Tag: transportation

Proposed bistate corridor would travel from Independence to Legends

A proposed bistate corridor would run from Independence, Missouri, to The Legends Outlets area of Kansas City, Kansas.

A plan for a bistate transit corridor was announced on Monday by U.S. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Missouri.


The proposed bistate corridor would travel from Independence, Missouri, to the Legends Outlets area of Kansas City, Kansas. It would be an electric bus route. Funding for the project would come from the $1.2 trillion federal infrastructure bill.

According to a news release from Rep. Cleaver’s website, the Bi-State Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor will provide investments to sustainability, mobility and economic development.

“President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for our entire region to create sustainable communities, provide greater opportunity for economic mobility, and ensure our jurisdictions have the energy efficient infrastructure necessary to remain competitive throughout the 21st century—but coordination is critical,” Rep. Cleaver said in the news release.

The news release announced support from area communities and officials, including Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Tyrone Garner and U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-3rd Dist.

“Part of the Kansas City Metro’s strength is our interconnection and collaboration. We should absolutely leverage that to bring smart, sustainable investments to our communities,” Rep. Davids stated in the news release. “Working together, we can use the historic bipartisan infrastructure law to make lasting improvements in our local economy, our climate impact, and our quality of life. I appreciate Congressman Cleaver’s leadership and look forward to working together with local and state partners in Kansas.”

“We look forward to catalyzing growth and opportunity within Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte County through the development of sustainable economic development strategies that are enabled by the Bi-State Sustainable Reinvestment Corridor and enhanced federal funding the corridor will bring to our community,” Mayor Garner said in the news release.

The bistate corridor would include State Avenue, Independence Avenue and Truman Road.

According to the news release, the bistate corridor would target federal funding to support:

• Zero-emission transportation options: Electric buses; new and upgraded mobility hubs; expanded KC Streetcar and MAX services; and pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.
• Affordable housing: Energy-efficient retrofits; new units and construction; transit-oriented/connected development.
• Green infrastructure: Enhanced tree canopy coverage; upgraded stormwater systems; electric vehicle charging stations; residential solar panels.
• Broadband Access: Implementation of wired and wireless service; increased capacity; updated equipment.
• Safety and security enhancement: Shot spotter; license plate readers; Community Improvement Districts; other public safety technologies.
• Economic development: Workforce training; access to child care; private investment along the corridor.
• Public schools and libraries: Renewable energy and energy efficiency projects to reduce utility costs.

Grant to improve traffic flow at Legends not moved forward

In other recent news about The Legends Outlets and transportation, a grant application for improving traffic flow near The Legends did not move forward on Feb. 10.

At the Unified Government Commission’s Feb. 10 meeting, UG commissioners decided not to move forward with a grant application to the state of Kansas that would improve traffic flow and pedestrian access at the State Avenue and Village West Parkway area at The Legends Outlets. The project also would have redone an intersection, created opportunity for future growth at The Legends, and more access for those who are there for a game to walk to shopping areas while they are there.

The commission felt it did not have the $6.2 million required for the local match for the project. The $25 million project was through the Kansas Department of Transportation.

Economic reasons were cited for not moving the grant application forward.

The UG Commission did agree to move forward with two projects on the east side of Wyandotte County, an Armourdale project and the KC Riverfront project.

According to UG officials, there has already been enough funding invested in the Armourdale and KC Riverfront projects to provide the local match, without more being required from the UG.

Buttigieg points to Pittsburgh bridge collapse as blunt reminder of infrastructure spending needs

U.S. secretary points to poor condition of thousands of Kansas, Missouri bridges

U.S. transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg said Friday during a visit to Kansas City, Kansas, the tragic collapse of a Pittsburg bridge illustrated the necessity of federal infrastructure spending to make travel safer. (Photo by Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector)

by Tim Carpenter, Kansas Reflector

U.S. transportation secretary Pete Buttigieg said Friday in Kansas City, Kansas, that the collapse of a bridge in Pittsburgh illustrated the necessity of federal investment in the nation’s infrastructure, including more than 1,000 bridges in poor condition in Kansas and twice that total in Missouri.

Buttigieg braved winter chill to stand at the rusting Rock Island railroad bridge and the heavily used Cesar Chavez Bridge carrying vehicles over the Kansas River to outline benefits of bipartisan legislation signed by President Joe Biden expected to funnel billions of dollars into infrastructure projects in both states.

The secretary expressed appreciation to first responders and committed the agency to support of the investigation of the collapse in Pennsylvania.

“Bottom line is this shouldn’t happen in the United States of America,” he said. “It is a very blunt reminder, among many reminders, of just how urgent the need is to invest in American infrastructure.”

