Kansas Trail News, 4 April 2009
Stimulus Transportation Enhancement Projects Selected.
KDOT has selected only six bike/pedestrian Transportation Enhancement projects to be funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Fourteen TE projects were approved with a total cost of $11.4 million. KDOT received an amazing 101 applications. The bike/ped projects selected are:
- Prairie Spirit Rail Trail lighting enhancement between 5th and 23rd in Ottawa.
- Repaving the multi-use path on Clinton Parkway from Wakarusa Drive
to K-10 in west Lawrence.
- Construction of a multi-use path on west side of Webb Road from Cedar Brook north to the path at 111th Street in Mulvane.
- Construction of a multi-use trail on Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation reservation 1.7 miles in length near Holton.
- Extend the South Indian Creek Trail approximately 1.3 miles from Southdowns Park to Hampton Park in Olathe.
- Construction of a pedestrian bridge for the Flint Hills Nature Trail over U.S. 75 approximately, 2.2 miles north of Lyndon. [Web Geek's Note: Although this bridge will be a part of the Flint Hills Nature Trail, the justification for this project is the elimination of the old bridge and its abutments which restrict traffic on US 75 Highway. The Osage County Commission had requested that KDOT relieve this problem; and as a result of studying solutions, the engineering work had already been completed, making it “shovel-ready.”]
A regular user of the Clinton Parkway path reports it doesn't need repaving at this time and the money could be better spent elsewhere such as extending the Burroughs Creek Trail in Lawrence. Further, the bridge over US 75 is going to cost a whopping $2 million! KDOT is going to rebuild US 75 on that section soon but apparently didn't want to spend highway funds for that. So, the $2 million could have been better spent on several more vital projects (perhaps four projects of $½ million each). It is expected that regular TE applications will still be accepted this fall for funding in the spring of 2010.
Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act.
This new act is expected to be signed by President Obama and will help trails organizations recruit volunteers. It will put service to work to solve our most pressing national challenges including safeguarding the environment plus it creates a Clean Energy Corps. The Volunteer Generational Fund will provide grants to nonprofits to improve the quality and capacity of organizations to recruit and manage more volunteers. There are two provisions relating to Baby Boomers, retirees and high school students:
- Establish Encore Fellowships for Americans age 55 or older in one-year management or leadership positions in nonprofit organizations. There will be a maximum of 10 per state. They will be funded by an $11,000 federal grant, plus matching funds from the organizations that host the fellows.
- Create Silver Scholarships that would provide a $1,000 higher education scholarship to people 55 or older who contribute a minimum of 350 volunteer hours a year. Like the education awards, volunteers can use the scholarship for their own education or transfer it to their children, foster children or grandchildren.
- Establish the Summer of Service program that engages middle and high school students in volunteer activities in their communities and allows them to earn a $500 education award to be used for college costs. Students will be eligible to participate in two terms of service and earn up to a total of $1,000.