Administrative Brief
COMMISSION INFORMATION MEMORANDUM
VOL. 28 NO. 11 April 13, 2006
ADMINISTRATIVE BRIEF FROM DEAN ANDREW
SAFETEA-LU Transportation Program
In the fall of 2005, President Bush signed the Safe, Accountable, Flexible and Efficient
Transportation Equity Act – a Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU) into law. The $286.4 billion
new law reauthorizes federal surface transportation programs through 2009. The new law
comes after twelve temporary extensions of the previous authorization, TEA-21, which
officially expired on September 30, 2003.
SAFETEA-LU maintains the program structure and funding balance established in 1991’s
ISTEA and continued in TEA-21. The new law extends the five current core programs and
adds a new core program. The six programs are interstate maintenance (IM), national
highway system (NHS), surface transportation program (STP), bridge and bridge
maintenance, congestion mitigation and air quality (CMAQ) and add a new highway safety
improvement program (HSIP).
As the new law’s acronym implies, safety programs received particular attention in the new
bill. The Highway Safety Improvement Program is now a core program, separately funded for
the first time. A total of $5.1 billion is provided for FY 2006 – 2009. Of that total, $880 million
is set aside for the Railway-Highway Crossing program and $90 million for rural high-risk
roads.
Among the bill’s most important new programs is the Safe Routes to School program. This
initiative will receive $612 million over the life of the law to make it safer for children to walk or
bicycle to school. Funding for Safe Routes to School will be distributed to states in proportion
to the number of primary and secondary school students in the state, with no state receiving
less than $1 million annually. Communities will be able to use the funds to fix hazards and
slow traffic on roads, pathways or trails near schools while increasing safety through focused
enforcement and education programs. Each state is being directed to create a position of a
Safe Routes to School coordinator. Each state must set aside between 10 and 30 percent of
its Safe Routes allotment for non-infrastructure activities to encourage walking and bicycling.
The Recreational Trails Program is authorized in the law at $370 million. The program
provides funds to the states to develop and maintain recreational trails and train-related
facilities.
The new law continues funding of the Transportation Enhancements program.
Enhancements are funded through a set aside of 10 percent of Surface Transportation
Program funds. The Transportation, Community and System Preservation Program (TCSP)
is continued. The law authorizes $270 million through FY 2009. State and local governments,
MPOs, and tribal governments are eligible. TCSP grants are intended to fund projects that
better link land use and transportation.
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KDOT generally hosts statewide workshops to provide communities with more detailed
information about the application process and timeframes for these transportation grant
programs. Staff will continue to monitor information coming from KDOT to see if there are
grant opportunities that could help fund projects in Salina.
Census Update
The US Census Bureau recently released its 2005 Census estimates for Kansas counties.
The estimates are for countywide population and no breakdown was provided for individual
cities. The Census Bureau reports that more people moved away from Saline County than
moved in during the first half of the decade. The Census Bureau estimates indicate that the
net out migration from Saline County (people moving away vs. moving in) was 1,439 between
April 1, 2000 and July 1, 2005 and that this was offset by a net international migration into
Saline County of 525 for a net loss of 914. The “migration” numbers were calculated using
income tax forms and other government records so there is a possibility of undercounting
especially as to international migration into the county.
The Census Bureau estimates that the total population growth in Saline County from 2000-
2005 was 322 which was entirely due to natural increase, births outpacing deaths. All of the
counties surrounding Saline County experienced a net loss in population according to Census
estimates. Statewide the estimated population increase was 2.1% but Saline County was
one of only 21 counties that showed an increase in population.
Population Estimates for the Salina region:
April 1, 2000 July 1, 2005 Net Change
Saline County 53,597 53,919 + 322
Ellsworth County -6,525 6,343 -182
Ottawa County 6,163 6,123 -40
Dickinson County 19,344 19,209 -135
McPherson County 29,554 29,523 -31
CDBG Program Update
The Neighborhood Services Division which oversees grant administration has been
monitoring Congressional debate on future funding for the Community Development Block
Grant (CDBG) program. Funds from the CDBG program have been used to help finance
housing rehabilitation and a number of public facilities and improvements in Salina such as
downtown streetscape improvements, street improvements in the airport industrial area, the
Emergency Aid Food Bank facility as well as several economic development projects. The
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Bush Administration is proposing a 25% reduction in funding for FY 2007 on top of a 14%
reduction over the past two years. If this additional cut in funding is approved by Congress,
the Kansas Department of Commerce will have even fewer dollars to distribute over the
nonmetropolitin areas of the state. Currently Salina projects compete for funding against
communities ranging from 100 to 50,000 in population and Salina projects have had difficulty
competing with small communities that are considered to be more economically distressed
than Salina. Cities which are over 50,000 in population or which are part of a metropolitan
area are entitlement communities and receive an allocation of CDBG funds automatically
each year and may decide how to spend those funds locally.
MONDAY'S MEETING:
1. Enclosed are other items on the agenda. If any Commissioner has any questions or
cannot attend the meeting, please contact me.
2. The study session will begin at 2:30 p.m. An agenda is attached.
Jason A. Gage
City Manager