February 12, 2016 
Every day in Frankfort is different during the session. There are always different groups visiting, different bills that move, different issues that must be addressed for the public good.

This week, there were some things that really stood out. 

On Wednesday, West Virginia native and famous actress Jennifer Garner testified before several committees including the House Appropriations and Revenue committee. Ms. Garner was advocating for funding for literacy programs for children. The 'twitter-verse" lit up with photos of Ms. Garner, selfies, and comments about Save the Children, the organization on whose behalf she was advocating.

I had not heard of Save the Children previously, but after the testimony this from Ms. Garner, I am sure the organization is more now more widely known throughout the state, and their needs will certainly not be forgotten.

After the conclusion of Ms. Garner's testimony, one of our transportation superstars took the table to testify on a bill important to KBT members - enabling legislation for public private partnerships.

Rep. Leslie Combs (D-94) was joined by Rod England, CFO of Scotty's Contracting and Stone, Dave Adkisson of the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and JD Chaney of the Kentucky League of Cities. Together the group explained why Kentucky needs this enabling legislation and how it would be used.

The Appropriations and Revenue committee members discussed the bill at length before voting the bill out of committee. 

Yesterday afternoon on the House Floor the bill was brought up for final passage. Rep. Leslie Combs easily handled the bill and it passed the House 83-11.

Thank you Chair Combs for your perseverance on this important piece of legislation - we truly appreciate your leadership and dedication to this important issue.

The bill will now travel to the Senate where it will be assigned to a committee. KBT will continue to update our readers as the bill continues through the process.

2016 Legislative Session Update
The LIFT constitutional amendment legislation was filed in the General Assembly this week. LIFT is House Bill 2 and sponsored by Speaker Stumbo and Minority Leader Hoover showing that the initiative has strong and clear bipartisan support.  This LFT coalition has made tremendous strides and the effort gains momentum with each day.
 
LIFT provides an additional way to fund needed projects in our local communities. LIFT is a critical tool that builds consensus and sets priorities at the local level. Contact your legislators to support Local Investments for Transformation/House Bill 2.   

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.
KBT thanks all of our 2016 Transportation Conference  Sponsors & Exhibitors
 
KBT's Annual Washington, D.C. Fly-In - Registration Now Open!
May 18 & 19, 2016
Washington DC Hyatt Regency
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:


The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has overwhelmingly approved an amendment to Chairman Bill Shuster's (R-PA) FAA reauthorization bill to increase funding for the Airport Improvement Program. A separate amendment to increase the federal cap on local PFCs was withdrawn.

Barletta/AIP Funding: Rep. Lou Barletta (R-PA) offered an amendment that would increase AIP funding from approximately $3.6 billion in FY16 to almost $4 billion by FY22. That's up from the underlying bill, which proposes to increase AIP slightly from $3.4 billion to $3.8 billion during the same fiscal years.

Barletta said his proposal to increase AIP funding by 2 percent a year is not enough to fund every eligible project or completely eliminate the current backlog, but he pointed out that the additional funding would help. Chairman Shuster spoke against the Barletta amendment and argued that the underlying bill includes a "substantial" increase for AIP.

The Committee adopted the amendment by a vote of 47 to 12.

Source Airport Legislative Alliance
Louisville and US DOT Smart City Challenge Highway

Louisville is among the overwhelming 77 Cities who have submitted applications for DOT's first-of-its-kind Smart City Challenge.

The US DOT asked mid-size US cities to send them their plan for using data, technology, and creativity to shape how people and goods move. The winning city will receive up to $40 million in Federal funding. In addition the winner will receive $10 million in support from Paul Allen's Vulcan, Inc., to help mitigate emissions plus free installation from Mobileye of Mobileye Shield+ TM safety technology for the city's fleet of transit buses.

Kentucky's Road Fund Receipts are Down

FRANKFORT - The Office of State Budget Director reported

Wednesday that January's General Fund receipts rose 9 percent compared to January of last year, an increase of $75 million. Total revenues for the month were $903.9 million, compared to $828.9 million during January 2015. Receipts have now grown 4.7 percent for the first seven months of Fiscal Year 2016.

The official FY16 revenue estimate calls for 3.2 percent growth in revenues and requires 1.3 percent growth for the last five months of the fiscal year to meet the official estimate.
State Budget Director John Chilton noted that General Fund tax receipts continued to grow strongly.

"January brought another large increase in General Fund tax collections. Six of the seven months this fiscal year have produced increases in revenue and in four of the months, growth has exceeded 6 percent.

"In January, growth was primarily concentrated in individual income and sales and use taxes. These gains offset declines in coal severance and corporation income taxes," Chilton said in a state news release.

