Daily News Briefs, December 7, 2023

Kansas Turnpike Highlights FY 2023 Accomplishments And Employee Service Milestones

The Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) spotlighted its FY 2023 annual report and annual customer survey findings in a recent news release. In the year ending June 30, the agency recorded a $59 million increase in net position and a $13.5 million reduction of debt. Other fiscal highlights it cited included a 2.9 percent year-on-year increase in toll revenue collected from a total annual volume of 36.9 million vehicles, and a clean, independent audit report with no findings. The survey showed “high levels of customer satisfaction. Nearly 95 percent of customers consider the Kansas Turnpike an important part of Kansas transportation. The survey also affirms KTA’s decision to become a cashless tolling system [by mid-2024], with over 84 percent of respondents supporting the change and 80 percent understanding how the cashless system will work.” CEO Steve Hewitt commented that KTA remains fiscally responsible and continues to meet customer expectations as it continues to preserve its highway network and transitions to a modern collection system. (TRN inserted a link in quoted text.)

In another recent news release, KTA acknowledged the employment anniversaries of 51 people who have collectively given 790 years’ service to the authority and its customers as of 2023. Among others, Diana Ensign, the KTA human resources director, was recognized for her 35 years of service, and Christina Metcalf, a customer service representative, and Eric Roe, senior automatic payment machine technician, reached their 30th anniversaries. Nine people were celebrated for 25 years’ service, nine others, for 20 years’ service, and an additional 18 employees reached their 10th or 15th anniversary.

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Challenges Facing NCDOT Veteran Who Never Imagined He'd Become Transportation Secretary

WUNC publishes an interview of Joey Hopkins, PE, the North Carolina DOT veteran who was named department secretary in October. Among other pertinent topics, he discusses how the state is deploying increased federal infrastructure funding (it’s up 20 percent for most capital programs and 30 percent for transit), and what NCDOT is doing to deal with materials cost inflation, supply chain issues and a job vacancy rate that stands at about 21 percent due, in part, to high turnover.

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President Biden Inaugurates USDOT Multimodal Freight Office And Supply Chain Resilience Initiatives

Last week, President Biden and USDOT Secretary Buttigieg announced the launch of the transportation department’s Office of Multimodal Freight Infrastructure and Policy (Multimodal Freight Office), which has the task of overseeing the maintenance and improvement of the nation’s freight network and supply chains. Among other specific duties, the new office will manage development of a National Multimodal Freight Network, review State Freight Plans and provide technical assistance to state and local governments. It will also partner with the Bureau of Transportation Statistics to advance the Freight Logistics Optimization Works (FLOW) program, a public-private partnership created by the Biden administration to compile data to “inform decision-making and planning across the supply chain that will speed up the movement of goods and cut costs for consumers.” Allison Dane Camden, USDOT deputy assistant secretary for multimodal freight infrastructure and policy, will lead the new Multimodal Freight Office. She held several executive positions at Washington State DOT, including deputy assistant secretary for multimodal development and delivery, between 2011 and her September 2023 USDOT appointment.

AASHTO Journal reports, the Multimodal Freight Office launch coincided with the November 27 inaugural meeting of the White House Council on Supply Chain Resilience, “will support the enduring resilience of America’s critical supply chains.” The council, co-chaired by the National Security Advisor and National Economic Advisor, and includes the secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Housing and Urban Development, the Interior, Labor, State, Transportation, the Treasury, and Veterans Affairs, as well as the Attorney General and representatives of several administrative agencies and White House offices. During the meeting, President Biden unveiled several domestic and international initiatives to strengthen the nation’s supply chain.

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These are just some of the toll industry developments TRN is following.

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