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A Note From KBT Current Chair Morgan Judy
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To my fellow KBT members,
It is an honor to serve as Chair for KBT for the coming year. It is my hope th
at by working together we can continue to effectively advocate for all modes of transportation. Of the many things that make America great, our transportation network is a national treasure and should be treated as such. Nothing else affects every man, woman, child, household and businesses like our transportation system.
We will continue to make our case for a safe, reliable and properly funded transportation system that benefits all citizens. Our challenges will be many but I have no doubt we will succeed in our mission. I welcome any comments or suggestions you may have regarding our organization.
Best to all, and have a safe and prosperous year.
Morgan
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On May 4, 1984, one of my favorite movies of all times was released - 16 Candles. The story focuses on the main character, Sam Baker, played by Molly Ringwald whose family "misses" her 16th birthday because they are focused on her sister's impending wedding.
Granted - the movie is dated. There probably isn't much a millennial would find humorous, but for my generation it was wonderful. There wasn't a girl who didn't identify with Sam Baker and a guy who didn't wish he was Jake Ryan rather than Farmer Ted.
So what's the connection? Wednesday, June 29, was the 60th birthday of the creation of the Interstate Highway System. On June 29, 1956 President Dwight Eisenhower signed the Federal Highway Act - which signaled the start of construction of the Interstate Highway System - the greatest public works project in history.
Much like Sam Baker's 16 birthday, the 60th birthday of our interstate highway system went mostly unnoticed.
The design and construction of our highway network impacts each and every one of us every day. It provides easy access for us to food, medicine, and other goods we all want and need. It provides access for our manufacturers to export their products to the greater marketplace. In times of war, our highway network provides a place for our military to convoy to military airports or seaports. During national disasters and emergencies, our highways provide a direct route to impacted areas. Just think how long would It would have taken the National Guard and the Red Cross to get to West Virginia this past week without the access I-64 provided.
The good news - many of us will be reminded how important our highway network is this holiday weekend. AAA anticipates that of the 43 million people who'll be traveling, 36 million will be driving on our highway network.
Perhaps this weekend, just like Jake Ryan did in 16 Candles, the American public will come through in the end to celebrate an important milestone in our nation's history. Hopefully it will happen when those 36 million Americans arrive safely at their destination - and not when they're stuck in traffic.
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Throughout the summer, we will be publishing our newsletter on a bi-weekly basis. We will continue sending meeting notices and other communications as needed.
We will resume our weekly newsletter in September.
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Highlight Articles Featuring KBT's 2016 Platinum and Gold Sponsors
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Platinum Sponsor -
Stantec
Stantec Keeps Kentucky Moving
At Stantec, we create connections that do more than get people and goods from Point A to Point B. Working within the context of the communities we serve, we provide planning, engineering, and infrastructure management services that fit the needs of our clients and improve the overall traveler experience-whether they get around by car, bus, train, plane, or their own two feet. From major expressway and rural roadway projects to bridge rehabilitations, transit systems, and airport design, our focus is always on providing solutions that promote safety, respect the local environment, and connect communities.
With 300 employees in Lexington and in Louisville, our homegrown team has worked on some of Kentucky's most challenging and transformative infrastructure projects over the past 45+ years. A few recent efforts include:
- The Ohio River Bridges (ORB) project, connecting Louisville and southern Indiana, is currently one of the nation's largest transportation improvements. Anticipated for more than 40 years, the ORB will reduce congestion and improve safety and connectivity in the region's busiest transportation hub. We were design consultant on the design-build team for the Downtown Crossing, one of two segments of this massive project.
- We introduced the double crossover diamond (DCD) interchange type to Kentucky at the Harrodsburg Road and New Circle Road in Lexington. Since opening to traffic in 2011, crashes in the project corridor have decreased dramatically and drivers can traverse this busy intersection faster than they ever could before. Because this project was so successful, DCD interchanges are currently being planned or designed at locations all over the state.
- We're providing engineering services at 20 Kentucky General Aviation (GA) airports, as well as at SDF and LEX. Working at airports all across the Commonwealth helps us understand how important each airport is to the overall transportation network and to Kentucky's economy. We're also part of the team updating the statewide aviation system plan.
