Our funding for safe roads and bridges has been depleted thanks to state leaders who decided to pull money from the transportation program, T-Works. T-Works, a program that gained support by all 105 county commissions, was set to give $4 billion in needed transportation preservation over a 10-year period. However, when state leaders started to pull money and “borrow” to help with “greater” needs, this fund quickly depleted. Our state budget is now a deep sinkhole that we may not be able to climb out of.
With more than $2 billion “borrowed” from road and bridge funding, which is approximately a million dollars a day, we no longer have the funds to maintain the current infrastructure and address the needs in the years to come.
Our already crumbling roads are in dire need, making Kansans vulnerable to wrecks, injuries and even deaths. Without adequate funding, these problems quickly multiply, jeopardizing our economy and safety.
The Associated General Contractors of America recently found that Kansas lost the highest percentage of construction jobs in January 2016 (-4.7%) and was one of six states in the U.S. to see a drop in construction employment over the past year.
We need roads and bridges to commute to work, school and home. We often take safe roads for granted; that is until they are no longer properly maintained. Driving on roads in need of repair cost Kansas motorists $646 million a year—that’s $319 per motorist.
Currently, SB 463 proposes to redirect sales tax transfers from the Kansas Department of Transportation to the state’s general fund. Our state literally cannot afford for hundreds of millions of dollars to be taken from road and bridge funding.
Kansas legislators return to the State Capitol on April 27. We need to contact them now so they don’t take a detour from their responsibility of keeping us safe. Tell your state legislator to get out of the rut and VOTE NO on SB 463. To easily email or call your legislator, visit savekansasroads.com and click “Take Action” for safe Kansas communities.

Chris Spray, KCA Board of Directors
Venture Corporation
Great Bend, KS

Curt Mauler, KCA Board Treasurer
L & M Contractors Inc.
Great Bend, KS