Kansas Legislative Research Department February 8, 2019

MINUTES

JOINT LEGISLATIVE TRANSPORTATION VISION TASK FORCE

November 9, 2018 Kansas Farm Bureau 2627 KFB Plaza, Manhattan, KS

Members Present Senator Carolyn McGinn, Co-chairperson Representative , Co-chairperson Senator Rick Billinger Senator Tom Holland (substituting for Senator Tom Hawk) Senator Mike Petersen Senator Pat Pettey Senator John Skubal Representative J. R. Claeys Representative Representative Adam Lusker Representative Matt Allen Richard Carlson Jon Daveline Max Dibble Lindsey Douglas Ty Dragoo Chad Girard Steve Hewitt Mike King Kenzil Lynn Alise Martiny Jackie McClaskey Cameron McGown Donald Roberts Andy Sanchez Steve Sloan Kip Spray Bridgette Williams Sam Williams Jerry Younger

Members Absent Representative Jim Allen Mary Birch Mike Brown Staff Present Jill Shelley, Kansas Legislative Research Department Aaron Klaassen, Kansas Legislative Research Department Whitney Howard, Kansas Legislative Research Department Katelin Neikirk, Kansas Legislative Research Department Chris Waggoner, Office of Revisor of Statutes Connie Burns, Committee Assistant

Conferees Suzanne Loomis, City Engineer and Director of Public Works, City of Newton Amanda Stanley, Chief Counsel, League of Kansas Municipalities Chris Herrick, Director of Planning and Development and Interim Director of Fiscal and Asset Management, Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) Mark Taylor, Program and Project Management, KDOT Larry Thompson, Director of Operations, KDOT Joel Skelley, Director of Policy, KDOT Ron Seitz, Director of Engineering and Design, KDOT Julie Lorenz, Burns & McDonnell Representative Dave Baker, 68th District Tom Moxley, Moxley Ranch Aron Dody, Superintendent, Morris County Public Schools USD 417 Gary Stith, Director, Flint Hills Regional Council David Fritchen, private citizen, Manhattan Monica Simecka, President, Council Grove/Morris County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism Mike Dodson, Mayor, City of Manhattan Mark Bachamp, Chairman, Transportation Committee, Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce Curtis Sneden, Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce Rod Willis, City Manager, City of Osage City William Prescott, Osage City Industrial Development Committee Dorothy Goodman, Yellow Brick Road Committee, Sabetha Stephanie Peterson, Director, Flint Hills Metropolitan Planning Organization Nathan Bergman, Kansas Chapter President, American Public Works Association Tucker Stewart, President, Kansas Agricultural Alliance Jake Lauer, President, Kansas Aggregate Producers’ Association Ryan Flickner, Senior Director, Advocacy Division, Kansas Farm Bureau Michael White, Executive Director, Kansas Contractors Association

Others Attending See Attached List.

Morning Session

Welcome

The meeting was called to order by Co-chairperson McGinn at 10:04 a.m. She welcomed the Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force (Task Force) members and

Kansas Legislative Research Department 2 Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force Minutes for November 9, 2018 guests to the last regional Task Force meeting. The Co-chairpersons thanked the Task Force members and staff for their time and hard work.

Co-chairperson Proehl stated at today’s meeting the Task Force would be hearing from the cities and the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) on its project selection process.

Local Roads – Cities

Suzanne Loomis, City Engineer and Director of Public Works, City of Newton, and Amanda Stanley, General Counsel, League of Kansas Municipalities, provided a presentation on local roads (Attachment 1). Ms. Stanley reviewed the diversity among cities, noting Kansas’ 625 cities range in population from 24 to 382,368, with 566 of them having populations of less than 5,000; population categories used by KDOT are less than 5,000, 5,001 to 50,000, and 50,001 or more. Ms. Loomis stated municipal transportation systems include roadways, bicycle and pedestrian facilities, airports, railroads and crossings, and transit. She noted there are 17,000 miles of city streets in Kansas and that 12.0 percent of the total road miles and 5.0 percent of all bridges in the state receive 27.0 percent of the vehicle miles traveled in the state. Ms. Loomis stated this concentration of vehicle traffic requires extensive maintenance programs to keep pavement in good condition and quick responses to pavement problems. She described maintenance and operations for cities and their differences from highway operations, such as many miles logged for street sweepers that keep storm sewer systems clean and help cities meet storm water permit regulations, and having multiple pavement types, which increases costs. She noted there are a total of 1,254 city-owned bridges in Kansas, plus an unknown number of structures like bridges less than 20 feet in length and therefore not officially classified as bridges. Cities are often also responsible for waterways as well as the bridges. She stated the State has $8.0 million per year available to the cities and counties to share in the maintenance and replacement of 19,300 bridges and approximately half of the local bridges are 50 years old or older.