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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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KBT Events and Committee Meetings
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KBT Waterways Committee Meeting
Date: Thursday, July 14, 2016
Time: Noon-2:00 pm (Central Time)
Location: Owensboro Riverport
Guest Speakers:
Paul "Chip" N. Jaenichen, Sr., Maritime Administrator William "Bill" Paape, Director of Gateway Offices, Maritime Branden Criman, Director of Inland Waterways Gateway, Maritime Thomas Nelson, FWHA, Kentucky Division Administrator
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Manual for Assessing Safety (MASH) Meeting
& Golf Scramble
Date: Monday, July 18, 2016
Time: 9:30 am (Central Time)
Place: The Club at Olde Stone, Bowling Green, KY
Topic: Manual for Assessing Safety (New Updates)
Guest Speakers:
- David Martin, Commissioner of Department of Rural and Municipal Aid
- Gary Reece, Deputy Commission of Department of Rural and Municipal Aid
Cost:
$60.00 per person for KBT Members $85.00 per person for non-KBT Members
(Includes buffet lunch and 18 hole golf scramble on the exclusive course)
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Air Committee Meeting
Date: July 22, 2016
Time: 11:00 am EST
KDA Office, Frankfort
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Railways Committee Meeting
Date: July 21, 2016
Time: 10:00 am EST
Location: KYTC Room C117
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Public Transit Committee Meeting
Date: July 27, 2016
Time: 11:00 am EST
Location: Frankfort Country Club
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More than four years ago, the Louisville Regional Airport Authority announced the Bowman Field Airport Area Safety Program to improve safety for the airport's users and neighbors, protect the airspace needed for runway approaches and thereby preserving the airfield's operational capabilities, which were in effect as of February 2012.
"This project is all about safety," said Airport Authority Executive Director Skip Miller. "It's about the safety of the aircraft, the people in the aircraft and just as importantly - the people on the ground."
Bowman Field, the nation's oldest continually functioning airport, is a critical designated reliever airport that allows the smaller and slower general aviation aircraft to operate safely away from the larger, faster commercial operations at Louisville International Airport. This ensures effective operations at both airports. Bowman also has more aircraft based there than at any other airport in Kentucky or Indiana.
While keeping Bowman Field fully operational is very important, the Airport Authority Board of Directors realized that merely complying with the FAA regulations by obtaining the necessary avigation easements was not in the full spirit of being a good neighbor. Therefore, the Board authorized - completely at the Airport Authority's expense - an impact mitigation element to the program. No federal funds are available for this, but those homeowners from where tree removal is necessary will also receive:
- Two-for-one replacement of any tree removed with two lower-canopy trees from a comprehensive palette of trees that was compiled by a certified arborist. The homeowner can select replacement trees of their choice.
- Consultation with a certified arborist to determine if tree should be trimmed or removed - homeowner's choice - and follow-up with trimming and/or removal, stump removal and yard restoration.
- Consultation with a landscape architect and a landscape allowance of up to $2,500 that is over and above the cost of replacement trees.
- All new landscaping will carry a one-year warranty, and replacement trees will carry a two-year warranty.
"Bowman Field is vital to this area's aviation operations, but our relationship with our neighbors is also important to us and we believe this program reflects that concern," said Miller.
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Highways -
Toll Credits by
KYTC State Engineer Patty Dunaway
During visits and presentations with KBT over the last couple months, Secretary Thomas and I have discussed the concern about future availability of toll credits to use as the required matching funds for federal-aid highway funding. A description of toll credits and the issue facing us in the near future is below. KYTC appreciates your shared concerns and offers to work together as we search for solutions and/or alternatives to address this challenge.
Since back in early 2000, KYTC has used federal "Toll Credits" as the required matching funds for federal-aid highway funding. "Toll Credits" are not spendable dollars, they are credits earned by KYTC where state funds were used to pay expenditures for eligible federal funded activities. With KYTC using "Toll Credits," the federal-aid highway funded projects were funded with 100 percent federal-aid highway funding and no state spendable dollars were required as matching funds.
In December 2015, KYTC received notice from FHWA that the methodology that had been used by FHWA and by KYTC to calculate the yearly earned "Toll Credits" was not in compliance with federal regulations, and that approximately $650 million of previously approved "Toll Credits" would not be available to KYTC. The federal guidelines that FHWA and KYTC used outlines that state lease rental payments can be claimed as "Toll Credits," and FHWA and KYTC for years thought that KYTC's relationship with The Turnpike Authority of Kentucky, through which we issue Economic Development (ED) Bonds for highway projects, technically qualified to be used for "Toll Credits." However, the Turnpike Authority Bonds are paid for with Road Funds, not toll revenues, because we have no toll authorities.
FHWA for several years had allowed KYTC to use ED Bonds in the calculation and allowed KYTC to claim them as "Toll Credits" in KYTC's annual "Toll Credit" application to FHWA. Also, every year FHWA has signed off on the "Toll Credit" application that KYTC provided. However, the FHWA Office in Washington, DC disagreed in Calendar Year 2015 with KYTC's continued request for earned "Toll Credits" because they believed the amount of "Toll Credits" earned must be based on a project that is being paid for with toll revenues.
As a result, FHWA has removed approximately $650 million of "Toll Credits" and adjusted our existing "Toll Credits" balance to $372 million as of December 2015. The projected remaining "Toll Credits" that KYTC can earn from the Louisville-Southern Indiana Ohio River Bridges project is approximately $220 million. KYTC will not be eligible to earn "Toll Credits" beyond Fiscal Year 2016, unless another project with a toll facility is constructed.
Therefore, in FY 2020 the remaining "Toll Credits" will be used, and KYTC will have to begin using state funds as the required matching funds. The estimated amount of state funds required for the matching funds of federal-aid highway funds scheduled in the current Transportation Act is approximately $100 million per year.
