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I've traveled quite a bit over the years and I've met all kinds of people. Some people make you feel bad, and some people make you feel better.
Last Friday afternoon, I spoke with one of those people who always makes you feel better - no matter who you are or what you do. Calvin Grayson usually calls the office on Friday afternoons after he reads our newsletter. He hadn't called lately so I called him.
He immediately made me feel good - about KBT and about all we do. He's just that kind of person. When I asked why we hadn't heard from him lately, he let me know it was because he wasn't regularly hearing from us via our weekly newsletter.
After encouraging Cal to call anytime - I took a minute to think about what we have been doing this summer since we haven't been sending a weekly newsletter.
Well, we've been doing a lot.
We sta
rted the summer back in May with a tremendous D.C. Fly In. We saw everyone, and we thanked them for the passage of the F.A.S.T. Act. 49 members and guests traveled to DC this past May, making this the most well-attended Fly In event KBT has hosted.
But we didn't stop there. In early June, KBT hosted the Mid-Year Review.
More than 180 KBT members gathered together at the Marriott Griffin Gate to see Morgan Judy, of Judy Construction be sworn in as KBT's 40th Chair and to thank Clint Goodin of Vaughn and Melton Consulting for his hard work and dedication as Chair during the previous year. Additionally, KBT members were provided an update on activities at the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet by Secretary Greg Thomas, a VOLs fan.
But that wasn't enough - we kept going. From traveling to Paducah for an informative Container on Barge meeting to exhibiting and presenting at the Kentucky County Judge Executives Association and Kentucky Magistrates and Commissioners Association Joint Summer Conference, KBT was out and on the road talking about all modes of transportation and how it benefits the entire state of Kentucky.
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In July
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nearly every KBT Modal Committee met. I
ssues were discussed, policies were developed, and Conference sessions were requested.
From Maritime Administrator Paul "Chip" Jaenichen's attendance at the KBT Waterways Committee at the Owensboro Riverport to Commissioner Steve Parker's attendance at the KBT Air Committee, to hearing from KYTC Leadership at our Railways Committee - our members heard from leaders in transportation, and were given an opportunity to exchange ideas and discuss challenges they may be facing. These meetings reminded all of us in attendance how important it is to be involved
in KBT Committees.
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You may recall due to weather we were forced to cancel a portion of the KBT Transportation Conference, causing attendees to miss some important updates. In an effort to get some of that information to our members, the KBT Safety Committee hosted an educational session, led by Ali Hangul from the Tennessee Department of Transportation and Jason Siwula, Innovative Engineer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, covering the new Manual for Assessing Safety Hardware (MASH) requirements. Attendees
also heard from KYTC Leadership and met Dr. Noelle Hunter, Executive Director of Kentucky Office of Highway Safety. A special thanks is in order for Safety Committee Co-Chairs Marcie Mathews of DLZ and Scott Boyd of Site-Safe, for organizing the session.
The KBT Safety Committee followed up the MASH session with a Golf Outing. Scotty's Contracting and Stone sponsored the event that was held at Olde Stone in Bowling Green. It was a great inaugural Golf Outing, bringing 50 players to the beautiful course. Everyone who got to play was a winner, but Brian Wood, Paul Del Rio
, Bryan Simpson, and Dominic Michaels
scored the best of all those who played. KBT members QK4, American Engineers Inc., DLZ, PAIKY, Mid-Park, Site-Safe, Stantec, Irving Materials Group, S&ME, and Rudd Equipment graciously provided prizes for the event.
And that's not all - our Conference Planning Committee met,
I've spoken to several organizations, and we even squeezed in a vacation.
Even though summer is winding down, KBT is not.
So, if you're like Cal and you've missed hearing from KBT every Friday, take comfort in knowing that we'll start sending out weekly newsletters after the Labor Day Holiday.
In the meantime, have a great weekend. I think I'm going to go get some rest.
