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It doesn't seem like it should really be February. I think much of my issue with time right now is related to the fact that we had to adjust the 2016 Conference schedule, shortening our event by one day. It also has to do with the fact that this weekend the temperature is expected to be in the mid-50's - making is seem more like Spring than early February.
But it is February - and in fact, today is the 22nd day of the 2016 session of the General Assembly. And for us, it is quiet - and it shouldn't be.
KBT has several issues this session that we hope to address - from passing enabling legislation for public-private partnerships to the transportation budget - there are many issues that we can discuss.
However, there are several other pressing issues that are receiving lots of deserved attention. From pensions to healthcare to education, many bills will be filed and many discussions will be had over what to do and how to do it.
And all those issues are important - but that doesn't mean our issues are any less important.
The health of our state's entire economy is intricately tied to our transportation infrastructure.
The General Assembly and the Governor may be able to fix the pensions, fund education, and address felon's voting rights, but we will still need an improved and maintained transportation network that provides access. Access for our citizens - who depend on our roads and bridges and transit systems to get to work and to school. Access for our manufacturers - who depend on our highways, ariports, riverports and railroads to move their products to the greater marketplace.
There are many things that can be done during this legislative session that will move Kentucky forward - but we can't move without our transportation infrastructure.
Talk to your Legislators when they are home this weekend and remind them how important our roads, rails, runways, rivers, and our buses are to your local community.
There is one other thing I'd like to mention today. KBT is blessed with so many special members who dedicate their time, talent, and treasure to our organization. Our members travel across the state to attend our meetings, they sponsor our events, they read our newsletter, they sit on our board and participate in our committees.
Coordinating all our members takes quite a bit of work. But, as an organization, we are also blessed with a incredible staff person who helps make sure we achieve our mission of educating and advocating for a safe, sustainable transportation infrastructure. Katie Haller, our Director of Member Relations, has many responsibilities from preparing and sending out timely communications which include our eNewsletter, helping with the coordination of our meetings and events, preparing and sending invoices and statements as well as maintaining the KBT website and social media.
Katie has an incredible, positive personality that shines through in everything she does. No matter what she is doing, she does it with a smile.
She is special to all of us at KBT - and this weekend she is celebrating a special birthday. So on behalf of all our members I'd like to thank Katie for all she does and wish her a very Happy Birthday!
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Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Staff Updates
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G
reg Thomas
Dep
uty Secretary for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Thomas joins the Cabinet after spending nearly 33 years in the electric and natural gas industry.
Thomas began his career in the industry as a technical engineer for Kentucky Utilities (KU). Over the years, he has held many diverse positions in the electric distribution sector including customer service engineer, field operations coordinator, division engineer, district manager, division vice president, regional general manager, and director of Distribution Operations and Energy Delivery.
At Louisville Gas and Electric (LG&E), Thomas was responsible for the safe, reliable and strategic operation of the statewide electric distribution system and related regulatory and compliance functions. His responsibilities included overseeing the installation of service for new customers; enhancing, maintaining and operating the electric network; system restoration and mutual assistance efforts; substation construction and maintenance; and vehicle fleet operation and the federal Department of Transportation compliance.
Thomas has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee.
Thomas is a graduate of Leadership Kentucky and is a volunteer for Project Warm, the WHAS Crusade for Children and Metro United Way.
He lives in Louisville with his wife, LuAnn, and their two sons, Will and Gus.
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Asa James Swan
Chief of Staff for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet
Asa is returning to KYTC, having served as Legislative Liaison from 2004 to 2007. His tenure included the 2006 General Assembly, which was one of the most productive ever for KYTC. Asa's work that year was instrumental in securing passage of the Primary Seatbelt, Graduated Driver License and "Quick Clearance" laws, among others.
Asa comes back to KYTC from Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia.
His career also has included service on the staffs of former 2nd District Congressman Ron Lewis, for whom he was Legislative Assistant, and the U.S. Senate Republican Conference, where he was Interim Deputy Director of Coalitions.
In his new role as Chief of Staff Swan is currently assisting with the following:
- Rural & Municipal Aid
- Legislative Affairs
- Audits
- Inspector General's Office
Asa is a 1999 graduate of Huntington University in Indiana, where he was a Rhodes Scholar candidate. He earned a master's degree in history from Western Kentucky University in 2002 and is ABD in his doctoral program in history at UK, with completion expected in 2016.
Engineering also runs in his family. Asa's grandfather, James Johnston, was a civil engineer in the firm of Morrison Knudson, formerly based in Boise, Idaho, and oversaw dam and bridge projects all over the world.
Asa is a native of Campbellsville.
