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News Release: Kansans invited to participate in statewide transportation meetings
A series of regional meetings that give Kansans the opportunity to discuss their transportation priorities with members of Governor Kathleen Sebelius’ transportation task force have been scheduled throughout the month of September.
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A series of regional meetings that give Kansans the opportunity to discuss their transportation priorities with members of Governor Kathleen Sebelius’ transportation task force have been scheduled throughout the month of September.
The eight local consultation meetings, which begin Sept. 11 at Ulysses, will include collaborative, regional discussions on highway and other modal needs (rail, aviation, transit, bike/pedestrian) in the morning. In the afternoon, there will be an opportunity for communities to testify about their particular projects or concerns.
“It is important that the discussion at these meetings be elevated to the regional and state levels,” said Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Deb Miller. “We will also have a
conversation about how transportation should be paid for and what funding approaches Kansans will support.”
The meetings will be conducted by KDOT staff and include representatives of the Governor’s task force - Transportation – Leveraging Investments in Kansas (T-LINK). Although the full 35-member T-LINK task force, charged with developing a new strategic transportation approach for Kansas, will not be present at each meeting, a number of task force members will participate in each session.
KDOT also conducted of a series of local consultation meetings two years ago to hear what types of projects were important to communities.
“It’s time to go back to communities to determine if any economic or transportation needs have changed in the last two years and to continue discussions about regional priorities,” Miller said. “Clearly, there will always be more needs than funding, so it’s important to think about how transportation investments best support statewide needs.”
All meetings will begin at 8:30 a.m. Summaries of each local consultation meeting will be posted on the T-LINK Web site at www.kansastlink.com. The Web site also includes full summaries of T-LINK meetings, schedules and much more.
Governor shares transportation vision with state leaders
In the midst of tough economic times and scarce state resources, Governor Sebelius has outlined simple and no-cost steps to prepare Kansas for future transportation opportunities.
In the midst of tough economic times and scarce state resources, Governor Sebelius has outlined simple and no-cost steps to prepare Kansas for future transportation opportunities.
“Even though the federal stimulus bill has money set aside for states, Kansas should not build a foundation with temporary funds. We must ensure a solid and sustainable approach to move forward within our means,” Sebelius said. “The steps we take now will not cost taxpayers additional money, but will ensure that as the economy improves we have a plan in place to take advantage of every opportunity.”
Last August, Governor Kathleen Sebelius formed the Transportation-Leveraging Investments in Kansas Task Force (T-LINK) to begin crafting a new strategic transportation approach for the state.
Based on the recommendations of that task force, the governor has asked the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and Legislature to enact simple and no-cost policies to prepare Kansas for future transportation opportunities.
The recommendations include the following action steps:
° Cap bonding at 18 percent of adjusted total agency revenue and allow the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) to manage its debt within that parameter.
° Increase funding options for communities by combining specific elements found in STAR bonds, Transportation Development Districts, and Tax Increment Financing into a single piece of
legislation.
° Identify a prioritized network of local roads to maximize any future state or federal dollars through the creation of a Local Roads Commission assisted and staffed by KDOT.
° Expand eligible applicants for the short-line railroad program to include shippers, local governments and industrial parks.
° Rename the State Highway Fund to more accurately reflect the multi-modal system the fund supports.
Governor Sebelius also asked the T-LINK Task Force members to continue their service to the state by serving as an advisory body for implementation. KDOT has been directed to report progress to and seek input from T-LINK as recommendations are being implemented.
Additional information regarding the T-LINK recommendations can be found in their report “New Approaches for Transportation” available at http://www.kansastlink.com/.