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!

Grateful for my life

By Nancy Fleeker Daniels

Almost two years ago I was in my pickup truck waiting at a stop sign for my turn to cross a well-traveled road that does not have stop signs. There was no oncoming traffic in sight from my left or right, and the next driver opposite me signaling to turn left appeared to be waiting for me to take my turn.

After I entered the intersection, the opposite driver suddenly pulled forward, turning his wheels left front of me. I braked, and the other driver also stopped. Unfortunately, another driver in a pickup truck with a trailer came over a hill, saw me in the intersection, but (by his own admission) was speeding and couldn’t stop. He slammed into my truck turning it around and sent me careening out of control.

I remember putting my right foot on the brake three times and having it knocked off by the force of the truck. At the same time, I was trying to steer my vehicle into the correct lane while the truck kept jerking back into the lane that now had oncoming traffic. I finally succeeded in getting off the road.  My truck crashed through a chain link fence and came to a stop. 

The movement of the truck was so violent, that it broke my foot by whipping my leg sharply. The seat belt broke my collar bone. Those were the injuries that were immediately apparent. 

Two months later I began to have neurological issues. I lost my balance while leading students in the hallway at work. My writing became difficult to read and I misspelled my own name three times in one day. I typed an email and when I finished, the computer screen showed an email with nothing but gibberish. 

My husband took me to the ER where a cat scan revealed large blood clots caused by two subdural hematomas – one on either side of my brain. The neurosurgeon said the movement of the truck caused my brain to repeatedly move back and forth, hitting against either side of my skull. I had emergency surgery that involved cutting four incisions in my scalp so that holes could be drilled in skull. I was extremely fortunate. They were able to drain the majority of the blood through tubes. Appropriately, I was released three days later on Thanksgiving Day.

I was not allowed to drive or work for more than two months. As a substitute teacher I don’t get paid unless I work. My insurance only paid three-fourths of my lost wages.

I fight being bitter towards the driver who was inattentive and driving too fast.  He had no injuries. He also had no insurance, so I had to pay for my new vehicle.

Physically, I’m not the same. I often experience sudden, complete exhaustion requiring immediate sleep – sometimes for hours. My foot healed, but I experience great pain if I am on it too much. I use a cane most teaching days. I get headaches several times a week near one of the holes in my skull. I still have the four holes in my skull and my head is extremely tender.

Now that I’ve listed all my woes, I want to be clear that I am grateful for my life. I am glad I made a choice long ago to always wear my seat belt. Had I not been wearing my seat belt, the violent movement of the truck would probably have ejected me and my story might have ended very differently.

 Nancy Fleeker Daniels is retired from the Kansas Department of Transportation in Topeka.

He is greatly missed …

By Marilyn Goodheart

Marilyn and Dean Goodheart

Early morning of Sept. 6, 1995, my husband, Master Trooper Dean Goodheart, was conducting a roadside safety inspection on a semi on eastbound I-70. During the inspection, he stepped down from the driver’s door of the semi cab and was struck and instantly killed by a passing motorist. The driver that killed my husband had been driving all night to return to college in Colby. Sleepy drivers are as dangerous as drunk drivers! If she had moved over to the far lane, I believe he would be with us today.

On that day, our family was changed forever! I lost my husband and best friend of 15 years. My children and grandchildren lost a great father, grandfather and mentor. He is missed by family, friends and co-workers.

Dean joined the Kansas Highway Patrol in 1972. He enjoyed his job and the people he worked with. He knew the dangers when he chose this profession but loved helping people.  After 23 years of service to the citizens of the state of Kansas and the Kansas Highway Patrol, we had been looking forward to Dean retiring and spending time with family and traveling.

Dean was just 49 years-old at the time of his death. We had three grandsons and were expecting our first granddaughter. My two granddaughters never got to meet their Grandad, and he did not get to enjoy them growing up. We now have great-grandchildren. Dean is greatly missed at all functions of our life - graduations, weddings, holidays and school activities.

