime for Glass, the first-of-its-kind transit tracking app for Google Glass. (Google Glass is a wearable, voice-controlled Android device that resembles a pair of eyeglasses and displays information directly in the user's field of vision.) With OnTime, Glass users will be able to receive notifications for an approaching train or bus, view route information and track public transit vehicle locations in real time.

“OnTime for Glass brings Glassware to transit riders in a unique app that notifies them when their vehicle is approaching,” said David Fletcher, Utah chief technology officer. “Wearable technology is a huge opportunity to provide better online experiences for our citizens. And where better to focus than on mobile services where so much of what we do today can be augmented by technology.”

Utah is the first state website to create an application for Google Glass. Although the glasses aren't available to the general public yet, Utah has a number of people participating in Google's beta program, which the company calls "Glass Explorers."

 "We have a large development community in Utah," said Fletcher. "You can see people wearing Google Glass around here."

When smartphones first took off, Fletcher felt his state was a little behind the curve in terms of offering mobile services. With the arrival of wearable technology, Utah didn't want to find itself playing catch-up again.

"By creating a Glass app now, we can see what the interface is like and how people are responding to it, before it becomes mainstream," said Fletcher.

Do you think more state agencies should develop apps for Google Glass or do you think it's just a fade that won't last?  Let us know your thoughts in the comment box below.

Wednesday's Words: Record-setting year for transit

Public transportation systems in the U.S. reached their highest ridership levels since 1956 last year with 10.7 billion people taking transit trips, according to statistics released Monday by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA).

“There is a fundamental shift going on in the way we move about our communities,”APTA President Michael Melaniphy said in a statement. “People in record numbers are demanding more public transit services and communities are benefiting with strong economic growth.”

Given this record-setting demand, it's not surprising on Tuesday the APTA recommended that Congress increase its funding of transit systems in the U.S. by $11.5 billion per year.

“Increasing investment in public transportation and roads is essential for growing our economy in the U.S. and remaining competitive in a global economy,” Melaniphy said.

Kansas has seen transit ridership grow substantially over the past decade.  As a result, when the state's transportation plan, T-WORKS, was passed in 2010 it increased funding from $6 million to $11 million annually.

If you want to learn more about the APTA proposal, click here to visit its website.

Do you think funding for transit services need to be increased?  Let us know in the comment box below.