Ms. Stanley stated cities are having a hard time figuring out how to pay for the increased mileage and rising cost of materials to maintain the roads, bridges, and waterways. She noted deferred maintenance ultimately increases costs. Ms. Loomis noted local availability affects choice of materials used. Ms. Stanley stated payments for city connecting links would need to be increased 50.0 percent in 2019 or to $7,305 by 2027 to achieve the purchasing power of $3,000 in 1999, when the city connecting links rate was established.

Ms. Stanley stated the Special City and County Highway Fund (SCCHF) has been in existence in some form since 1949 and the ratio set in 1983 for sharing funds was based on vehicle miles traveled (approximately 44.0 percent of all vehicle miles traveled were on local miles at that time). However, the rate was 40.5 percent to the SCCHF from 1984 to 1999 and was reduced further in 1999 and 2002 with a commitment to return to 44.0 percent in 2020. That commitment was rescinded in 2010 and the current rate is 33.63 percent of motor fuel taxes to the SCCHF. She described this percentage as unreasonably low given the proportion of vehicle miles traveled on local roads.

Ms. Stanley stated connecting links and SCCHF revenues are critical for cities’ transportation programs and must be continued. She noted challenges include SCCHF revenues growing far below the rate of inflation, averaging 0.7 percent annual growth versus inflation of 2.7 percent; she explained some of this is due to increased fuel efficiency, resulting in less fuel being purchased. She noted there have been legislative proposals to increase revenues from motor fuels, but increases in motor fuel tax rates have been coupled with

Kansas Legislative Research Department 3 Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force Minutes for November 9, 2018 reductions in the portion to the SCCHF, resulting in no increase in funding for cities and counties.

Ms. Stanley also discussed the property tax lid, stating the lid especially impacts cities with a limited retail base; raising property taxes beyond a rolling average of the Consumer Price Index requires a public vote; and the tax lid does not take into account increases in costs for construction materials and labor, which do not necessarily dovetail with general inflation figures. She stated the tax lid encourages bonding projects, including transportation projects, rather than paying cash for them, which increases the cost of projects.

Ms. Loomis provided examples of overall city street maintenance budgets, showing the portions received for connecting links, from the Federal Fund Exchange Program, and from the SCCHF; she stated people often overestimate the proportion received from state funds. She provided an example of an economic development project in Newton and illustrated how State and local dollars over a long term had been used for related projects.

Ms. Loomis stated, while cities differ, the demand for bicycling facilities overall is rising. Federal Transportation Enhancement Program funds have helped pay for improvements in cities in the past, but funding has diminished over time. According to KDOT’s “2016 Kansas Traffic Crash Facts,” 365 crashes statewide involved pedal cyclists at a cost exceeding $47 million. She stated a state study should be conducted to determine the actual miles of infrastructure in place for bicycling and the number of users, and future trend data would be important for all agencies in planning and budgeting related to this transportation alternative.

Ms. Stanley summarized important transportation issues for cities: protection of state highway program dollars for transportation, the completion of projects planned for the Transportation Works for Kansas (T-Works) program, increased state funding for local system preservation and expansion, more control by cities over how to spend their state program funds and coordinate all local planning, and attention to alternate modes of transportation.

In response to questions, the conferees stated they would provide more information on property tax lids in other states, exceptions to those lids, property taxes paid by a company in Newton that benefited from a transportation expansion project, and bonding in Newton and Harvey County for transportation purposes. They also stated tax lids have an increasing effect over time; the increase in vehicle miles traveled on city streets has been due at least in part to expansion of the cities; all Kansas local sales taxes for transportation on ballots were approved at the most recent election; and local governments have maintenance responsibilities on local systems tied to any improvement on the state system.