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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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2016 Gold Highlight Article
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Kentucky is bordered by nearly 1,600 miles of navigable inland waterways. These waterways provide a marine highway for the efficient, environmentally conscious movement of freight that includes agricultural products, aggregates, coal, and chemicals.
Our inland waterways are served by eight operating public Riverports and three developing riverports. These ports are responsible for moving nearly 3 million tons of goods, valuing more than $1.5 billion dollars.
The Kentucky Association of Riverports (KAR) serves as the voice of the Kentucky waterborne transportation industry and promotes and assists the development of multi-modal transportation systems that provide the safe, efficient movement of freight across the state and interstate region.
KAR is a proud KBT member and proud sponsor of KBT's Transportation Conference.
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KBT Events and Committee Meetings
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Highways Local Streets and Roads Meeting Committee Meeting
1:30 pm
Galt House Hotel
Louisville, KY
Suite Towers, 2nd Floor Clements Room
Guest: KYTC State Highway Engineer Patty Dunaway
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39th Kentucky Transportation Conference
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January 18-20, 2017
Lexington Marriott Griffin Gate Resort
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Safety
If trend continues, U.S. may see its deadliest driving year since 2007 and deadliest Labor Day since 2008.
Itasca, IL - Preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council indicate motor vehicle deaths were 9% higher through the first six months of 2016 than in 2015, and 18% higher than two years ago at the six month mark. An estimated 19,100 people have been killed on U.S. roads since January - enough to fill 382 school buses[i] - and 2.2 million were seriously injured[ii]. The total estimated cost of these deaths and injuries is $205 billion.
The upward trend began in late 2014 and shows no signs of decreasing. Last winter, the National Safety Council issued its largest year-over-year percentage increase in 50 years, when it estimated fatalities had jumped 8% in 2015 compared to 2014. The continued rise in fatalities is prompting the Council to issue its highest fatality estimate for the
Labor Day holiday period since 2008. NSC estimates
438 people will be killed during the three-day holiday weekend.[iii]
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AAR: Grain gains, motor vehicle moves up, oil and coal decline
The
Association of American Railroads (AAR)
reported for the week ending August 20, 2016, total U.S. weekly rail traffic was 531,484 carloads and intermodal units, down 6.4% compared with the same week last year. Grain traffic saw a significant increase and motor vehicles and parts rose, while coal, crude oil and intermodal registered declines.
Total carloads for the week ending August 20 were 270,464 carloads, down 6.4% compared with the same week in 2015, while U.S. weekly intermodal volume was 261,020 containers and trailers, down 6.4% compared to 2015.
Four of the 10 carload commodity groups posted an increase compared with the same week in 2015. They included grain, up 36.5% to 24,944 carloads; motor vehicles and parts, up 4.9% to 18,974 carloads; and miscellaneous carloads, up 4.8% to 10,558 carloads. Commodity groups that posted decreases compared with the same week in 2015 included petroleum and petroleum products, down 24.2% to 10,933 carloads; coal, down 16.6% to 89,599 carloads; and forest products, down 14.3% to 9,869 carloads.
Read more here
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Highways
Toll Bridge System Will Cost Less to Run
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) - It will cost significantly less to operate the all-electronic toll system on Louisville-area bridges, according to estimates from a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet consultant.
And even before tolling starts, the fees charged to drivers are expected to take in more money than previously thought -- an extra $364 million by 2058.
The revised figures mean Kentucky stands to have $407 million more "excess cash in total" after paying off debt on construction bonds and tolling expenses, according to documents made public this summer.
Orlando, Fla.-based PFM Group presented its forecast at a meeting last month of the Kentucky Public Transportation Infrastructure Authority, a largely governor-appointed board that oversees the financing of the state's share of the Ohio River Bridges Project.
PFM and its subcontractors advised Kentucky as it issued bonds for the downtown part of the bridges project. Their updated work - done before PFM's $4 million contract with the state expired June 30 -- anticipates more traffic, increased toll revenue and
low rates of uncollected tolls.
