KIPDA Still Seeking Input

KIPDA is currently accepting public comments on a proposed update to the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and proposed amendments to the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP).

The Horizon 2030 MTP list projects through the year 2030 and the TIP is being updated to years 2014 through 2017 and identifies planned federal funding expenditures for that time period. The projects have been reviewed by the Interagency Consultation Group for the regional emissions analysis. An air quality conformity report and documentation of the analysis are included in the packet below.

For a list of the proposed changes, go to http://www.kipda.org/Transportation/Drafts.aspx

We invite you to review the project information and submit comments to the following address by July 8, 2013.

TIP & Plan Amendment
KIPDA
11520 Commonwealth Drive
Louisville, KY 40299
Email comments to: kipda.trans@ky.gov

 For additional information, call Josh Suiter at 502‐266‐6084.

National Dump the Pump Day is Tomorrow

In 2012, Americans took 10.5 billion trips on public transportation and over 35 million times each weekday people board public transportation.

In order to encourage more ridership, the 8th annual National Dump the Pump will be held tomorrow. The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) and public transportation systems across the country are encouraging you to use public transportation tomorrow instead of driving to work.

A recent study says that a two person household that downsizes to one car can save about $9,700 a year on average by the other person using public transportation.

For more information on Dump the Pump, go to http://www.apta.com/members/memberprogramsandservices/advocacyandoutreachtools/dumpthepump/Pages/default.aspx.

Community Groundbreaking Tomorrow for Ohio River Downtown Crossing

Children and families are invited to join Governor Steve Beshear and Mayor Greg Fischer to celebrate the community groundbreaking for the new Ohio River Downtown Crossing.  In celebration of this occasion, a family-friendly event has been planned for 5 p.m. tomorrow at Waterfront Park in the Lincoln Memorial Lot.

 

The event includes an opportunity for children to be part of history by breaking ground on a large sand pile near the construction site.  There will be 500 commemorative sand shovels for kids.  They’ll use the shovels to dig for one of 500 keepsake tokens, marked with the special date and the seal of the Commonwealth.  Three specially marked tokens can be turned in for a unique memento of the day.

 Governor Beshear will signal the start of construction at 5:30 p.m. with the raising of the American, Kentucky and Indiana flags on a large crane that will help build the Downtown Crossing. Kids can alsao have their picture taken with the Crawler crane and its 220-foot boom.

In addition, The Belle of Louisville, which will celebrate her 100^th birthday next year, will be on the Ohio River and playing her calliope and sound her whistle.  97.5 WAMZ’s Coyote Calhoun will be broadcasting live from the event and those who attend will enjoy free ice cream from Blue Bell.

 

Several Road Projects Could Cause Delays

There are several road projects the next few days that could cause traffic delays. See below for details:

 

·         Kennedy Bridge Work:  Some lane closures beginning tonight.  Two of the three southbound lanes of I-65 will be affected.  The work is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. today with lanes reopening by 5 a.m. Monday.  The right two lanes of I-65 South will be closed from just north of the Kennedy Bridge in Jeffersonville, Ind., to the far south end of the bridge in downtown Louisville. Southbound traffic will be limited to one lane. The entrance ramp from Court Avenue in Jeffersonville to southbound I-65 will be closed during the weekend work. All lanes and exit ramps at the south end of the Kennedy Bridge will remain open. The Exit 0 ramp from southbound I-65 to West Market Street in Jeffersonville will be open.

·         Entrance ramp from westbound I-64 to westbound Interstate 264 (Watterson Expressway): Reduced to one lane next week.  Contract crews will be performing bridge joint and concrete pavement repairs on this ramp.  The ramp will remain open during this work, but will be reduced from two lanes to one. Lane closure is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. on Monday through 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 22.

·       Beginning the evening of Monday, June 17, one of the two left-turn lanes from westbound U.S. 42 onto KY 841, as well as the dedicated right-turn lane from eastbound U.S. 42 onto KY 841, will be closed. As of that date, eastbound and westbound traffic on U.S. 42 will continue to have access to the KY 841. Then, by 5 A.M. Friday morning, June 21, both directions of KY 841 traffic will be shifted to the existing, improved southbound KY 841 ramp.

National Freight Advisory Committee Appointed

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently announced the members of the National Freight Advisory Committee, a diverse group of professionals that will provide advice and recommendations aimed at improving the national freight transportation system.