Priority Formula, Selection Criteria, and Project Needs

Chris Herrick, Director of Planning and Development and Interim Director of Fiscal and Asset Management, KDOT, spoke to the Task Force on priority formulas and selection criteria (Attachment 2). He stated selecting highway projects is about selecting the best mix of projects to maximize the benefit to the entire system given a limit on resources, much as a sports team must evaluate athlete assets to assemble the best overall team. He described three project types whose names reflect the their purposes: preservation, modernization (which is about safety and helps pavement and system health), and expansion (which also replaces old infrastructure and improves safety and the health of the transportation system). He stated before T-Works, most projects were selected based entirely on engineering data. Under T-

Kansas Legislative Research Department 4 Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force Minutes for November 9, 2018 Works, project selection has considered engineering data, local input, and economic analysis, and it is tailored to project types. Project selection processes differ by type of project. Preservation projects are selected based entirely on engineering data, but local input also is considered for modernization projects (20.0 percent local input, 80.0 percent engineering data), and expansion project selection is based on engineering data (50.0 percent), local input (25.0 percent), and economic analysis (25.0 percent).

Mr. Herrick explained engineering data come from evaluations of thousands of roadway segments; based on that evaluation, the system assigns needs scores and prioritizes projects based on needs scores. Weights are given to certain factors to determine the needs score; adjustment factors such as state route classification and crash rates then amplify or mitigate needs. He stated the priority formula does not tell KDOT where new projects are needed, what the economic impact of an improvement might be, or local priorities or concerns, and it does not consider project cost. He described how local input was gathered through regional meetings and is factored into modernization and expansion projects. He stated economic analysis, used for expansion projects, scores rural and urban projects separately. He noted economic impact determinations include information gathered from local stakeholders on expected economic benefits; the model used to estimate economic impact also considers development that takes place because of the improvement, market access, and savings in travel time and costs. He stated KDOT chose all T-Works modernization and expansion projects at the start of the T- Works program, but preservation projects are chosen every year, and Kansans have been supportive of these processes and consider this a fair way to prioritize needs. A breakdown of modernization and expansion project needs was provided.

Mr. Herrick provided an overall estimate of modernization and expansion project needs: $600.0 million for the 21 delayed T-Works projects, $12.3 billion for the 149 projects requested during the local consult meetings prior to enactment of T-Works in 2010 but not included in T- Works, and $5.6 billion for the 109 projects requested by conferees to this Task Force before the meetings in Olathe and Manhattan; those estimates add to $18.5 billion. He provided a map showing geographic distribution of the requested projects. Task Force members requested additional information on the 149 projects that were requested during T-Works local consult meetings but were not listed as T-Works projects, including whether those requested projects remained as local priorities and how the pre-T-Works list compares with the list of projects requested by conferees to this Task Force. Mr. Herrick said KDOT would provide that information at a later time.

In response to questions, Mr. Herrick described how project timing was determined, using factors including expected cash flow; stated local willingness to partner is not part of the scoring process for project selection; stated having people within KDOT with institutional knowledge and experience is important to KDOT discussions on priorities; an expansion project usually takes at least five years; and KDOT staff are determining how many miles of highways meet design standards for shoulders for different types of highways. Mark Taylor, Program and Project Management, KDOT, noted the system enhancement program is the same as the modernization program.

KDOT Initiatives and Innovations

Larry Thompson, Director of Operations, KDOT, spoke on KDOT initiatives and innovations (Attachment 3). KDOT formed a partnership with the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA); in doing so, the agencies could co-locate a field office in Emporia, sharing infrastructure, and partnering on projects. KDOT provides limited engineering services to KTA, for which KDOT

Kansas Legislative Research Department 5 Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force Minutes for November 9, 2018 is reimbursed, and KTA provides basic maintenance on intelligent transportation systems infrastructure in the Wichita area, for which the KTA is reimbursed. Mr. Thompson described another partnering opportunity, with Douglas County: in 2016, KDOT and Douglas County moved into a combined maintenance shop near K-10. A third innovative partnership allows the ZAYO Group, LLC, and DTI Centurylink to install fiber in KDOT controlled right of way, and in exchange the companies provide KDOT with access to fiber, bandwidth, and conduit. He stated the value to KDOT could be in the hundreds of millions of dollars over the projected lives of the contracts.

