Letters of support are not required by KDOT for this program. However, if your agency requires them for internal purposes, that is acceptable. Please note that the contract for this funding opportunity will be between KDOT and your agency.

This is typically a two-year period from the execution date of the agreement.  For example, agreements currently being executed in 2025 have a December 31, 2027, Project Completion Date, so that is a little longer than a two-year period.  We have also amended agreements to extend the Project Completion Date for good reasons, depending on the project. We do want the funds to be expended.

Yes, awarded projects must report outcomes, lessons learned, and community impacts. This ensures successful pilots can inform future statewide practices.

Projects are expected to be implemented within the fiscal year of award.

KDOT will enter into an agreement with the entity and send a notice to proceed.

• Anticipated benefits (safety, efficiency, innovation)
• Readiness for deployment
• Strength of partnerships
• Cost effectiveness and sustainability

No, it does not require an upfront source.

No. Private providers must partner with a Kansas municipality, county, or agency to apply.

• KDOT provides partial funding.
• Applicants provide a local 25% match.
• Shared investment ensures accountability and community commitment.

Projects that:

• Improve roadway or transit safety
• Increase efficiency or mobility
• Demonstrate innovative approaches with long-term potential
• Provide measurable public benefit

Kansas cities, counties, transit agencies, and other public entities. Technology providers may participate only in partnership with a Kansas public agency.

A cost-share initiative by the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) that helps Kansas communities pilot and deploy emerging transportation technologies. The program blends KDOT’s long tradition of safety, efficiency, and fiscal responsibility with forward-looking innovation.

KDOT is required to update this Plan every four years by federal law. Beyond that, as an agricultural state, Kansas benefits from a strong freight and rail system. This Plan will inform decisions that support industry and the economy statewide.

Below are some examples of the kinds of projects that may be recommended in the Plan. (Note: these are just examples of solutions that could help KDOT achieve the goals above and may or may not be part of the final Plan.)

• Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) countermeasures like adaptive traffic signals and real-time traffic monitoring.
• Investment at high-risk highway-rail grade crossings to reduce at-grade crossing incidents.
• Truck parking security measures.
• Projects to remedy roadway and railway vertical/horizontal clearance restrictions.
• Targeted investment for vulnerable freight system assets in high hazard areas.
• Weigh-In-Motion (WIM) program to support oversize/overweight movement.
• Projects to connect freight generators to highways.
• Noise and air quality mitigation measures.
• AI-driven route optimization to reduce congestion.
• Coordination to align recruitment and retention of workforce.

Below are the goal categories and focus areas within each category. The Plan will focus on achieving these goals and developing implementation plans for projects that support them.

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Representatives from a wide range of organizations were invited, including:

• State and federal partner agencies, like the Federal Highway Administration, Kansas Department of Commerce and Department of Agriculture.
• Railroads.
• Metropolitan Planning Organizations.
• City governments.
• Cooperatives and associations, including KC SmartPort, Motor Carriers, Farm Bureau, and others.
• Industries, including developers distribution, shipping and logistics, agriculture, and manufacturing.
• Workforce and labor organizations.
• Academia.

We welcome input from all Kansans through the online comment mapping tool through Friday, May 1, 2026: Kansas Statewide Freight Rail Plan Feedback Application

Other comments and questions can be sent to the contacts listed at the bottom of this page.

Comments received through the comment mapping tool will inform the development of the Plan. They will help the project team understand the perspectives of the broader Kansas community. The project team will consider the areas of concern, ideas and suggestions, and other comments during analysis. Any personal information you provide will not be shared outside of the project team/KDOT.