Lawrence — Consultants for the Connected Freight KC 2050 plan briefed the Lawrence-Douglas County MPO on a regional freight-planning effort that covers three MPOs and 19 counties. The presentation described technical analyses, a summarized 60-page plan document and a proactive planning framework intended to help MPOs and local jurisdictions plan for freight through 2050.

Devon Moore Eddy, the project manager for the consulting team, said the team’s goal was to produce “an implementable plan that was ongoing and iterative,” and described two main deliverables: a set of detailed technical memorandums and a condensed planning document with actionable recommendations. The project, a partnership including the Mid-America Regional Council (MARC), Lawrence/Douglas County and the Pioneer Trails MPO, used multiple data sources and aimed to harmonize those data across agencies.

Consultants described an infrastructure assessment, land-use analysis to identify industrial clusters and freight activity zones, and a freight network map that combined the National Highway System, state-identified freight corridors, truck parking locations and other freight facilities. The team identified roughly 37 top freight-activity centers and noted common bottlenecks, including congestion along Interstate 70 and portions of the I-435 corridor. Consultants also produced maps showing truck percentage of traffic and modeled truck volumes to 2050.

Moore Eddy said the consultants prepared a local guide for municipalities, titled “What to expect when expecting freight,” that summarizes planning considerations for communities that receive freight facilities and jobs. She also described workforce and future-technology considerations — including automation and artificial intelligence — that the team touches on in the plan’s “future trends” technical memorandum, and recommended deeper study of automation’s workforce impacts.

Jessica (MPO staff) said the MPO received the plan as an informational item; staff will incorporate aspects of the plan by reference when updating the MPO’s Transportation 2050 document in the coming year. The presentation prompted questions from board members about use of artificial intelligence in logistics and the plan’s treatment of land-use and K-10 highway expansion.

Why this matters: The Connected Freight KC plan provides a regional data-driven baseline and a framework intended to help the MPO and local governments coordinate freight-related land-use, infrastructure and workforce planning as truck volumes and freight-dependent activity grow toward 2050.

Meeting context and next steps: The MPO received the plan today as an informational item; staff said they will incorporate the plan by reference in the Transportation 2050 update process that begins next year. No public comments were offered on the item during the meeting.