Mr. Thompson discussed innovations and cost-effective improvements KDOT uses. He described an award-winning project that widened K-23 in Gove County and provided two-foot shoulders but cost $11.0 million less than a full modernization project rebuilding that segment. He noted KDOT has developed a practical design manual incorporating innovations used on K- 23. He also described cost-effective improvements, such as providing passing lanes instead of a four-lane highway and low-cost safety improvements including center line rumble stripes, edge rumble strips, and LED lighting. He stated the agency uses innovative technology to help travelers by using sensors and cameras and implementing Smart Work Zones to provide real- time information to motorists, improving safety and mobility. He also discussed electronic permitting for oversize and overweight loads in Kansas, using a system called K-TRIPS (Kansas Truck Routing and Intelligent Permitting System). He stated the system reduces staff time, paperwork, and wait times for truck routing and permitting; was completed 50.0 percent under budget; and was used for approximately 70.0 percent of the 88,000 permits issued in 2017. Mr. Thompson stated Kansas is a leader in pavement preservation techniques; surface recycling and cold in-place recycling were developed in this state; and pavement research is ongoing. He also discussed innovations improving efficiencies for winter weather response, such as preventative treatment and use of wide plows, and use of drone technology in tower inspections and project documentation.

Mr. Thompson stated KDOT has approximately 900 fewer staff members than in 2011 and 40.0 percent fewer engineers. Of the 211 engineers on staff, 30 are eligible to retire and 24 will be eligible to retire in 3 years. He stated KDOT is unable to fill engineer positions at least in part because salaries are not competitive. He also stated the agency has 100.0 percent turnover in equipment operator trainees, who are paid $12.66 per hour but as part of their training achieve a commercial driver’s license, with which they can obtain better-paying jobs. He further stated KDOT requires in-house experience but also contracts out about 70.0 percent of its design work.

In response to questions, Joel Skelley, Director of Policy, KDOT, stated the cost of a permit for an oversize or overweight load is set in statute at $50. Ron Seitz, Director of Engineering and Design, KDOT, described how KDOT’s remote office in Lawrence has helped with recruiting engineers. Mr. Thompson stated the loss of engineers impacts experience and innovation. Task Force members requested additional information on vehicle dimension and weight limits in nearby states, salaries in nearby states, how other states handle the shortage of heavy machine drivers, and whether multiple states could share engineering resources.

Review of Resources

Jill Shelley, Principal Research Analyst, Kansas Legislative Research Department, reviewed the following resource documents provided to the Task Force:

Kansas Legislative Research Department 6 Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force Minutes for November 9, 2018 ● “State Revenues Used for Transportation Purposes” (Attachment 4);

● “Special City and County Highway Fund Distributions” (Attachment 5);

● “Payments to Cities for Highway Connecting Links” (Attachment 6);

● 2019 Kansas Legislator Briefing Book, “L-2 Kansas Turnpike: The Relationship Between KTA and KDOT” (Attachment 7);

● 2019 Kansas Legislator Briefing Book, “L-6 Toll or Tax?” (Attachment 8);

● 2019 Kansas Legislator Briefing Book, “L-5 State Motor Fuels Taxes and Fuel Use” (Attachment 9);

● 2019 Kansas Legislator Briefing Book, “L-4 State Highway Fund Receipts and Transfers” (Attachment 10); and

● Websites, Transportation Financing (Attachment 11).

Task Force Discussion

Julie Lorenz, Burns & McDonnell, reviewed testimony and asked Task Force members to focus on priorities for the next ten years of transportation in Kansas. She explained to the Task Force an electronic survey would be sent out to the members on November 15. She stated the survey will help to jump start the conversation on the recommendations to the Legislature and asked survey responses be returned by November 21 in order to be ready to talk about recommendations on the last two days of meetings scheduled for November 28-29. She described the questions, in general, and stated responses would be anonymous. She also encouraged members to use the transportation calculator to explore scenarios.

Task Force members asked about the schedule and work product for the final two days of meetings. Co-chairperson McGinn stated there will be a bill or bills generated from the recommendations from the Task Force. Chris Waggoner, Assistant Revisor of Statutes, stated bills will be developed based on legislator requests after legislators review the report. Co- chairperson McGinn noted any bill would be vetted through the committee process and work through the legislative process.

The Task Force was provided a resource document, Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force Fact Book (Attachment 12).