Among the major accounts:
  • Individual income tax collections grew 24.0 percent for the month and are up 7.2 percent through the first seven months of FY16. Part of the January increase is the result of a timing issue last year in which withholding receipts were understated.
  • Sales and use tax receipts increased 4.4 percent for the month and are up 5.9 percent year-to date.
  • Corporation income tax receipts fell 39.8 percent but have increased 3.2 percent in the first seven months of the fiscal year.
  • Collections last January were bolstered by a one-time accounts receivable collection making the current-year decline more pronounced.
  • Property tax collections were flat in January but have increased 2.2 percent year-to-date.
  • Cigarette tax receipts increased 12.1 percent for the month and have increased 4.1 percent year-to-date.
  • Coal severance tax receipts fell 37.3 percent to $8.9 million, the lowest monthly total in over two decades. Collections are down 27.4 percent through the first seven months of the fiscal year.
Road Fund receipts for January totaled $110 million, a 14.5 percent decline compared to January 2015 levels. Year-to-date receipts have fallen 6.7 percent. Collections for the month were $110 million and make January the lowest monthly total for year (along with September). The official Road Fund estimate calls for revenues to decline 5.3 percent for the fiscal year. Based on year-to-date tax collections, revenues can fall 3.2 percent for the remainder of the fiscal year and still hit the official forecast.

Among the accounts, motor fuels fell 21.9 percent. Motor vehicle usage revenue declined 2.7 percent, and license and privilege receipts grew 1.1 percent. The decrease in Road Fund receipts is attributable to lower fuel taxes relative to the prior year.

Source article from KPA

In January, the American Association of Railroads or AAR published its first-ever state of the railroads annual report focusing on the industry's economic value, innovations and emphasis on safety.

The nation's railroads have been around for about 180 years and maintain 180,000 miles of track. Trains move over 51 million tons of freight each day which is about 40 percent of the nation's freight .

Rail has been a vital transportation link in Pacific Northwest since 1883. That year President Ulysses S. Grant drove in the final "golden spike" in western Montana thus completing the northern transcontinental railroad.

Today, we would be hard pressed to live without trains. Even Boeing, the world's premiere aerospace company, transports 737 fuselages from Wichita to Renton by rail.

In 2014, the Washington Council on International Trade estimated railroads contributed an estimated $28.5 billion to our state's economy which is nearly 10 percent of our GDP. The council adds that rail transportation produces 243,000 jobs and $13.4 billion in household income.

Washington state exports totaled more than $90.5 billion, making us the nation's largest exporter per capita. Trains transport those products to and from seaports and carry nearly a fifth of our state's freight tonnage. Even our garbage is railed to eastern Washington landfills.

AAR reports railroad workers are well paid. Annual wages and benefits now total $116,830.
In total our country's railroads have spent over $600 billion since 1980.

That is a reversal from 50 years ago when railroads where bleeding money from excessive regulations, high labor costs, dilapidated track and equipment, and competition from truckers.

Click here to read entire article by Don C. Brunell

Traffic fatalities continue to rise at their fastest pace in decades,  according to the latest federal data  available.

Deaths on the nation's roads increased 9.3 percent through the first nine months of 2015 compared to the previous year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Friday. Should that percentage hold for the final three months of the year, the increase would be the largest percentage spike from one year to the next since 1946.

"We're seeing red flags across the US, and we're not waiting for the situation to develop further," said NHTSA administrator Mark Rosekind. "It's time to drive behavioral changes in traffic safety, and that means taking on new initiatives and addressing persistent issues like drunk driving and failure to wear seat belts."

Through the first nine months of 2015, 26,000 Americans lost their lives in traffic crashes, compared to 23,796 during the first nine months of 2014. That's an increase of 2,204 lives lost.

Click here to read entire blog autoblog

Ken Johnston, Transportation Director for the Pennyrile Allied Community Services (P.A.C.S.), a non-profit agency chartered in 1974 and part of Community Action Kentucky, is wanting to bring a transportation service through Logan County to help those who are low income, elderly or have served their county.

P.A.C.S. receives funding from the state of Kentucky to provide many services, one of which is transportation. The program is currently set up in Hopkinsville, Madisonville and  Todd County.

Johnston attended the Tuesday, Feb. 9 fiscal court meeting to tell magistrates about the program, and ask the body for a letter of support to begin a partnership that would provide scheduled door-to-door transportation within the community as well as both Bowling Green and Nashville, Tenn. Those riding would pay a minimal fee to use the service.

"We haven't had something like this since Greyhound moved out," said Johnston.

Johnston also asked the court for a 10 percent cost sharing on one to two vehicles, which would be approximately $3,000-$7,000, as well as a space to put their Logan  County office. A state grant will pay for the rest, including drivers at $10 an hour, fuel and all maintenance on the vehicles. The vehicles would belong to P.A.C.S.

"We will be creating at least 6-7 jobs in Logan County," said Johnston.

"Simpson County felt really good about it," said Judge Executive Logan Chick speaking about when the program was offered there.

Johnston told the magistrates if they wanted to wait on making a decision to help purchase vehicles until next year they could. He said he would bring his own vehicles through Logan County this year to show magistrates how well the program works.

"A year ago the state asked us if we would be willing to help transport veterans. They were getting a lot of calls for veteran transportation," said Johnston. "We were given the authority and funds to do so. We have been doing this for some time and now have the opportunity to work in Logan and Simpson at almost no expense to the counties.

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.
 Kentuckians for Better Transportation | (502) 491-5600 | www.kbtnet.org
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