Having a good transportation system has been important to Kansans since the 1800’s when the Santa Fe Trail opened in 1830. Although it has been almost 180 years since then, travelers still rely on a good transportation system to travel in Kansas and for businesses to get their products to market.

Kansas leaders have always recognized the importance of a good transportation system and have always funded a good road system in the state beginning in 1916 when the State Highway Department was formed. More recently, the Kansas legislature passed two significant transportation programs in the past 20 years to make sure Kansas had a road system which continues to allow our citizens to travel safely and efficiently and get our farm products to market.
 
In the near future, July 1, 2009, the funding of the present transportation program comes to a halt and if the Kansas legislature does not fund another program, Kansas will soon have a road system similar to what can be experienced in our neighboring states….and none of us want to have roads like they have in Missouri or Oklahoma here in Kansas.

While the state’s road system is in pretty good shape, the past two 10-year programs only addressed 15 percent of the road needs in Kansas. Coupled with that information and the fact that road maintenance is an going fact,  the necessity of funding  another road program is marching quickly to the forefront.

As you all know, Kansas is not a large state but it has a lot of needs when it comes to roads. For example, Kansas ranks 3rd in the nation with the most roads at 125 thousand miles and 5th in the nation with the most bridges. It doesn’t take long for you to realize, our state has an ongoing need to make sure the roads are kept up in good repair. It is like your house, you have to make constant maintenance on your house or it quickly falls apart.

Here are some facts about our roads in Kansas:

Current Road and Bridge Conditions and Travel Trends in Kansas

• Fourteen percent of Kansas’ major roads are in poor or mediocre condition
• Twenty-one percent of Kansas’ bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete
• Vehicle travel on Kansas’ highways increased by 32 percent from 1990 to 2006. While our population only grew by 12 percent
• By 2016, freight in Kansas will double

Despite all of the concerns you read about in state government, our leaders are already discussing what to do for the next transportation program. The Kansas Department of Transportation in 2007 conducted state wide hearings on what to do as part of its long range planning program for the next twenty years. You may review the report at www.Kansaslrtp.com.

This report does not detail how to fund a new transportation program but instead gives a thumbnail sketch of what to expect in the next 20 years and what KDOT will need to do to make Kansas able to compete in the global economy.

The top 3 recommendations from that committee centered on preserving the present road system, making our roads safer, and supporting economic impact. 

But other things are involved and there are 19 other recommendations included in the report. If you have additional comments on what Kansas should do about its roads, let your elected leaders know.  You may email them at name@house.state.ks.us or name@senate.state.ks.us or you may send your comments to the Kansas Department of Transportation in care of dMiller@ksdot.org.

Here are some other important transportation facts in Kansas:

Roadway Improvements Can Relieve Congestion, Reduce Accidents and Save Lives

•  Motor vehicle crashes cost Kansas $1.9 billion per year—701 for each resident—in medical costs, lost productivity, travel delays, workplace costs, insurance costs and legal costs. 
•  Roadway conditions are a significant factor in approximately one-third of traffic fatalities. There were 468 traffic fatalities in 2006 in Kansas.
•  A total of 2,335 people died on Kansas’ highways from 2002 through 2006. Nationwide, 76 percent of all fatal crashes occur on two-lane roads while only 14 percent of fatal crashes occur on roads with four or more lanes. In Kansas, 80 percent of major roads, excluding the Interstate, are two lanes.
•  Driving on roads in need of repair costs Kansas motorists $593 million a year in extra vehicle repairs and operating costs--$300 per motorist. 
•  Highway Improvements can reduce traffic fatalities and accidents and improve traffic flow to relieve congestion. Some of these improvements include:
    o Removing obstacles
    o Adding or improving medians
    o Widening lanes and shoulders
    o Upgrading roads from two lanes to four lanes
    o Improving road markings and traffic signals
    o Rumble Strips
    o Concrete barriers
    o Longer on and off ramps

Help us keep our infrastructure  in good condition.  For good roads is good for the economy and good for Kansas.

Data from the U.S. Census, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Highway Administration, The Kansas Department of Transportation, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Texas Transportation Institute. Information was compiled and analyzed by TRIP, a nonprofit transportation research group based in Washington, D. C. Information is the latest available.