Join our Mailing List!
Please click the link below to sign up for your community paper mailing list. Stay up to date with all the events going on in your community as well as the latest news.Sign Up Today!
K-68 traffic study in full gear
Louisburg and county’s surge in population points to potential for highway to be expanded to four lanes
By Kristen Waggener, kwaggener@miconews.com
Louisburg turned out in force Thursday at a public officials meeting for communities affected by an access management study of Kansas Highway 68, from the Kansas-Missouri line to Interstate Highway 35.
Council members David Cannon and Glena Windisch joined Mayor Arlen Thompson, City Administrator Jeff Cantrell and Miami County Commissioner Jim Wise at the meeting on Thursday night in Ottawa to learn more about the corridor study.
The access management study, being led by the Kansas Department of Transportation, will look at traffic issues along K-68. The study, estimated to cost about $300,000, is being funded by KDOT, Miami and Franklin counties and Louisburg, Paola and Ottawa.
KDOT is paying 50 percent of the study cost, with each of the other five entities sharing the cost proportionally, based on the number of miles and access points within their jurisdictions. The cost-share model weights the number of miles each jurisdiction has on K-68 by 66 percent and the number of access points by 33 percent. Under the model, Louisburg would be responsible for about $13,500; Miami County, $81,500; Paola, $9,000; and Franklin County, $44,000. The city of Ottawa has committed a flat $2,500 to the project.
Paul Bertrand of George Butler Associates, the consultant hired for the study, said the group is in the middle of an approximately one-year process that studies the highway’s future traffic counts, and how best to accommodate them.
“This is not a design study. ... The things we’re doing is determining how much traffic will be on this road in 20 years,” he said.
One factor in determining that, Harvey said, is population growth in the affected communities.
From 2000 to 2007, Miami County’s population grew 9.6 percent, and Franklin County’s grew 6.8 percent, Harvey said.
Louisburg’s population grew 39.7 percent; Paola, 6.5 percent; and Ottawa, 5.7 percent.
“That proximity to the metropolitan area helps the rural areas grow,” said Triveece Harvey of Patty Banks Associates, another consultant. “You’re going to see more growth in Miami County than in Franklin County.”
Rural population growth statistics presented by PBA support that. From 1980 to 2000, Miami County saw a 40.1 percent increase; Franklin County saw a 7.1 percent increase.
“Everyone is growing. It’s just a matter of looking at how much you’re growing,” Harvey said.
Bertrand and Harvey led discussion centering around three sections of the highway. The sections focused on areas near the three towns, Louisburg, Paola and Ottawa, affected by the highway study and steering committee members’ impressions of the function, challenges and opportunities of the corridor.
Miami County (Louisburg)
Responses from steering committee members indicated they see the Louisburg section of K-68 as a transportation and commuter route important for getting to and from schools.
“K-68 is going to be the (Interstate) 435, only now it’s going to connect way east and way west,” Thompson said. “It’s a major route.”
The steering committee also indicated that the route would serve both commercial and local interests, something that the other two portions of the highway don’t necessarily need since Louisburg is the only community bisected by the route.
One concern of Wise’s was the intermodal facility being built in Gardner.
“That traffic is going to get to (U.S. Highway) 71 in some way, the easiest way, and that’s going to be through Miami County.”
“We want sustainability, but we don’t want to be an intermodal truck route,” Louisburg’s Cantrell said.
Some challenges the steering committee and those in attendance at Thursday’s meeting saw include the change in speed limits along the highway within Louisburg, and the differing needs of those who use the highway.
“There’s a lot of access to 68 highway.” Mayor Thompson said.
Miami County (Paola)
Based on questionnaire responses, steering committee members see the section of K-68 north of Paola as an east-west transportation route with limited access.
“There are limited needs there at this time, but with Paola’s growth area, I can see the need for controlled access,” Wise said.
Bertrand said challenges near this section of the road are the topography and the railroads around the highway. One challenge mentioned in particular was the recently installed roundabout at the intersection of K-68 and Old Kansas City Road.
Although no Paola representatives attended the meeting, future uses, such as a potential business park on the corner of K-68 and U.S. Highway 169, were discussed.
Franklin County (Ottawa)
Steering committee members saw the Ottawa section of K-68 as a transportation corridor with development at major intersections and as a part of an outer ring around the Kansas City metro area.
But issues such as balancing the rural and urban needs and community access needs present challenges.