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I-69 Bridge Memorandum
Henderson, KY - Indiana Governor Mike Pence and Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin today signed a Memorandum of Agreement to launch the I-69 Ohio River Crossing project. The states announced a combined commitment of about $17 million in their capital plans to advance project development.
"As the Crossroads of America, we know that roads mean jobs here in the Hoosier state," said Governor Pence. "The partnership we are announcing today is a significant step in completing the vision of I-69 that will strengthen our transportation network and support economic investment and opportunity for generations of Hoosiers to come."
Link to news release here
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Safety -
"This Fourth of July, don't risk losing your life or your independence. Keep your freedom - don't go to jail for impaired driving," notes Webb. "Remember, Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over."
FRANKFORT, Ky. (June 28, 2016) - The Fourth of July is a favorite American holiday filled with picnics, parties, parades and more. However, celebrating can quickly turn to tragedy when people choose to drive after drinking. The Kentucky State Police (KSP) is urging everyone to plan ahead this Independence Day and designate a sober driver.
To prevent tragedies from occurring, KSP recommends the following steps for a safe and happy Independence Day:
- Before the festivities begin, plan a way to safely get home at the end of the night.
- Before drinking, designate a sober driver and leave your car keys at home.
- If you're impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation to get home safely.
- If you see a drunken driver, contact law enforcement by dialing 911. You may dial the KSP toll-free line directly at 1-800-222-5555.
- And remember, if you know people who are about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get them safely to where they are going.
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SOLAS container mass verification requirements
The declaration of the accurate gross mass of a packed container is critical to maritime safety.
On 1 July 2016, new requirements to verify the gross mass of a packed container enter into force under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).
Why have the requirements for verification of the gross mass of the container been introduced?
Knowing the accurate gross mass of a packed container is critical to ensure correct stowage and stacking and avoid collapse of container stacks or loss overboard.
This is an important safety measure, which is aimed at saving lives and preventing injury and the destruction of property.
Is declaration of gross mass a new requirement?
There has always been a requirement in SOLAS to declare the gross mass of cargo and containers. The new requirement adds an extra level requiring verification of the mass.
This is to ensure that the mass declared is a true reflection of the gross mass of the packed container, in order to avoid injury, cargo damage, loss of containers, and so on. Click here to read entire document.
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TARC rolls out 12 new buses
TARC has begun rolling out a dozen new buses equipped with the latest fuel savings and clean diesel technology, resulting in cleaner air. The new vehicles, which replace buses that are 16 years old and have traveled more than 600,000 miles, will also bring significant maintenance cost savings.
"The new buses mean TARC can maintain and improve services because we'll have a more reliable fleet that is less costly to operate," said TARC Executive Director J. Barry Barker. "They are badly needed and they put TARC in a better position to take passengers to jobs, educational opportunities, and to access other necessities and what life has to offer."
The new buses will travel on local routes throughout TARC's system. Each bus features a bike rack for up to three bikes and onboard electric outlets for charging phones and mobile devices. TARC has a fleet of 225 buses.
Click here to read entire article.
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2016 NSPE Young Engineer Award
Michael Baker International's Jason Stith Recognized as the 2016 NSPE Young Engineer of the Year
Stith Honored for Outstanding Contributions to Industry and Community
LOUISVILLE, KY
--(Marketwired - June 27, 2016) -
Michael Baker International, a global leader in engineering, planning and consulting services, announced that the
National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) recently recognized Jason Stith, P.E., PhD, as the 2016 NSPE Young Engineer of the Year for his outstanding contributions to the industry and his community. Stith, a structural engineer in Michael Baker's Louisville, Ky. office, accepted the award during the NSPE's 2016 Professional Engineers Conference in Dallas.
The national recognition for Stith comes on the heels of his earlier acknowledgement as the Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers (KSPE) "Young Engineer of the Year." Among those individuals honored throughout the NSPE's regional chapters, Stith was selected as the national rising star for his tireless commitment to advancing the engineering industry.
Click here to read entire article.
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FRA to States: Verify Traffic Lights Connected to Railroad Crossings Function Correctly
WASHINGTON -The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) today called on state departments of transportation to verify that railroad crossing warning systems interconnected to traffic lights function properly. The agency also urged states to add event recorders to traffic lights connected to railroad crossing systems so information obtained during inspections can be used to improve safety. Across the United States, there are nearly 5,000 railroad crossings interconnected with traffic lights. View a state-by-state list of crossings connected to traffic lights:
http://www.fra.dot.gov/eLib/Details/L17343 .
"Reducing fatalities at railroad crossings is an achievable goal. But we can only achieve it if federal, state and local governments work together with railroads to verify that these crossings connected to traffic lights work properly," said U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx.
Click here to read entire article.
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KBT thanks all of our 2016 Transportation Conference
Sponsors & Exhibitors
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Kentuckians for Better Transportation | (502) 491-5600 | www.kbtnet.org
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