What do airports, bikeways, pedestrian paths, short-line railroads, and surface freight analysis have in common? If you think "not much," you're not alone. But in Kansas, there is a bill in the legislature that would push the state's small and effective Division of Aviation down into a new "Multi-Modal Transportation Division." "We don't understand how subjugating the state's independent Division of Aviation under a new multi-modal bureaucracy benefits the state's aviation users or promotes safety and efficiency in the state's airport system," AOPA told the chairman of the Kansas Senate Transportation Committee. The association suggested that lawmakers focus instead on creating reliable funding for airports. "Investing in runways, airport lighting, safety zones, and other tangible, real-world benefits better serves Kansas taxpayers than does shifting boxes on a state government organizational chart," AOPA said.
February 11, 2005