An updated “Information Requests: Tracking & Resources for November 8 & 9, 2018,” was provided (Attachment 13).

Co-chairperson McGinn thanked the Kansas Contractors Association for providing lunch for the Task Force members and staff, and thanked the Kansas Farm Bureau for the use of its facility for the Task Force meeting.

Co-chairperson McGinn recessed the meeting at 12:10 p.m. for lunch.

Kansas Legislative Research Department 7 Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force Minutes for November 9, 2018 Afternoon Session

Co-chairperson McGinn reconvened the meeting at 12:40 p.m.

Local Input Testimony

K-177

Representative Dave Baker, 68th Distinct, presented testimony for C. Kay Hutchinson, Executive Director, Greater Morris County Development Corporation (Attachment 14). He stated K-177 is a dangerous roadway for the ranchers and farmers along its borders and the safety factor alone should be paramount in considering this important artery for immediate T-Works funding. He also described the importance of K-177 to area tourism and to efforts to attract new residents to Council Grove, Dwight, and White City.

Tom Moxley, private citizen, Council Grove, described K-177 as the backbone of Flint Hills tourism and noted safety concerns for the route (Attachment 15). He stated, when he was a legislator, he had voted for the T-Works program and the related 0.3-cent sales tax, and the K- 177 highway project needs to be completed as had been promised under the T-Works program.

Aron Dody, Superintendent of Schools, Morris County USD 417, called improvements to K-177 critical for the safety of students and staff of his district and described why district buses must stop on K-177 (Attachment 16). He respectfully requested the T-Works modernization project on K-177 from Council Grove north to I-70 receive full consideration as a priority.

Gary Stith, Director, Flint Hills Regional Council, stated the Flint Hills Regional Council, a non-profit organization of 24 counties and cities, supports the planned improvements to K-177 from Council Grove north to I-70 (Attachment 17). He noted people who work at Fort Riley live along the corridor, commuter traffic is expected to increase, and the route is vital to regional economic development.

David Fritchen, private citizen, Manhattan, appeared before the Task Force on Highway K-177 (Attachment 18). He stated the improvement project is essential for safety, and will also have positive and lasting impact on the communities it serves by enhancing travel to Council Grove, one of the historic cities in Kansas, and the scenery of the Flint Hills that had recently been praised in Smithsonian Magazine. He asked modernization of K-177 from Council Grove north to I-70 receive full consideration as a high priority.

Monica Simecka, President, Council Grove/Morris County Chamber of Commerce & Tourism, stated the T-Works program improvement project of K-177 from Council Grove north to I-70 is needed for safety reasons, that a number of crashes on K-177 have resulted in fatalities and life-changing injuries (Attachment 19). She described its use by visitors and commuters. Ms. Simecka, representing herself, recounted to the Task Force her own serious accident on K- 177 when she was 20 years old (Attachment 20).

Written-only testimony in support of modernization of K-177 was provided by:

● Ryan Armbrust, President, Alta Vista City Council (Attachment 21);

Kansas Legislative Research Department 8 Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force Minutes for November 9, 2018 ● Mark Eric Brooks, President, Council Grove City Council (Attachment 22);

● Mark Eric Brooks, Bus Driver, USD 417 (Attachment 23);

● Darrel Bryant, private citizen, Council Grove (Attachment 24);

● Melanie Byram, M.D., private citizen, Council Grove (Attachment 25);

● T. Christopher Carlin, Rock Fish Gallery (Attachment 26);

● Pete Cohen, private citizen, Alta Vista (Attachment 27);

● John and Linda Cosgrove, Cosgrove Farm Company (Attachment 28);

● David Fritchen, private citizen, Manhattan (Attachment 29);

● Larry Heyka, Vice President and member of Board of Directors, Council Grove City Lake Association (Attachment 30);

● Karen Hibbard, Vice-president, Manhattan Convention and Visitors Bureau (Attachment 31);

● Kenneth McClintock, local historian, Council Grove (Attachment 32);

● Steve McClintock, private citizen, Alta Vista (Attachment 33);

● USD 417 Transportation Staff, Morris County Public Schools – Machelle King, Virgil Wigle, Mark Eric Brooks, Phillip Lawrence, Danny Matthews, Roma Grafel, and Jeynese Rae Carl (Attachment 34);