The Advisory Committee is comprised of 47 voting members from outside the Department of Transportation.  The Deputy Secretary and Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy, as well as representatives from other Federal agencies with freight-related obligations will serve as ex-officio members.  Members come with various perspectives on freight transportation and represent various modes of transportation, geographic regions, and policy areas.  Freight customers and providers, labor representatives, safety experts and government entities are all represented as well.

They will serve two-year terms and meet at least three times per year.  Their first meeting is scheduled for June 25, 2013 at the Department of Transportation and will include an overview of MAP-21 Freight provisions and preliminary identification of NFAC activities.  The meeting is open to the public.  Information regarding the meeting will be available on the Federal Register.

Selections for the committee were made after nominations to the DOT were sent in February and Secretary LaHood selected members with input from the MAP-21 Freight Implementation Team as well as the Freight Policy Council, an internal body of DOT leadership created to facilitate cross-modal implementation of freight provisions in the recently signed surface transportation bill, Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, or MAP-21.

The collaboration of stakeholders will serve to promote involvement and compliance with proposed plans and performance measures and will support the implementation of larger freight policy initiatives.

The National Freight Advisory Committee members are:

Stephen Alterman, Cargo Airline Association
Gregory A. Ballard, City of Indianapolis
Kevin L. Brubaker, Environmental Law & Policy Center
Jeffrey Burns, Parents Against Tired Truckers and Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways
Terry Button, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association
Anne Canby, OneRail
Joan Claybrook, Public Citizen
Kristin Decas, Port of Hueneme
Mortimer L. Downey III, CAGTC
John H. Eaves, Fulton County
John E. Fenton, Patriot Rail Corp
Karen Flynn, Arkema Inc.
Carlos A. Gimenez, Miami-Dade County
Genevieve Giuliano, University of Southern California Sol Price School of Public Policy
John Thomas Gray II, Association of American Railroads
Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge, Lambert International Airport
Brad Hildebrand, Cargill, Inc.
Stacey D. Hodge, New York City Department of Transportation
James P. Hoffa, International Brotherhood of Teamsters
José Holguín-Veras, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Jack Holmes, UPS Freight
Richard Inclima, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees Division of the Teamster Rail Conference
Frances Lee Inman, Majestic Realty Co.
Randell Iwasaki, Contra Costa Transportation Authority
Michael Jewell, Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association, AFL-CIO
Paul R. Kelly, A & S Service Group
Paul C. LaMarre III, Port of Monroe
Michelle Livingstone, The Home Depot
Bonnie Lowenthal, State of California
Andrew S. Lynn, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey
C. Randal Mullett, Con-way Inc.
Rosa Navejar, The Rios Group
Michael Nutter, City of Philadelphia
Gary A. Palmer, True Value Company
Craig Philip, Ingram Barge Company
John Previsich, SMART – Transportation Division
William Roberson, Nucor Steel – Berkeley
Christopher T. Rodgers, Douglas County, National Association of Counties
Mark Andrew Savage, Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance/Colorado State Patrol
Karen Schmidt, Freight Mobility Strategic Investment Board
Ann Schneider, Illinois DOT
Ricky D. Smith, Department of Port Control, Cleveland Airport
Mike Tooley, Montana DOT
Peter G. Vigue, Cianbro Companies
Michael C. Walton, University of Texas Austin
A.C. Warton, City of Memphis
Leonard Waterworth, Port of Houston Authority

KIPDA Wants To Hear From You!

KIPDA is currently accepting public comments on a proposed update to the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and proposed amendments to the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). The Horizon 2030 MTP list projects through the year 2030 and the TIP is being updated to years 2014 through 2017 and identifies planned federal funding expenditures for that time period. The projects have been reviewed by the Interagency Consultation Group for the regional emissions analysis. An air quality conformity report and documentation of the analysis are included in the packet below.

For a list of the proposed changes, go to http://www.kipda.org/Transportation/Drafts.aspx

We invite you to review the project information and submit comments to the following address by July 8, 2013.

TIP & Plan Amendment
KIPDA
11520 Commonwealth Drive
Louisville, KY 40299
Email comments to: kipda.trans@ky.gov

In addition, you can review the documents and ask questions in person during public open houses held at the following times and locations:
June 10, 2013, 4:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. at the New Albany‐Floyd County Public Library, 180 W. Spring St., in New Albany, Indiana.

June 11, 2013, 4:30 pm ‐ 6:30 p.m. at the Highlands/Shelby Park Public Library, 1250 Bardstown Road in Louisville, Kentucky.

For additional information, call Josh Suiter at 502‐266‐6084.