Contact information:
502-564-5102
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2016 Legislative Session Update
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KBT has long supported the passage of legislation enabling public private partnerships in the Commonwealth. Both HB 309 and SB 132 establish a framework for public private partnerships. Each version also prohibits tolling for any project involving the highway system that connects Kentucky and Ohio.
Both bills have been assigned to committees and may be heard as early as next week.
You can contact your Legislator while they are in session by calling (800) 372-7181.
KBT is tracking several pieces of legislation that may impact transportation. For the complete list of bills we are tracking,
click here.
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KBT's Annual Washington, D.C. Fly-In - Registration Now Open!
May 18 & 19, 2016
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KBT is looking forward to our annual Washington, D.C. Fly-In.
The Fly In will held May 18 & 19, 2016. Don't miss this incredible opportunity to meet Kentucky's Congressional delegation and discuss transportation.
For more information and to register online please click the following link:
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Gov. Bevin Proclaims Feb. 2 Automotive Industry Day in Kentucky
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Feb. 2, 2016) -Governor Matt Bevin declared today Automotive Industry Day in the Commonwealth, issuing a proclamation during a meeting with the Kentucky Auto Industry Association (KAIA).
"Thousands of Kentuckians rely on the state's automotive manufacturers and suppliers for stable employment. These companies constitute a major part of our state's economy. For this and many other reasons, we recognize the importance of our automotive industry and pledge to work for its continued success," Gov. Bevin said. "Today we highlight not only the impact of our 480 automotive businesses across Kentucky, but the 90,000 dedicated workers who strive every day to keep our state's auto industry among the national leaders."
Throughout his first two months in office, Gov. Bevin has worked to strengthen Kentucky's automotive businesses. Last month, joined by Erik Dunnigan, acting secretary of the Cabinet for Economic Development, the Governor attended the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. There, they met with executives from Ford, General Motors, Toyota and top automotive suppliers.
Today he met with the KAIA board - comprised of executives from Kentucky's three auto manufacturers and large suppliers - to discuss issues, opportunities and challenges facing the industry and ways the state can provide support.
Earlier today during a news conference at the Capitol, legislators and the KAIA announced the creation of the Kentucky Automotive Industry Caucus. The bipartisan group of lawmakers pledged to collaborate with automotive manufacturers on key issues in the coming years, including workforce training, business-friendly tax policies, technology development and more.
In 2015, Kentucky's automotive industry saw 80 announcements of new or expanding facilities, resulting in $2.8 billion of planned investment and a projected nearly 5,400 new full-time jobs.
Those included major announcements of plant investments, additional job creation and new products by the three automakers in Kentucky - Ford, Toyota and General Motors.
On a per capita basis, Kentucky ranks first in light-vehicle production in the U.S. - and third overall.
Last year, KAIA teamed up with the University of Louisville to study the impact of Kentucky's auto industry. Findings include:
- The industry supports more than 136,000 high-paying jobs. That's one out of every 18 jobs in the state. Kentucky ranks third highest in auto industry-related employment as a percentage of total state employment.
- The industry contributes $14.3 billion to Kentucky's gross state product. Roughly $1 out of every $13 in the state's economy ties to the automotive industry.
- $1 out of every $14 in state taxes results from the automotive industry. A total of $488 million annually in state income and sales taxes comes from industry-supported jobs.Kentucky's automotive manufacturers and suppliers contribute $6.1 billion to payrolls annually. On average, an automotive manufacturing employee earns $58,280 annually.
Click here to read entire press release.
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Kentucky is the proud home to more than 2,500 freight rail miles that connect Kentucky's agricultural, automotive, aluminum, aggregate, and other producers to the rest of the country. Our short line rail roads like RJ Corman and the Paducah and Louisville Railroad connect to major Class I railroads such as CSX and Norfolk Southern.
Representatives of those companies were in Frankfort yesterday to discuss the rail industry and the important role it plays in our economy and in our state.
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2018 or 2020, whatever the case may be, isn't very far off. According to a Positive Train Control implementation chart published on the Federal Railroad Administration website, 30 out 37 U.S. freight and passenger railroads required to have PTC-roughly 80%-will have the technology in place by the year-end 2018 extended deadline.
The remaining 7-Central Florida Rail Corridor, CN, CSX, Norfolk Southern, MBTA and Metra-will need to take advantage of the available 2020 deadline, according to FRA.
"The freight rail industry continues to work all out on PTC testing and installation and to move this complex safety system from concept to nationwide reality on roughly 60,000 miles of track as quickly as possible," said Association of American Railroads President and CEO Ed Hamberger. "The PTC technology being installed is revolutionary and is a full-time focus of the nation's freight railroads, their employees, manufacturers, software designers and safety experts."