● Stephen and Sylvia Murphy, private citizens, Alta Vista (Attachment 35);

● Mark and Kayla Queen, Qvines, LLC, Council Grove (Attachment 36);

● Steve Shepard, Business Development Manager, Quality Profile Services, Inc. (Attachment 37);

● Shirley Spittles, private citizen, Council Grove (Attachment 38);

● Keith Wessel, Storage Plus (Attachment 39);

● Lance White, President and Chief Executive Officer, Bank of the Flint Hills (Attachment 40);

● Justin Whittaker, White Memorial Camp (Attachment 41);

Kansas Legislative Research Department 9 Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force Minutes for November 9, 2018 ● Glenna Jo Ziegenhirt and family, private citizens, Alta Vista (Attachment 42); and

● Thirty-three additional area residents via letters identical except for their names (Attachment 43).

Manhattan

Mike Dodson, Mayor, City of Manhattan, expressed the City’s appreciation for KDOT assistance and its programs (Attachment 44). He stated the City of Manhattan supports preservation of federal funding sources for city projects: the Transportation Alternative Program, the Surface Transportation Program, and the Highway Safety Improvement Program. The City also supports the preservation of state funding sources, including the City Connecting Link Improvement Program, Intelligent Transportation Systems, Economic Development, Corridor Management, and the Federal Fund Exchange Program. He noted Manhattan voters approved a sales tax for transportation and requested adequate funding and consistency.

Mark Bachamp, Chairman, Transportation Committee, Manhattan Area Chamber of Commerce, stated high quality multi-modal transportation systems based on safety, preservation, connectivity, and economic development will help retain and attract critical talent leading to new economic prosperity (Attachment 45). He described the safety and economic development impacts of improvements to K-18 on Manhattan and Fort Riley.

Topeka

Curtis Sneden, Greater Topeka Chamber of Commerce, stated the organization’s top priority is I-70 through downtown Topeka (Attachment 46). He described the Polk Quincy Viaduct as a dangerous bottleneck and stated improvements to the corridor meet most of the Task Force’s priorities, especially safety and preservation of a transportation resource important to the Kansas economy. He stated local government is prepared to collaborate with the State on funding, the problems have negatively affected development in downtown Topeka, and a first phase estimated to cost $218 million could correct most of the most dangerous deficiencies.

K-31

Rod Willis, City Manager, City of Osage City, appeared before the Task Force to request completion of the T-Works project to improve K-31 between US-75 and US-56 to a “super-two” roadway (Attachment 47). He described the route as including narrow shoulders, deep ditches, and steep hills with limited sight lines and carrying traffic as varied as heavy commercial vehicles, extra-wide farm equipment, and horse-drawn buggies. He stated current conditions hamper economic development as well as placing users at risk. He also described local funding for transportation projects.

William Prescott, Osage City Industrial Development Committee, described K-31 as the main artery for Osage County and noted the county has the highest percentage in Kansas of residents commuting to another county (Attachment 48). He further described safety concerns, noting the roadway is 23 feet wide in places and used by farm combines 16 feet wide. He stated this project is a delayed T-Works project, and properties had been purchased and homes and buildings demolished with the promise of an upgrade. He urged T-Works promises be kept.

Kansas Legislative Research Department 10 Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force Minutes for November 9, 2018 Bicycle/Pedestrian

Dorothy Goodman, Yellow Brick Road Committee, Sabetha, spoke on the needs of the state for bicycle and pedestrian trails (Attachment 49). She stated local residents defined trails as a top priority and found them important in economic development, particularly in attracting young people to take jobs in the area. She stated bicycle and pedestrian trails are necessary and worthy of focus, not only for recreation, but as an economic driver for all communities and for their health benefits.

Written-only testimony in support of bicycle tourism and bicycle and pedestrian facilities was provided by:

● James Cummins, Chief Gravel Officer, Life Time Fitness (Attachment 50); and

● Alan Kailer, President, Bike Walk Wichita (Attachment 51).

Rail

Written-only testimony regarding short line rail was provided by Nathan Johns, Vice President of Marketing and Government Affairs, Garden City Western Railway (Attachment 52).

