February 19, 2016 
During a casual conversation with a member, he mentioned that he filled up his tank for $1.33 per gallon. He noted that it felt nice on his wallet, but that when he pulled out of the gas station he immediately hit a huge pothole.

After listening to the Budget Review Subcommittee on Transportation testimony earlier this week, I believe his experience will become more common than we'd like to think.

On Tuesday, KYTC Acting Secretary Mike Hancock and the Executive Director of the KYTC Office of Budget and Fiscal Management, Robin Brewer, presented the proposed transportation budget. The proposed budget, which can be found here, reflects the decline in anticipated road fund revenues due to the decrease in the motor fuels tax rate. The Cabinet's presentation was immediately followed by a presentation from Charles Lovorn and Chad LaRue with the Kentucky Association of Highway Contractors who noted their industry's concerns with the declining revenues and presented some options to restore the road fund to previous levels.

During the meeting, Rep. Dennis Keene (D-67) noted that our transportation network is part of economic development and that without a good transportation network, we won't be able to keep or continue to attract new companies to Kentucky.

He's right.

Our transportation network - which includes our airports, railroads, riverports, transit providers, and our local road and highway network - is an essential part of economic development. It provides an opportunity for our manufactures to move freight efficiently and it provides a way for our employees to get to work.

If we don't maintain and improve our transportation network, we will lose one of Kentucky's important competitive advantages. Our state's borders are within 600 miles of more than 60% of the nation's population and wealth centers. Our transportation network aids in the distribution of goods and materials to a massive industrial and consumer market.
 
With the reduced road fund revenues, how will we maintain our existing roads and build the new ones our communities so desperately need? How will we patch the potholes and build bridges so our manufacturers can move their freight to the greater marketplace? How will we improve our interchanges so our children can get to and from school safety? How will we create the corridors we need so the manufactures in our rural counties can access the greater freight network?

I don't know the answer, but I know that passage of enabling legislation for alternative funding mechanisms like P3's and LIFT during this session will help. We know the road fund will remain flat for a long time. Why not try to take advantage of other opportunities before it is too late?

We need some action to be taken - and not just for the benefit of the transportation industries, but for the benefit of the entire Commonwealth and everyone in it. 

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.

Colonel Parker, a true proponent of aviation, has been named the Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Aviation (KDA). Col. Parker previously served as KDA's Deputy Commissioner from April 2004 through July 2010.

In addition to Col. Parker's experience at  KDA, he has had an extraordinary career in aviation including twenty nine years as an Air Force officer where he retired as a Colonel. Additionally, Col. Parker has extensive logistics experience, more than twenty years experience building teams, and he has been recognized throughout the Air Force as a leadership and management expert.

Col. Parker has been affiliated with numerous professional organizations including the Kentucky Aviation Association (KAA), Institute for Aerospace Education, KBT, University of Kentucky's Department of Communications, and the State of Kentucky's Air Force Association. 

 

Congratulations and welcome back to KDA Col. Parker! KBT looks forward to working with you!



Committees in both the House and Senate have begun initial efforts to craft a new water projects bill this year, legislation that can affect ocean and river ports, barge traffic and flood projects across the country.

The Senate Environment and Public Works held a hearing Feb. 10 on "The Importance of Enacting a New Water Resources Development Act," while the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held an informal "roundtable" discussion and educational session for members and industry representatives a week earlier.

It is part of a congressional effort to put waterways legislation on a two-year cycle to make any policy changes and approve new projects that are far enough in the planning pipeline.

Many state departments of transportation will be affected by the bill, as they help support their sea and river ports with direct funding or indirectly by planning roadside freight connector projects. Others may be affected by flood projects a b
ill could authorize, projects that can protect highways and local roads that are sometimes swamped by preventable floods.

Norma Jean Mattei, president-elect of the American Society of Civil Engineers, told the EPW hearing that between now and 2020 the nation's ports and inland waterways will need about $30 billion in investments but planned spending is only $14 billion.

And beyond that $16 billion investment gap, she said, economic costs attributable to delays just on the river were $33 billion in 2020, and are projected to balloon to $49 billion by 2020.

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's staff is preparing for another exciting Washington, D.C. Fly-In. 

The annual 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:


For the week ending Feb. 13, 2016, North American freight rail traffic experienced a 10% gain in intermodal for the second week in a row, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) reported on Feb. 17, 2016.

North American rail volume for the week ending Feb. 13, 2016, on 13 reporting U.S., Canadian and Mexican railroads totaled 331,188 carloads, down 13.2% compared with the same week last year, and 333,169 intermodal units, up 8.5% compared with last year. Total combined weekly rail traffic in North America was 664,357 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.5%. North American rail volume for the first six weeks of 2016 was 3,956,636 carloads and intermodal units, down 5.3% compared with 2015.

Total U.S. carloads for the week were 244,334 carloads, down 15.4% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 260,814 containers and trailers, up 10.4%. Total U.S. rail volume for the week was 505,148 carloads and intermodal units, down 3.8% compared with the same week in 2015.

Click here to read entire article from Railway Age
Kentucky Lawmakers Press for More Revenue Amid Road Fund WoesHighway

FRANKFORT, Ky. (WDRB) - Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin's proposed road spending budget contains far more state-funded projects than available money, a result of diminishing fuel tax revenues that are used for construction costs.

The state portion of the highway plan is "over-programmed" by about 300 percent for the rest of this fiscal year through fiscal 2018, according to lawmakers and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. And it's expected to take years for the road fund, which banks on money from fuel taxes,  to return to its previous levels.

Against this backdrop, the House budget review subcommittee on transportation began hearings on the highway plan Tuesday with lawmakers pressing the Transportation Cabinet for ways to generate more money. The head of a highway contractors' group also suggested changing the current transportation budget.


FTA announces the availability of four webinars to discuss the Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) and the proposed National Public Transportation Safety Plan.  During each webinar, FTA will discuss provisions of both the proposed rule and plan and how industry stakeholders can get involved in the regulatory process.
 
The proposed Agency Safety Plan rule would require any public transportation system that receives Federal financial assistance to certify and implement a safety plan based on the principles of Safety Management System (SMS). The National Safety Plan is not a regulation, but would be FTA's primary tool to disseminate guidance, technical assistance, templates, and other resources related to safety rulemaking to help transit providers improve their safety performance. Comments are due by April 5, 2016.
 
We are offering two webinar sessions for small urban, rural and tribal agencies on February 24 and March 3. In addition, we are offering one session for bus agencies on March 1 and a second session for multimodal agencies on March 2. All webinars will offer the same content. FTA recommends registering for one session that fits your schedule. 


In recognition of April's National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, NHTSA has planned a number of activities. We are also kicking off its second national highly visible enforcement campaign for distracted driving: U Drive. U Text. U Pay., which is supported by English and Spanish language television, radio, and digital advertising.

NHTSA has also developed a robust social media strategy designed to raise public awareness about the consequences of texting and driving. The focus is on the idea that "If you're texting, you're not driving." We anticipate that this message will engage the target audience of men and women 18-34 (slightly skewed toward women) with creative and persuasive messaging on NHTSA social media channels and their media partners.


Click here for all campaign Materials.
 Kentuckians for Better Transportation | (502) 491-5600 | www.kbtnet.org
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