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CONTACTS:
Jody
Ladd Craig, Public Affairs Director, jcraig@marc.org,
816/701-8241
Tom Gerend, Assistant Director of Transportation, tgerend@marc.org,
816/701-8303
Public can review future transportation projects
Jurisdictions nominate $18.4 billion in projects for Transportation Outlook 2040
The Mid-America Regional Council’s (MARC) call for regionally significant projects that improve the future transportation of people and goods in Greater Kansas City ended last week. Nearly 50 jurisdictions and transportation agencies within MARC’s planning boundary nominated 600 projects, totaling $18.4 billion. The call for projects is part of MARC’s effort to develop a new long-range transportation plan — Transportation Outlook 2040 — that identifies needs and budgets federal transportation funds the metro area expects to receive over the next 30 years.
So what are local cities and agencies planning? Here are two sample project nominations:
PROJECT |
SUMMARY |
JURISDICTION |
ESTIMATED COST |
College Boulevard (Lone Elm to Woodland Road) |
Improve road from two to four lanes; on-street bike lanes; sidewalk; off-street trail parallel to road |
City of Olathe, Kan. |
$13 million |
Ararat Drive (Sni-a-Bar Road to Eastwood Trafficway) |
Road diet; transit stop enhancements; bike lanes; pedestrian crossings; roundabout |
City of Kansas City, Mo. |
$1.5 million |
Through Sept. 30, 2009, the public can visit www.marc.org/2040 to review and offer feedback on projects nominated to be part of Transportation Outlook 2040. Comments will be posted in real time on the Transportation Outlook 2040 Web site and shared with regional transportation committees that evaluate and recommend projects to the MARC Board of Directors.
Developing a list of projects is a major component of the long-range plan. It will help the Kansas City region prioritize future transportation investments based on the vision of providing "a safe, balanced, regional, multimodal transportation system that is coordinated with land-use planning, supports equitable access to opportunities, and protects the environment” — but to do so in a way that fits within the region’s estimated financial resources. Following is a summary of nominated projects by investment type.
– MORE –
PROJECT TYPE |
NUMBER |
AMOUNT |
Roadway |
325 |
$11.1 billion |
Transit |
32 |
$3.9 billion |
Bicycle |
20 |
$75.1 million |
Pedestrian |
16 |
$121.9 million |
Other |
31 |
$849.8 million |
Multiple |
176 |
$2.3 billion |
Total |
600 |
$18.4 billion |
Over the next few weeks, MARC staff will analyze all project nominations, and identify additional transportation needs not addressed by current nominations. Projects will be scored based on how well they meet and support the policy goals of Transportation Outlook 2040. Next, the projects will be evaluated by MARC’s transportation modal committees, made up of elected officials and local planners in the Kansas City area. These committees will recommend specific projects to the Long-Range Transportation Plan Subcommittee, which is in charge of drafting a financially constrained list of projects for the Total Transportation Policy Committee and the MARC Board to consider.
The draft list of recommended projects will be released for public review and comment later this fall, offering residents another chance to provide input on long-term transportation priorities for the region.
As the metropolitan planning organization for Greater Kansas City, MARC maintains a long-range transportation plan that guides transportation decision making and funding decisions involving federal dollars over a period of several decades. For the last year, MARC has coordinated with planners, elected officials, community organizations and citizens to establish a vision for the region’s future transportation system.
Learn more about Transportation Outlook 2040 and the call for projects at www.marc.org/2040.
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