October 2024 Vol 22 Issue 10

October 2024 Volume 22 Issue 10

We are a voice for our small town, grassroots members who may otherwise not have access to the right audiences, as well as a conduit for industry to come together in support and promotion of transportation improvements.

We are committed to working as an Alliance to improve transportation infrastructure and business networks opportunities, by advocating for appropriate funding levels, so business and industry can thrive.

We are focused on the economic and business interests that are the lifeblood of the region.

Be Sure Newsletter Email is Allowed

As you may have noticed, the monthly Ports-to-Plains Newsletter is sent through our member database. Please be sure the email address pal@memberclicks-mail.net is allowed on your system.

PRESIDENT'S CORNER

Driving home last week from Fort Morgan Colorado and the PRO 15 annual meeting, I was reminded time and time again of why we need to improve this corridor. Heading south out of Brush on Colorado 71 you will travel for 75 miles before reaching Limon Colorado. The whole corridor except for two or three Super Two widening projects is two lanes with little to no shoulders. This is farm and ranch country with large tracts of land either in pasture or hay operations. In that 75-mile stretch, however, I encountered a combination of farm, commercial, and tourism traffic attempting to navigate this corridor together each with their various speeds that at times conflicted and slowed travel. I didn’t include the oversized\overweight load that basically moved every one of us into the bar ditch to allow it to pass.

South of Limon on the way to Lamar Colorado this traffic pattern worsened. My first observation leaving Hugo was the six cattle haulers in a row trying to move cattle. Here the corridor is a little wider with several Super Two passing sections along the way. But for the most part, it is still a two-lane highway running through a terrain of rolling hills where sight distances are limited. Several times as I topped the rise, I found myself staring into the headlights of oncoming traffic attempting to pass slower moving vehicles again accentuated by the combination of agricultural, commercial, and tourism traffic. This traffic pattern stayed consistent all the way to Lamar. Even through Lamar the high density of commercial truck traffic has in effect limited the city’s ability to develop its main street. And now you have introduced conflict points between heavy trucks and pedestrian traffic.

Improving safety on this corridor and any other for that matter is demonstrated by a progression. Statistics show that two lane roadways without shoulders are not as safe as two-lane roadways with shoulders, which are not as safe as Super Two passing lanes, which are not as safe as four lane divided highways, which are not as safe as four lane interstates with controlled access. Every study that has been conducted on this corridor has emphasized the significant safety impact both in saved lives and cost savings. It was projected that improving the 963 miles of P2P corridor to interstate standards in Texas would reduce crash rates by 21% by 2050 and an average annual economic benefit of $450 million resulting from that crash reduction. That is an annual benefit. Even the New Mexico interstate feasibility study showed an average 18% crash rate reduction on most of that corridor. Everyone is asking the question “How are we going to fund this transportation upgrade?” and I ask a different question “How can we afford not to?”. By the way, a $450 million annual construction program would go a long way.

more to come …

Lauren D. Garduño

Ports-to-Plains Alliance Publishes Corridor Status Maps

The Ports-to-Plains Alliance created and shared Corridor Status for each segment of the North American Corridor: Ports-to-Plains, Heartland Expressway, and Theodore Roosevelt Expressway.

The Ports-to-Plains Interactive Map provides the following information:

CLICK HERE to View the Ports-to-Plains Corridor Status Map

The Heartland Expressway Interactive Map provides the following information:

CLICK HERE to View the Heartland Expressway Corridor Status Map

The Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Interactive Map provides the following information:

CLICK HERE to View the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway Corridor Status Map

These maps can be readily updated when the data changes. Please contact Joe Kiely (Vice President of Operations) with questions, concerns and recommendations – joe.kiely@portstoplains.com – (719)740-2240.

Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Additional 12 Miles of TRE (U.S. 85)

On October 25, 2024, the North Dakota Department of Transportation (NDDOT) celebrated the Ribbon Cutting for an additional 12 mile four-lane expansion of U.S. 85 from Watford City along with Shared Use Path alongside on the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway.
The project cost around $100 million, which was funded through federal, state, and county funds. It was a two-year construction project and is the largest construction project every completed by the NDDOT. This was a Partnership Project with McKenzie County.
Chad Orn, NDDOT deputy director for planning, State Sen. Brad Bekkedahl and other state and local officials were in attendance to participate in a ribbon cutting ceremony.

Comments from U.S. Senator John Hoeven, U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer, and North Dakota Senator Brad Bekkedahl (also serves on the Ports-to-Plains Alliance Board of Directors).

Cal Klewin, executive director of the Theodore Roosevelt Expressway, said it’s a big win for travelers.
“The safety values, the freight, and tourism values are going to be tremendous for us as we continue south down to I-94 and then south to the South Dakota border,” said Klewin.

“This is truly a great day for McKenzie County and our region,” said Howdy Lawlar, McKenzie County Board of County Commissioners chairman.

NDDOT created a 22-minute Facebook Video of the Comments and Ribbon Cutting. CLICK HERE to view the video.

National Transportation Research Nonprofit (TRIP) Rural Reports – September 2024

Founded in 1971, TRIP is a private, nonprofit organization that researches, evaluates, and distributes economic and technical data on surface transportation issues. By generating traditional and social media news coverage, TRIP informs and promotes policies that improve the movement of goods and people, make surface travel safer, and enhance economic development and productivity.
Rural Connections: Examining the Safety, Connectivity, Condition and Funding Needs of America’s Rural Roads & Bridges
This report looks at the condition, use and safety of the nation’s rural transportation system, particularly its roads, highways and bridges, and identifies needed improvements.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW/DOWNLOAD REPORT

RURAL AMERICA AT A GLANCE

Rural America is the primary source of the energy, food and fiber that drives the U.S. economy. Rural Americans tend to be more heavily reliant on their limited transportation network - primarily rural roads and highways - than their counterparts in urban areas.

The U.S. Census Bureau defines rural areas as regions outside of urban areas with a population of 2,500 or more.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau definition, 20 percent of the nation’s population live in rural areas – approximately 66.3 million people.
After declining by 0.6 percent from 2010 to 2020, America’s rural population experienced modest growth in 2021 and 2022, growing by one quarter of a percent over the two years.
Rural growth has benefited from amenity migration, which allows people to choose where to live based on quality-of-life-factors, and has been driven by retirement among baby boomers reaching its peak and an increase in remote work, which has provided workers with greater geographic freedom.
The nation’s rural areas account for 97 percent of America’s land area and are home to the vast majority of the nation’s two million farms.
America’s rural economy is far more reliant on goods production, which includes farming, ranching, forestry, fishing, manufacturing, mining and energy extraction, than is the nation’s urban economy.
Many of the transportation challenges facing rural America are similar to those in urbanized areas. However, rural residents tend to be more heavily reliant on their limited transportation network - primarily rural roads and highways - than their counterparts in urban areas. Household vehicle travel in rural communities average approximately 50 percent higher than in urban communities. Residents of rural areas often must travel longer distances to access education, employment, retail locations, social opportunities and health services.
Popular tourism activities in rural America include hiking, golfing, biking, hunting, fishing and water sports. Rural areas are also home to beaches, national and state parks, wineries, orchards and other natural amenities.

The following graphics show data regarding Traffic Fatalities.