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A record number of passengers traveled through Lexington's Blue Grass Airport in 2015. As the primary air transportation provider for central Kentucky, Blue Grass Airport saw 1,245,251 passengers. This is a 3% increase over last year and is the second consecutive year the airport has seen a record number of travelers.
"We are pleased that Blue Grass Airport continues to serve as an economic catalyst for our region," said Eric Frankl, executive director of Blue Grass Airport. "We are fortunate for the strong relationships we have with our airline partners, who serve our region well. Allegiant, American, Delta and United have invested in our community and continue to maintain and grow their flight offerings. We are grateful for their commitment and the support of our local business and leisure travelers."
Blue Grass Airport attributes the growth to multiple factors. In 2015, the airport served as the gateway to visitors (and horses) from around the world as Keeneland Race Course hosted the Breeders' Cup World Championships. In addition to this event, the airport has seen the airlines upgrade the size of several of its airplanes to accommodate more passengers and provide First-Class service. Plus, the addition of flights to Myrtle Beach on Allegiant and Philadelphia flights on American Airlines have provided travelers with more options than ever before.
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This week the US DOT kicked off their year-long
50th Anniversary
celebration. Click on the video below for more information.
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Three companies based at Jefferson Riverport International in southwest Jefferson County have announced expansions, constructing buildings with a total of more than 100,000 square feet of space.
The projects include the following:
- Algood Food Co. started construction on a plant expansion of more than 60,000 square feet of warehouse and future manufacturing space. Algood is a large producer of peanut butters, jams and jellies and employs more than 200 people at Jefferson Riverport. Algood was founded by C.C. "Barney" Barnett in 1985 at another site in Louisville. Barnett moved the business to Trade Port Drive in Riverport in 2002.
- MISA Metal Fabricating has announced plans to add 36,000 square feet of shop space and an investment of $4.3 million in an expansion and in the purchase of new equipment. The company is adding 18 employees with the expanded manufacturing capacity at its facility at 7101 International Drive.
- MISA Metal Processing, a separate company from the metal fabricating company, also is building an additional 65,000 square feet of warehouse space and will add seven new employees. The metal processor is investing $3.8 million in its facility at 7300 Global Drive. The company, which prepares steel coils for metal stamping operations, has been located in Riverport since 1996. The investment in this new expansion was prompted by growth in the automotive industry, the company said.
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At the FHWA, safety is our top priority. We remind ourselves of it frequently, and to most people it probably seems like a simple mission. In fact, it's complicated.
Safety can only happen when nothing is overlooked, even the font used on highway signs. We strive to make the U.S. road system consistent from coast to coast. To minimize driver confusion, for example, STOP signs in California should look the same as they do in Maine.
Recently, we published a notice in the Federal Register that an experimental font called "Clearview" - for which we gave conditional use approval starting in 2004 - will not be approved for use on public roads after February 23.
Click here to read entire blog.
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Sherman-Dixie Acquired by Forterra
We have the opportunity to come together with a national leader in our industry - Forterra Building Products - and form a company that brings together two formidable concrete and pre-cast companies. Sherman-Dixie's acquisition by Forterra enables our combined company to be the market leader in serving the growing and complex needs of our customers and partners.
Joining forces with Forterra provides us with more capacity, stronger capabilities and new technologies. The company employs 3,800 people and operates over 80 facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada. We are proud to move in this direction to become part of Forterra, officially changing our name on April 1st.
Sherman-Dixie was attracted to Forterra because they are a leader in innovation and focused on redefining our industry in the future. Our talent and experience dovetail perfectly with this vision and approach. Sherman-Dixie and Forterra are legacy companies comprised of like-minded professionals with focus on durability, quality and service. We seek to bring our talent, new and innovative engineering solutions, and manufacturing strength together in a way that redefines the pre-cast business in the United States.
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Federated Transportation Services of Bluegrass (FTSB) will be hosting Community Transportation Association Passenger Service and Safety (PASS) "Train the Trainer" - Monday-Wednesday, March 7-9, 2016 at FTSB office.
If you are interested in more information or sending any of your employees to the training please email Pam Shepherd at [email protected]
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KBT thanks our 2016 Annual Kentucky Transportation Conference
Sponsors and Exhibitors
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KBT's Mission Statement
Kentuckians for Better Transportation educates and advocates for all modes of transportation to promote a safe, sustainable transportation network that brings economic growth and improved quality of life to all Kentucky Communities.
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Kentuckians for Better Transportation | (502) 491-5600 | www.kbtnet.org
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