Additional Conferees

Stephanie Peterson, Director, Flint Hills Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO), stated the organization’s transportation priorities are safety, preservation, connectivity, and economic development (Attachment 53). She stated the mission of the Flint Hills MPO is to coordinate, encourage, and promote safe, efficient, affordable, and integrated transportation system for all users, in support of livable communities and economic competitiveness. She described the safety benefits of improvements to K-18, local funding for transportation, and increases in ridership on local transit.

Nathan Bergman, President, American Public Works Association (APWA) – Kansas Chapter, stated the Kansas Chapter of APWA recommends restoring and protecting funding for KDOT, completing T-Works projects, augmenting transportation funding to modernize the transportation system and grow the economy, and continuing funding for KDOT local programs (Attachment 54).

Tucker Stewart, President, Kansas Agricultural Alliance (KAA), stated the KAA represents farm, livestock, commodity, cooperative, agri-business, and agri-service organizations and described the impact of agriculture on the Kansas economy (Attachment 55). The KAA opposes the “Special County Road Fund” and “production tax” suggested by the Kansas Association of Counties in previous Task Force meetings as alternative transportation funding sources.

Jake Lauer, President, Kansas Aggregate Producers’ Association and Kansas Ready Mixed Concrete Association (KAPA-KRMCA), noted transportation is an ongoing concern (Attachment 56). He stated the KAPA-KRMCA supports using taxes and fees approved for transportation on transportation and not for other government spending, a return to full funding of KDOT’s “right action at the right time” approach to programming of preservation projects,

Kansas Legislative Research Department 11 Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force Minutes for November 9, 2018 building the 21 delayed T-Works projects, and sufficient revenue into the State Highway Fund (SHF) to fund a reasonable annual number of projects to address existing and emerging needs.

Ryan Flickner, Senior Director, Advocacy Division, Kansas Farm Bureau (KFB), spoke to the Task Force on the KFB policy position on transportation (Attachment 57). He stated the policy supports a well-designed, adequately funded transportation system for Kansas. Highway and road infrastructure maintenance and improvement projects that serve production agriculture should remain a funding priority. He expressed the organization’s willingness to work with legislators, KDOT, and others on a new transportation plan.

Michael White, Executive Director, Kansas Contractors Association (KCA), noted the transportation industry depends on stability and urged protection of moneys directed to the SHF (Attachment 58). He stated the Legislature has the authority to create a tax on motor vehicles that could be constitutionally protected (under Article 11, Section 10, of the Kansas Constitution). He stated the KCA position is the T-Works program should be funded in a new program; the suspended projects should be completed; and all modes of transportation should be included in a new plan, with a modest level of increased funding. He cautioned on a shorter program length, noting it may take a few years to get a level of funding to support new projects.

Written-only testimony was provided by:

● Edward DeSoignie, Interim Director, Economic Lifelines, on the economic impact of transportation programs (Attachment 59); and

● Thomas Brown, Mayor; Larry Wiens, Commissioner of Public Lands and Facilities; and Robert Moore, Commissioner of Streets and Utilities, City of McPherson, in support of a proposed interchange and overpass on I-135 near Lindsborg (Attachment 60).

Closing Remarks

Co-chairperson Proehl asked Task Force member Lindsey Douglas to share her thoughts on the T-Works bills. Ms. Douglas noted the job of the Task Force is to provide recommendations regarding the needs of the transportation system, which will be presented to legislative committees; legislators then will request bills. She stated several legislative bills to establish a T-Works program were introduced, but legislators ultimately agreed on two separate bills, one bill for the policy portion and one bill for funding.

Co-chairperson McGinn requested Task Force members complete the surveys referenced by Ms. Lorenz and utilize the transportation calculator. She described the meeting schedule for the final two days of Task Force meetings. Task Force member Steve Hewitt stated Task Force members will be invited to tour KTA tolling facilities near Topeka on November 28, leaving the Statehouse at approximately 4:00 p.m.

The next Task Force meeting will be November 28 and 29, 2018, in the Statehouse in Topeka.

Kansas Legislative Research Department 12 Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force Minutes for November 9, 2018 Adjourn

Co-chairperson Proehl adjourned the meeting at 2:24 p.m.

Prepared by Connie Burns Edited by Jill Shelley and Whitney Howard

Approved by the Committee on:

February 8, 2019 (Date)

Kansas Legislative Research Department 13 Joint Legislative Transportation Vision Task Force Minutes for November 9, 2018