OVERVIEW - Topical Working Groups - Freight
Freight is projected to increase by 75 percent in Kansas over the next 20 years, with important implications for our state’s economy and transportation system. Addressing bottlenecks, maintaining roads, and helping travelers feel comfortable with more and larger trucks and trains will be examined in Phase 2. Rural residents are concerned about the impact on local infrastructure of truck traffic prompted by the surge of ethanol plants. Also of concern is the loss of connectivity with short- and main-line railroads. In metropolitan areas, truck traffic is helping drive increased congestion, the growing need for highway capacity, and the soaring demand for intermodal facilities and warehousing.
Freight group members
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The Freight Topical Working Group (TWG) will review many cross-cutting issues and discuss several possible ways to address capacity, maintenance and access issues associated with the freight that were identified in Phase 1 of the LRTP. The Freight group will discuss:
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Identify any other freight issues that might have been missed in Phase 1. |
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Evaluate possible solutions to these issues (i.e., identify benefits and concerns about the solutions). |
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Generate other possible solutions to freight issues. |
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While this group doesn’t have to prioritize solutions in the first meeting, they may work to develop a sense of which solutions seem most likely to be cost effective. |
The input from the Freight TWG will help inform the development of the investment scenarios. The additional issues and possible solutions also will be forwarded to the Policy and Technical Committees for review.
Investment Scenarios: In Meeting 3, the Freight TWG will comment on the various investment scenarios. Because there are always more transportation needs than funding, fiscal constraints will have to be considered and a facilitated trade-off discussion will be conducted. Their input will be used to refine the investment scenarios prior to the Funding and Finance TWG’s review in Meeting 4.
Additional Input: The Freight TWG also will be asked to comment on program configuration options, safety issues (especially at-grade rail crossings) and how KDOT resources might be aligned to better deliver transportation services over the next 20 years. The input on these issues will be presented to the Policy and Technical Committees.
Freight Meetings and Schedule
Meeting 1—March 21—Manhattan, Kansas
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Overview of LRTP process and existing transportation needs and funding gaps. |
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Discuss at-grade rail crossings—issues and potential solutions. |
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Discuss rail capacity on the mainline—issues and potential solutions. |
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Discuss short line capacity and condition—issues and potential solutions. |
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Discuss freight movement on highways and local roads—issues and possible solutions. |
Meeting 2—April 18
No Freight Topical Working Group meeting was held.
Meeting 3—May 31—Olathe Holiday Inn, Olathe, Kansas
Meeting time: 9:30- 3:30 pm
In meeting 3, TWG members will discuss, review and refine the following:
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Program configuration options. |
Meeting 4—July 12—Capitol Plaza, Topeka, Kansas
Meeting time: 9:30-3:30 pm
In meeting 4, TWG members will develop and discuss:
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KDOT organization structure and initiatives. |
For directions to any of the meetings above, please click on Meetings and Events.
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