Transportation Task Force hearing in McCook

Individuals, community leaders, organizations and regional groups are urged to testify at a hearing by the Governor's Transportation Task Force next week in McCook.

The hearing is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Weeth Mini Theater in Tipton Hall on the McCook Community College campus.

"With 532 cities and villages, many urban and rural transit systems, 95,000 miles of roads, 3,650 miles of railway and 83 municipal airports, transportation is the engine that powers Nebraska's economy," Gov. Mike Johanns said. "Taken separately, these are individual systems that fit their respective needs. But taken collectively, they represent a strong, concerted plan for Nebraska's future," he said.

Johanns charge to the 35-member task force is to conduct an infrastructure needs assessment of highways, aviation, public transit, rail and railways. This will include a comprehensive review of Nebraska's current transportation funding structure and an analysis of the funding that would be required to meet the transportation infrastructure needs assessment.

The task force is chaired by former Lancaster County Commissioner Kathy Campbell of Lincoln and Jim Hawks, director of public works and utilities for the city of North Platte.

"In order to adequately assess the state's transportation needs, the task force is conducting public hearing across the state over the next three months.

Campbell hopes for a good turnout to provide the task force with a "good understanding of the significant community and regional transportation needs. We anticipate a picture emerging of the comprehensive transportation needs across the state."

"With the current funding situation, now is the time to make sure that we optimize all of our resources and establish a plan for our transportation infrastructure that will lead us into the future," Hawks said. "This is the focus of the task force: to assess the needs of our state and then to submit recommendations on how these needs might be addressed as our communities continue to grow," Hawks said.

At the conclusion of the public hearings, the task force will report its findings to the governor and the Legislature, in order to provide a blueprint for comprehensive integrated transportation infrastructure program.