October 18, 2011

The Honorable Raymond H. LaHood, Secretary

United States Department of Transportation

1200 New Jersey Ave, SE

Washington, DC 20590

Attn: Joel Szabat, Deputy Secretary for Transportation Policy

Sent via email to: TIGERGrants@dot.gov

Re:	TIGER III Grant Application for
	The Research Gateway: the proposed Diamond Interchange at K-10 Highway and Bob Billings Parkway in Lawrence, Kansas.)

Dear Secretary LaHood:

This letter is to express my strongest support for the TIGER III Grant Application to fund The Research Gateway Project in Lawrence, Kansas.

This project consists of a diamond interchange at K-10 Highway and Bob Billings Parkway. As a community, Lawrence is focused on providing multi-modal transportation choices for our residents. This project would also include bike lanes and sidewalks including decorative lighting.

The areas west of K-10 are prime locations for new residential, commercial and industrial development. The proposed interchange has been identified by both city and county commissions as a critical infrastructure to promote future growth and development in Lawrence/Douglas County. Without this important transportation link, the economic potential of the area west of K-10 highway will remain unrealized.

This project will tremendously improve traffic flow and safety in this corridor by eliminating the existing at-grade intersection. With the completion of the South Lawrence Traffic Way / K-10 Highway (a $200 million dollar project funded as part of the T-WORKS, the 10 year comprehensive transportation program passed by Kansas Legislature in 2010) in 2016, it is anticipated that traffic on K-10 will increase at a higher than usual rate. The increased traffic on K-10 would further emphasize the need for the construction of the proposed interchange.

This is a joint venture among Kansas Department of Transportation, the City of Lawrence and Douglas County with broad based support from our local community. The Lawrence City Commission and the Douglas County Board of Commissioners have already approved $100,000.00 each for the construction of this project.  KDOT will contribute $13.2 million to pay for the construction of this project in addition to providing professional services for Engineering Design, Property Acquisition and Environmental Review. The combined City, County and KDOT contribution would make up for 75% of the construction cost, and we are asking for the remaining 25% of the construction cost or $4.6 million from the TIGER III grant.

This signature project in Lawrence, also known as the future gateway to the University of Kansas, is of vital importance to our community. This project would immensely benefit both our local and regional economy for the long term. In the short term, this project will create a good number of high paying construction jobs. The tremendous safety benefits in addition to improved livability for our citizens are among the highlights of this project.

On behalf of the City of Lawrence, Kansas we strongly support this project and ask for your thoughtful consideration for funding of this landmark transportation project in Northeast Kansas.

Sincerely,

Aron E. Cromwell

Mayor