Read more here
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Last Chance Online Dialogue on Transit Worker Assault
FTA is issuing a final call for contributions to its
National Online Dialogue on Transit Worker Assault (Dialogue), which officially concludes on August 31. Participants have contributed more than 35 ideas and cast 365 votes since the Dialogue opened in June. Every idea, comment, and vote will help guide FTA's development of a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on this issue.
To date, the Dialogue's top idea suggests transit workers, specifically bus operators, be relieved of the responsibility of fare enforcement. Other strongly supported ideas include recommendations for ridership education, legal remedies, and safety barriers. FTA encourages transit workers, industry leaders, and anyone else with valuable ideas on how to prevent and mitigate transit worker assault to take a few minutes to share their recommendations on the Dialogue before August 31.
Read more here
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Transportation TV Special Report: Sea Change--America's Ports in Transition
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FRANKFORT, Ky. (Aug. 25, 2016) - The Kentucky Water Transportation Advisory Board will hold a Web-based meeting on Friday, September 9, 2016, at 11:00 a.m. EDT. The meeting can be accessed online at
https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/691697269. Participants may dial-in to 866-904-6912, access code 740340#. For questions about the meeting, please email
[email protected] or call 502-782-5095.
The meeting will be held in Room C118 of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Office Building, 200 Mero Street, Frankfort, Kentucky.
Agenda:
- Welcome and Introductions
- Public Comment Period
- Approval of Meeting Minutes from July 14, 2016
- Finalize Revisions to WTAB Bylaws
- Closing Remarks
- Set Next Meeting Date, Time, and Location
Satellite Locations:
Hickman-Fulton County Riverport
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625 Catlett Street,
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Hickman, KY 42050
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Henderson County Riverport
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Green River Area Development District
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6200 Riverport Road
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300 GRADD Way
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Henderson, KY 42420
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Owensboro, KY 42301
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Louisville-Jefferson County Riverport
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Ingram Barge Co.
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6900 Riverport Drive
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2500 Chambers Center Drive, Suite 200
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Louisville, KY 40268
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Ft. Mitchell, KY 41091
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If you wish to attend from one of the locations listed, please contact the appropriate office at least 72 hours prior to the meeting start time. If this is your first GoToMeeting, try a test session online at
http://help.citrix.com/getready.
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After ratification from both the American Council of Engineering Companies of Kentucky (ACEC-KY) Board of Directors and the Kentucky Society of Professional Engineers (KSPE) Board of Directors, we are pleased to announce the new Executive Director for ACEC-KY/KSPE is Russell L. Romine.
Russ comes to us after a brief retirement from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet where he most recently served as the Deputy Secretary. Prior to that position, he worked as a top advisor to the KYTC Secretary for several years after serving in the Cabinet's Office of Budget and Fiscal Management. Through his experience with KYTC, Russ had the opportunity to work with many associations where he was able to help promote engineering, and in that particular position, engineering within the transportation sector.
As someone who has worked closely with - and for - professional engineers for over 20 years, Russ is excited to promote and advance the engineering profession as Executive Director of ACEC-KY/KSPE. Please help us in welcoming Russ as he begins his new role on September 1st.
His direct line at the office is 502-783-0012.
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2017 Annual Kentucky Transportation Conference
Sponsors to Date:
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Bronze
Trinity Highway Products
Geotechnology, Inc.
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Exhibitors
Lynn Imaging|Monster Color
Stantec
Integrated Engineering
E&H Bridge & Grating, Inc.
Bacon|Farmer|Workman Engineering, Inc.
Trinity Highway Products
Site-Safe, LLC
Geotechnology, Inc.
PAIKY
American Engineers, Inc.
Site-Supply
TARC
Irving Materials Group of Companies (imi)
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Kentuckians for Better Transportation | (502) 491-5600 | www.kbtnet.org
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