The development of a business park was also mentioned for the Ottawa section, with leaders hoping to shape that portion of K-68 into a gateway into the city.
Harvey said more public official, stakeholder and general public meetings regarding K-68 are planned in the future. The final master plan for the road is scheduled to be completed in spring of 2009.
printable version
e-mail this story
Council members David Cannon and Glena Windisch joined Mayor Arlen Thompson, City Administrator Jeff Cantrell and Miami County Commissioner Jim Wise at the meeting on Thursday night in Ottawa to learn more about the corridor study.
The access management study, being led by the Kansas Department of Transportation, will look at traffic issues along K-68. The study, estimated to cost about $300,000, is being funded by KDOT, Miami and Franklin counties and Louisburg, Paola and Ottawa.
KDOT is paying 50 percent of the study cost, with each of the other five entities sharing the cost proportionally, based on the number of miles and access points within their jurisdictions. The cost-share model weights the number of miles each jurisdiction has on K-68 by 66 percent and the number of access points by 33 percent. Under the model, Louisburg would be responsible for about $13,500; Miami County, $81,500; Paola, $9,000; and Franklin County, $44,000. The city of Ottawa has committed a flat $2,500 to the project.
Paul Bertrand of George Butler Associates, the consultant hired for the study, said the group is in the middle of an approximately one-year process that studies the highway’s future traffic counts, and how best to accommodate them.
“This is not a design study. ... The things we’re doing is determining how much traffic will be on this road in 20 years,” he said.
One factor in determining that, Harvey said, is population growth in the affected communities.
From 2000 to 2007, Miami County’s population grew 9.6 percent, and Franklin County’s grew 6.8 percent, Harvey said.
Louisburg’s population grew 39.7 percent; Paola, 6.5 percent; and Ottawa, 5.7 percent.
“That proximity to the metropolitan area helps the rural areas grow,” said Triveece Harvey of Patty Banks Associates, another consultant. “You’re going to see more growth in Miami County than in Franklin County.”
Rural population growth statistics presented by PBA support that. From 1980 to 2000, Miami County saw a 40.1 percent increase; Franklin County saw a 7.1 percent increase.
“Everyone is growing. It’s just a matter of looking at how much you’re growing,” Harvey said.
Bertrand and Harvey led discussion centering around three sections of the highway. The sections focused on areas near the three towns, Louisburg, Paola and Ottawa, affected by the highway study and steering committee members’ impressions of the function, challenges and opportunities of the corridor.
Miami County (Louisburg)
Responses from steering committee members indicated they see the Louisburg section of K-68 as a transportation and commuter route important for getting to and from schools.
“K-68 is going to be the (Interstate) 435, only now it’s going to connect way east and way west,” Thompson said. “It’s a major route.”
The steering committee also indicated that the route would serve both commercial and local interests, something that the other two portions of the highway don’t necessarily need since Louisburg is the only community bisected by the route.
One concern of Wise’s was the intermodal facility being built in Gardner.
“That traffic is going to get to (U.S. Highway) 71 in some way, the easiest way, and that’s going to be through Miami County.”
“We want sustainability, but we don’t want to be an intermodal truck route,” Louisburg’s Cantrell said.
Some challenges the steering committee and those in attendance at Thursday’s meeting saw include the change in speed limits along the highway within Louisburg, and the differing needs of those who use the highway.
“There’s a lot of access to 68 highway.” Mayor Thompson said.
Miami County (Paola)
Based on questionnaire responses, steering committee members see the section of K-68 north of Paola as an east-west transportation route with limited access.
“There are limited needs there at this time, but with Paola’s growth area, I can see the need for controlled access,” Wise said.
Bertrand said challenges near this section of the road are the topography and the railroads around the highway. One challenge mentioned in particular was the recently installed roundabout at the intersection of K-68 and Old Kansas City Road.
Although no Paola representatives attended the meeting, future uses, such as a potential business park on the corner of K-68 and U.S. Highway 169, were discussed.
Franklin County (Ottawa)
Steering committee members saw the Ottawa section of K-68 as a transportation corridor with development at major intersections and as a part of an outer ring around the Kansas City metro area.
But issues such as balancing the rural and urban needs and community access needs present challenges.
The development of a business park was also mentioned for the Ottawa section, with leaders hoping to shape that portion of K-68 into a gateway into the city.
Harvey said more public official, stakeholder and general public meetings regarding K-68 are planned in the future. The final master plan for the road is scheduled to be completed in spring of 2009.