In 2000, House Bill 2641 was signed into law requiring drivers to “Slow Down and Move Over” near stopped emergency vehicles. This bill is known by many as the “Goodheart Law” and has reduced the number of emergency vehicles and officers being struck. The Goodheart Law was amended during the 2006 legislative session to incorporate roadside crews, such as the Patrol's Motorist Assistance Technicians and the Kansas Department of Transportation's highway road crews. The amendment requires traffic on four-lane highways to move away from vehicles engaged in highway construction or maintenance operations when those vehicles are displaying an amber flashing light.

Because of this tragedy, we became active with National Concerns of Police Survivors. In March 2001, some of our Kansas survivors and myself were instrumental in starting a Kansas chapter to be there for other survivors. Kansas Concerns of Police Survivors supports families of officers killed in the line of duty.

On May 8, 2018, Gov. Jeff Colyer signed SB 375 into law designating memorial highways across Kansas to honor the sacrifice our fallen officers have made. SB 375 was unanimously passed by both the House and Senate before its adoption. My husband Dean’s marker is located on Highway 83 near Colby. As you pass these highway markers, please remember to give all first responders and road crews room to work so they may go home to their families at the end of their shift!

It has been 23 years since we lost Dean, and a day doesn’t go by that I don’t think about him. He is greatly missed by me, his children and the grandchildren who missed an opportunity to grow up with such a great Grandad.

 

Marilyn Goodheart, wife of Master Trooper Dean Goodheart, lives in Lawrence.

Texting and driving leads to a mother's heartbreak

By Jacque Tierce

On May 26, 2018, my daughter, Danielle, passed away from injuries incurred when she rear ended the back of a semi. We later found out, she was texting on Snapchat. She was 22 years old and leaves behind a three-year-old son, many family members and countless friends. 

On that fateful morning about 8 a.m., I recall hearing sirens and began praying for whoever was involved. A few minutes later, Danielle's coworker messaged me because Danielle was late for work and was not answering her phone. My heart sank immediately.

Danielle was never late for work. I called her phone twice with no luck. Panic was starting to set in. I messaged her daycare provider who was supposed to be watching Danielle's son, Jayce. Her daycare provider told me that at 7:30 p.m. that morning, Danielle had messaged her and said Jayce's other grandma had made arrangements to pick him up before Danielle left for work. Now I knew, the sirens were for Danielle.

I got a phone call a few minutes later from Danielle's phone. I answered, knowing it would not be Danielle's voice on the other line. The Kansas Highway Patrol officer informed me that Danielle was involved in an accident, she was knocked unconscious but had regained consciousness and was now being taken to our local hospital via ambulance. I arrived just as they were taking her out of the ambulance and was informed they would be airlifting her to Wichita.

Danielle was awake and able to talk to me. Words I will never forget as long as I live. “Mom,” she said in the most agonizing voice I've ever heard, “It hurts so bad Mom. My stomach hurt so bad.” I got to tell her I loved her and squeeze her hand before she went out again and was loaded into the helicopter.

My fiancé drove as we made the two-hour trip from Larned to Wichita. It was filled with tears, phone calls to loved ones of the accident and many prayers. We were notified on the way that they had done a full body scan, discovered internal bleeding and took her to immediate surgery.

When we arrived at the hospital, we, other family members and our pastor’s wife waited for surgery to be completed. After a few hours, the chaplain came in and informed us that the surgeons would be coming in soon to talk to us. The Chaplain sat down to wait with us, I looked over at her and could tell by the look on her face, it wasn't good. The surgeons, four of them, came in and said, “we discovered that the main vessel connecting Danielle's heart to her liver had been severed. She fought hard, but your daughter died.”  I couldn't even cry. I was in shock, still am! 

As we planned for her funeral, the pastor conducting her service asked us, “do you want me to say something about texting and driving during the funeral? I will do it in a tactful way.” After a few minutes of contemplation, we all agreed that it should be addressed. If we could save one person from the heartache that we are experiencing, then we needed to do that.

