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Minutes for HB2095 - Committee on Transportation
Short Title
Providing a special vehicle permit for certain vehicle combinations.
Minutes Content for Wed, Mar 15, 2017
Chairperson Petersen opened the hearing, to hear from those offering opponent and neutral testimony.
Jerry Wood, Teamsters Local Union 955, gave opponent testimony (Attachment 1). He said increased weight limits on trucks will lead to increased safety concerns on the road. The U.S. DOT has found that six-axle configurations have higher crash rates than five-axle trucks, take longer to stop, and have increased wear and tear on brakes due to the extra weight. Many of the farm trucks are moving grain from field to market, and possibly these trucks could be exempt from U.S. DOT regulations regarding drivers and hours of service, further increasing safety concerns.
Ty Dragoo, International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers, provided opponent testimony (Attachment 2). He said concerns are public safety and employment. Trains with 50 or more cars rose from 34% in 1958 to 68% in 2014. If grain and agriculture products are shipped by trucks rather than rail, there may be some abandoned short rail lines which extend to remote areas of the state. Some towns are alive because of the railroads. If this bill were to pass, there could be loss of rail jobs. Heavier trucks will cause additional wear and tear on the roads and bridges with trucks carrying the heavier loads.
Pat Hubbell, Kansas Railroads, gave opponent testimony (Attachment 3). He noted that railroads operate on infrastructure that they own, build, maintain, and pay for themselves. Railroads are regulated by the Surface Transportation Board and the Federal Railway Administration. He said a 2000 U.S. DOT study states that increased truck size and weights would lead to a drastic decline in rail traffic, and some short lines would probably be closed. (See map, Attachment 3, of short line railroads.) Dots on the map mark short lines that have been abandoned. Rail abandonment requires a public hearing to provide proof to the government. Railroads have an obligation through the commerce clause of the U.S. Constitution to provide transportation to all who want it. Diverting freight to trucks would mean less money for the railroads to reinvest in the railroad, he said. The testimony included information on railroad property tax. As the property tax base shrinks, and wear and tear on highways increases, the railroads' taxes go up.
Senator Hardy asked how many trucks are in the 80,000 pounds versus 85,500 category. Mr. Wood said a majority of freight trucks on a four-lane highway are 80,000 pounds. On the turnpike, double or triple truckloads can run 120,000 pounds. Bridges and roads are structured differently on the turnpike to handle the different weight on maybe 12 axles to spread the weight.
Senator Hardy asked Mr. Dragoo about the trucks versus the train traffic, whether he should assume that larger trucks would not haul to trains. Mr. Dragoo said mountains of grain are seen across the state because the price of the grain is low right now. To put the grain on a long haul truck, and add 2.5 extra tons, means the delivery will be to Oklahoma, Nebraska, and not to the short line in Kansas. He also cited problems for the railroads and the public if bridges and therefore roads were to be closed because of heavier trucks. Mr. Hubbell said bigger trucks on the turnpike pay the larger tolls to handle road repairs.
Senator Goddard asked if the stopping distance with extra brakes is better than on trucks meeting current requirements. Mr. Wood said it takes takes twice as long to stop double trailer trucks. When weight is added, it doesn't matter how many brakes are added - a heavier truck will not stop as fast as one with the current lower weight. Senator Goddard said he would like to see some statistical data from actual tests.
Senator Hawk asked about the short lines in other states, such as Nebraska and Colorado, and Minnesota. What was the affect on the short lines with larger weight limits on trucks? Mr. Dragoo said there was a decrease in short rails/employment in those states.
Mr. Hubbell said Kansas has the greatest railroad network in the country and it supports Kansas City, which is the second largest rail hub in the U.S. The intermodal facility is $300 million and that value is spread over the entire system. The revenue realized by Johnson County is through the buildings.
Written-only testimony was presented by:
Jim Hanni, Vice President, Public Affairs, AAA Kansas (Attachment 4)
Chad Henton, Kansas Farmer, Herington, Kansas (Attachment 5)
Mitch Mellick, President, Kansas State Troopers Association (Attachment 6)
Brandon Beck, President, Kansas EMS Association (Attachment 7)
Tony Hofmann, Director, Public Works, City of Overland Park (Attachment 8)
John Garretson, Business Manager, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (Attachment 9)
Joel Skelley, Kansas Department of Transportation, provided neutral testimony (Attachment 10). Increased weights on highways has been discussed for multiple years and KDOT has done its own analysis on impact. A weight increase from 85,500 pounds on a truck-trailer combination with five axles would increase road degradation. If an extra axle was required, as in the bill, the effects of the extra weight would be mitigated. He added KDOT's recommendation is based on its analysis, that is, any increase in weight over the current legal weight would need to be accompanied by an increase in the number of axles on the vehicle. KDOT stands neutral on this bill.
Melissa Wangemann, Kansas Association of Counties, gave neutral testimony (Attachment 11). She said her testimony is on behalf of that association and its affiliate, the Kansas County Highway Officials Association. The latter is composed of Kansas county engineers and road supervisors. Counties maintain 109,000 miles of roads or 82% of all roads in Kansas, and maintain 19,468 bridges, or 77%. She noted they do support the agriculture industry, but the impact of heavier trucks on roads and bridges is always a concern. When the new weight of 90,000 was added to the bill, the requirement for an additional axle was added, which was appreciated. As long as the amount of the material hauled over the roads is steady, and traffic is not increased, it is not anticipated there will be significant additional damage to the roads. KDOT is currently in the process of a statewide bridge inspection so timing is good, and this may take 8-10 years. The association is hopeful KDOT will have the funding for this project and additional costs will not be passed to the counties.
Larry Bauer, League of Kansas Municipalities (LKM), provided neutral testimony (Attachment 12). He added the comments by the Kansas Association of Counties are echoed by LKM.
Senator Goddard asked if some bridge inspection funding comes from the federal government. Mr. Skelley said yes. The bridge will be inspected and and a load rating assigned to determine if a bridge is legal, restricted, or posted.
Senator Hardy asked if KDOT has done a study to determine the actual cost per mile of a truck using the highway system. Mr. Skelley said he doesn't think there has been a cost study by type of vehicle.
Senator Hawk asked how many of the 19,000 bridges are posted, and whether the data are there to give a load rating for every bridge Mr. Skelly said the data are there. Each bridge is evaluated against the statutory maximum weight (currently 85,500 pounds). If the maximum weight were to be increased, additional inspections could be needed to determine whether the bridge can handle that higher weight.
The hearing on this bill was closed.
