About Transportation Outlook 2040

Why Transportation Matters

Transportation is part of our experience every day, connecting us to jobs, our families, entertainment, the things we buy and other basic needs. It enables us to have a high quality of life. The transportation system is made up of many pieces that work together to move people and goods around and through the metro area — including people, vehicles, roadways, bridges, sidewalks, rivers, railways and traffic signals.

What is a Long-Range Transportation Plan?

A long-range transportation plan serves as a blueprint for managing the region's transportation system. Required by the federal government, this plan identifies transportation improvements for the next 20 to 30 years. We should consider:

• Projected population growth
• Maintenance of transportation facilities
• Safety
• Quality of life
• Preserving the human and natural environment
• Current and future transportation needs (air, bicycle, bus, pedestrian, rail, roads, water, etc.)

By establishing transportation goals for the region, we lay a foundation for the kinds of plans and projects that will provide the best transportation solutions.

About Kansas City's Transportation Outlook 2040

As the federally designated planning organization for metro Kansas City, the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC) must develop and maintain a long-range transportation plan that guides transportation decision making and funding decisions over a period of several decades. Transportation Outlook 2040 is the region's new long-term plan, looking ahead 30 years. The plan identifies needs and budgets federal transportation funds that the metro area expects to receive over time.

While this long-range plan is a required document, MARC sees the development of a the plan as an opportunity to address our region's vision for the future. A robust, well-functioning transportation system in itself is not the end we all seek. Instead, transportation is a means to carry us into our desired future. So, what is that future? How will transportation get us there?

Finances

Transportation Outlook 2040 must be financially constrained. This means that MARC must forecast how much revenue the region will receive in the next 30 years and develop a list of projects that meet our goals and do not exceed our projected revenue. This requirement of the plan presents significant challenges. Transportation funding from the federal government has been in flux, and our prior revenue projections for our region have not materialized. We know transportation funds will be in short supply in the future, and our region will have some tough decisions to make about priorities.

Approach to Developing the Plan

The preparation of this report is financed in part with funding from United States Department of Transportation (USDOT), administered by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT). The opinions, findings and conclusions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of USDOT, KDOT and MoDOT.

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