During the service, the pastor asked everyone to take out their cell phones and go to his Facebook page and find the post #doitfordanielle and share it. We have since created a Facebook page doitfordanielle. One post was shared over 4,500 times. It became very clear to me, my responsibility was to help get this word out!

I began doing some statistical research and have discovered many startling facts.  Do you know that 4.6 seconds is the average time it takes to read or send a text? Do you also know that in those 4.6 seconds driving at highway speed, you can travel the length of a football field and a half? 4.6 seconds!!!!

In my daughter's case, 4.6 seconds cost her her life. She didn't even brake for the semi because she didn't see it. What if she would have injured the truck driver, another driver, or a pedestrian? No text message or any other driver distraction is worth any of it!! Pull over if it's that important and can't wait! 

Through our doitfordanielle Facebook page, I received a request to come talk at a Dare Camp in Ark City. I graciously accepted and spoke to an amazing group of 6th through 8th graders on Aug. 9.  I challenged this group of kids to create a box to keep their cell phones in while driving or for their parent’s phones while driving. I called this project, “I love you more.”

Danielle used to say to her son, “I love you Jayce!” He would respond, “I love you mommy!” Danielle would then say, “I love you more!!”  The boxes were to depict on them all of the things they loved. Everything they would miss if they were no longer here.

What do YOU love more than your cell phone? Is that text message, phone call, Facebook post, Snapchat or Tweet worth more than YOUR life? Or the lives of others? 

Jacque Tierce is a dental assistant and lives in Larned.

Many reasons to celebrate

Sara Fairbank

Sara and Trenton are pictured with their daughter.

As I write this blog, my family and I have just celebrated our beautiful baby girl’s first birthday. She is the sweetest little girl and can light up any room with her smile. She has blessed our family in more ways than I can easily explain. As I experience these special moments with my family, I feel so blessed to be alive. This story could have been so much different if my husband and I had not been wearing our seat belts four years ago.

In July of 2014, my husband and I were traveling to the lake in our four-door sedan. We were looking forward to a weekend with family. However, we never made it to our destination. At an intersection on the highway, my husband and I were stopped at a stoplight. We heard tires squeal behind us and saw a black SUV moving to get out of their stopped position from behind us. As we were sidetracked watching this SUV, we were rear ended by a tow truck traveling at highway speeds. Neither of us saw it coming.

Our car was pushed over 150 feet through the intersection and the frame of our vehicle was inches from our heads. We both lost consciousness, endured numerous cuts and bruises, experienced terrible whiplash and concussions, and had severely sore muscles. We were taken by life flight to the nearest hospital while the driver of the tow truck walked away from the accident.

After nearly one year of vestibular rehab and physical therapy, we were able to settle into our new normal. Even four years later, we still have certain struggles that we deal with daily. These include short-term memory problems, aches/pains and emotional anxiety particularly while driving. However, we feel blessed to be alive. The driver of the tow truck stated he had been distracted while driving. He was fatigued and adjusting his air conditioner when he realized he was unable to stop his vehicle at the stoplight.

To all drivers, we urge you to pay attention while you are driving. No text or distraction is worth causing an accident and potentially taking yours or someone else’s life. To everyone, we urge you to wear your seat belt. Our seat belts prevented further injury that July day and we are so thankful we took those extra couple of seconds to buckle up! Had we not done so, we may not be here celebrating our baby girl’s first birthday.

 Sara Fairbank is an Assistant Controller for a venture capitalist firm and Trenton Fairbank is a former engineer. The couple currently lives in Cimarron.

 

He didn't stand a chance

Coleen and her brother, Jim, are pictured

at David's grave.



By Coleen Weber

It was in the early morning hours on Oct. 15, 2000, and the telephone rang at our house in Topeka. My parents were visiting, and we had celebrated my youngest daughter’s 10^th birthday the day before. I answered the phone and heard the voice of my brother Jim. 

I don’t remember a lot after that. Apparently, I screamed because the next thing I knew my parents and my daughters were standing in our bedroom. My husband had to tell my parents that their youngest son, David, had been killed in a car wreck.  He was 36.