Buttigieg said safety problems with bridges and roads across the nation was a result of disinvestment in public infrastructure. The U.S. Department of Transportation has been working to aggressively distribute funding to address safety and modernization priorities, he said.

“Right here in Kansas there are more than 1,000 bridges in poor condition,” the secretary said. “Over 2,000 across the state line in Missouri. We need to get to work right away. Instead of wringing or hands about it, we’re actually doing it.”

He said resources would be for work on large, well-known bridges as well as smaller rural bridges that had fallen into disrepair.

“We have to help communities to get the resources to make those improvements,” he said.

Based on formula-based funding, Kansas would expect to receive $2.8 billion and Missouri approximately $7 billion over five years in federal highway and bridge infrastructure funding. Both states also could compete for billions of additional infrastructure aid for roads, bridges, ports, broadband, emissions control and public safety projects.

Buttigieg spoke to reporters and local government officials at a news conference with U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, Kansas City, Kansas, Mayor Tyrone Garner and Kansas transportation secretary Julie Lorenz.

Rep. Davids, a Democrat representing the 3rd District and the only member of the Kansas congressional delegation to vote for the infrastructure bill, said the federal law would earmark about $225 million over five years to repair and modernize bridges in Kansas. More than 700 bridges in the 3rd District of Wyandotte and Johnson counties need work, she said.

“Six of the top 10 most traveled structurally deficient bridges in Kansas are in the 3rd District. With this new funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law, we can begin to clear the backlog of repairs and ensure that all our bridges are safe and sound for years to come,” Rep. Davids said.

Kansas Reflector stories, www.kansasreflector.com, may be republished online or in print under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.
See more at https://kansasreflector.com/2022/01/28/buttigieg-points-to-pittsburgh-bridge-collapse-as-blunt-reminder-of-infrastructure-spending-needs/

Davids says bipartisan infrastructure bill will bring billions to Kansas, create millions of jobs

U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids spoke at a news conference about the passage of the historic bipartisan infrastructure bill.

Today, U.S. Rep. Sharice Davids, D-3rd Dist., the vice chair of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, joined Kansas Secretary of Transportation Julie Lorenz and dozens of local leaders to celebrate passage of the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which is expected to bring $3.8 billion to Kansas for infrastructure needs from roads and bridges to high-speed internet and public transit.

The Davids-backed bipartisan infrastructure bill passed into law last week marks the largest investment in America’s physical infrastructure in generations, creating an estimated 2 million jobs a year for the next decade.

The bill is paid for through a combination of new revenues and savings and has been called the most fiscally responsible infrastructure bill in at least a decade by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Among its provisions for Kansas include:

• $2.6 billion for highways
• $225 million for bridge replacement and repairs
• $272 million to improve public transportation options
• a minimum of $100 million to help provide broadband coverage
• access to $3.5 billion flood mitigation assistance program
• $454 million to improve water infrastructure and ensure clean drinking water across the state
• $109 million for airports

“I’ve been working towards this for a while, and I’m proud to say that we passed historic, bipartisan infrastructure legislation that’s going to create good-paying jobs, make strides against climate change, and set the foundation for long-term growth here in the Kansas Third,” Rep. Davids said. “I’m not stopping there—I’m going to keep pushing to bring new investments to projects across our region, like U.S. 69 and the KCATA electric bus expansion, just like I worked to bring this bill across the finish line.”

“By working with Kansans, we will make our roads safer, drive down transportation costs for people and goods and generate economic growth all across Kansas,” said Kansas Department of Transportation Secretary Julie Lorenz. “I want to thank Rep. Davids for supporting the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which combined with our IKE program, will allow us to deliver the game-changing results Kansans deserve.”

The news conference in Overland Park was attended by members of the local labor community, business leaders, climate advocates, and elected officials —all applauding Davids’ work to pass this much-needed infrastructure legislation and joining the group of more than a dozen Kansas City-area leaders who backed the bill prior to its passage.

Unified Government District 5 Commissioner and LiUNA Local 1290 Public Affairs Director Mike Kane and Overland Park Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President of Public Policy Kevin Walker joined Davids and Secretary Lorenz to speak.

Additionally, today’s event followed the first installment of Davids’ “State of Our Systems” report series on the most pressing infrastructure needs in the 3rd District, which examined bridges. The report noted that 6 of the top 10 most-travelled structurally deficient bridges in Kansas are in the 3rd District and more than 730 local bridges need repairs.

The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act was passed by the House last Friday with 228 votes, including 13 Republican votes. It was passed by the Senate with 69 votes in August. For more information on the expected impact on Kansas, see the fact sheet at
https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/KANSAS_Infrastructure-Investment-and-Jobs-Act-State-Fact-Sheet.pdf.