Connected Freight KC 2050

If a community needs food, medical supplies, construction materials and almost anything else, they will arrive via freight systems. It takes a talented workforce, coordinated logistics, strong communications, customer service management, multimodal transportation systems, thoughtful agricultural accommodations, and much more to move goods around the world and throughout the United States.

The Kansas City region, Lawrence-Douglas county and west central Missouri (known as the Pioneer Trails region) are hubs for freight in the Midwest, moving goods by truck, plane and rail daily. In fact, according to a recent LinkedIn article, “trucks transport 70% of all goods in the U.S., making them the backbone of American commerce…[and] contributing over $792 billion to the country’s GDP, its vitality serves as an economic indicator.” Connectivity from Lawrence to Sedalia (our freight impact area) is so high that goods can be transported to 90% of the nation’s populations in two days or less.

Connected Freight KC 2050 – A Plan in Action will consider regional, state and national contexts while positioning our communities to proactively address shifts in the industry. The Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), in partnership with Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization (LDCMPO) and Pioneer Trails Regional Planning Commission (PTRPC), is developing  the plan. The final future-focused planning document will:

  • Frame the region’s 2050 vision for freight and provide recommendations to guide its realization.
  • Identify and prioritize freight corridors, infrastructure investments, policy changes for land development and more within urbanized and rural contexts. 
  • Define roles and responsibilities for planning agencies in regional, state and national freight planning.
  • Support regional, state and federal freight goals and objectives.

The planning process began during the winter of 2024 and will continue through winter 2025.

How can you get involved?

Attend Goods Movement Committee (GMC) meetings. The group is a subcommittee of the MARC Total Transportation Policy Committee (TTPC) and meets the first Tuesday of every even-numbered month or on an as-needed basis as determined by the co-chairs. 

 

Goods Committee Movement

Process and schedule

  • Winter to spring 2024: Phase 1 – Today’s situation (existing conditions)
    • Stakeholder meetings
    • Opinion survey
    • GMC and TTPC meetings
       
  • Spring to summer 2024: Phase 2 – Proactive planning scenarios
    • Scenario workshop
    • Stakeholder meetings (as needed)
    • GMC and TTPC meetings
       
  • Summer to fall 2024: Phase 3 – Future freight trends 
    • Stakeholder meetings (as needed)
    • GMC and TTPC meetings
       
  • Fall 2024 to winter 2025: Phase 4 – Recommendations 
    • Stakeholder meetings (as needed)
    • Public meeting
    • Draft and final plans
    • GMC and TTPC meetings
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