The next few hours were absolute chaos. As the oldest of my parents’ children, I was the “fixer” and this was something I couldn’t fix. I grew up in Blue Rapids and all I could think about was how to get everyone back home because my other brother needed us. 

So, what happened?  My brother worked for the railroad and was on the road during the week. He was divorced and week-ends at home were spent thoroughly enjoying himself with his friends, and alcohol was always involved. And that is how my youngest brother became a drunk driving statistic.

He and two friends were out driving around in the country; it’s what many people do in small towns when there’s nothing else to do. He apparently was driving too fast, hit a “washboard” on the dirt road and rolled his truck. His blood alcohol level was .20. He and one of his friends were trapped in the vehicle; the other was able to get out and run for help. Thankfully the passengers both survived, but my brother died at the scene. He was drunk, he didn’t have on a seat belt and the driver’s side window was down … he didn’t stand a chance.

There is nothing that can prepare you for a phone call like the one I received that morning. It was terrifying. There is also nothing as horrible as watching your parents navigate through their grief of losing their youngest child. My brother was loud and obnoxious and loving and loyal and goofy and athletic and protective …. we miss him horribly. 

If nothing else, I hope my story has made you think twice about getting behind the wheel of your vehicle and driving after you’ve had a drink (or two), or getting in a vehicle with someone who has been drinking. Don’t become another statistic on a piece of paper …. you are much more important than that.

Coleen Weber is a Program Consultant with the Kansas Department of Transportation in Topeka.

I didn't look up in time

By Shiane Wondra

June 30, 2018, changed my life. I just finished with my cheerleading car wash and eating lunch with my boyfriend. I left Meade, which is my hometown, to go to Horsethief Reservoir to go tubing with my family. I never made it.

Like many teens and adults, I was on my cell phone while driving. Around 2:30 p.m., I was three miles south of Cimarron when I was snapchatting my friend that I was about to see the lake. I was wearing my seat belt, but not correctly. A combine was parked on county road R and a milk truck was waiting northbound on Highway 23 to turn onto road R but there was a car southbound on Highway 23 so he couldn’t turn. I didn’t look up in time and I ran right into the back of the semi.

My parents had both tried to call me and at 2:56 p.m. My Dad texted me telling me to answer my phone.

Not even two minutes later my parents got a phone call that absolutely no parent wants. “Mr. Wondra, this is Gray County Sheriff's office, your daughter has been in an accident.”

All my Dad asked was if they were taking me to Dodge City. They told him yes and he hung up the phone. He told everyone I was in a crash and my parents raced to Dodge City.

My Mom asked my Dad on the way if I was okay and my Dad said, “I don’t know, I didn’t ask.” My Dad called my brother, who is a Meade City Police Officer, and asked him to call a Gray County Officer to see what happened. They told them that I hit a semi going 70 mph.

I was taken by ambulance from Cimarron to Dodge City. My family met me in Dodge City before the life flight took me to Wesley Medical Center in Wichita, due to my injuries. My best friend and her family were in Wichita and waited for me to land (thank you Bachman’s) while my parents drove the three hours to Wesley.

I got into the trauma center and I had to undergo more testing. I had a large cut to the right side of my head that took 23 stitches on the outside and so many on the inside that the trauma PA stopped counting. I also had one running stitch in my arm and six in between my big toe and second toe from wearing flip flops. I also had slightly collapsed lungs, a lacerated spleen, a fractured pelvis and broken two toes. The semi driver declined medical attention at the scene. The trailer was damaged, and my parents’ vehicle was destroyed.

June 30 changed my life. It has taken some time to recover from my injuries. I’ve missed the start of my senior year of sports, but I am alive. You never think it’s going to happen to you until it does.

Don’t text and drive - no call, text, email or snapchat is worth your life. Pull over! Your life and the lives around you depend on it.

 

  Shiane Wondra is a senior at Meade High School in Meade.