OVERVIEW - Topical Working Groups - Metropolitan Issues
For the LRTP, metro areas are defined as the five counties with 50,000 or more people and a metropolitan planning organization (MPO) that helps coordinate transportation issues for the area. As population swells in these five counties, congestion will increase, harming economic growth. Transit needs and opportunities are also increasing from a stakeholder perspective. Capacity improvements are needed to accommodate increasing freight, commuter traffic, and economic growth.
Metro group members
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The Metropolitan Issues Topical Working Group (TWG) will review many cross-cutting issues, but the main goal of this group is summarized below:
Generate and Evaluate Solutions: In Meetings 1 and 2, the Metropolitan group will be presented with several possible ways to address the metropolitan transportation issues identified in Phase 1 of the LRTP. They will be asked to:
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Identify any other metropolitan transportation 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 transportation issues. |
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While this group doesn’t have to prioritize solutions in the first two meetings, they may work to develop a sense of which solutions seem most likely to be cost effective. |
The input from Meetings 1 and 2 will help inform the investment scenarios the consultants develop. The additional issues and possible solutions also will be forwarded to the Policy and Technical Committees for review.
Investment Scenarios: In Meeting 3, this 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 a part of Meeting 3. The input will be used to refine the investment scenarios prior to the Funding and Finance TWG’s review in Meeting 4.
Additional Input: The Metropolitan group also will be asked to comment on program configuration options, how transportation dollars might be leveraged to maximize economic development, project financing strategies and other business approaches that are becoming more popular 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.
Metropolitan 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 state highways—issues and potential solutions. |
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Discuss local roads—issues and potential solutions. |
Meeting 2—April 19—Sedgwick County Public Works Building, Wichita, Kansas
Meeting time: 10:00 - 3:30 pm
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Discuss other transportation modes including transit, rail, trucking, aviation, and bicycle and pedestrian facilities and their role in metropolitan areas of Kansas. |
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Discuss issues and possible solutions associated with the above modes. |
Meeting 3—May 31—Olathe Holiday Inn, Olathe, Kansas
Meeting time: 9:30 - 3:30 pm
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Discuss revenue sources and investment scenario options. |
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Discuss fiscal constraints. |
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Discuss economic development opportunities. |
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Review and refine program configuration recommendations. |
Meeting 4—July 12—Capitol Plaza, Topeka, Kansas
Meeting time: 9:30 - 3:30 pm
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Discuss local project delivery. |
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Discuss KDOT organization structure and initiatives. |
For directions to any of the meetings above, please click on Meetings and Events.
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