USDOT awards K-State Olathe $3.2 million to fund commercial motor vehicle safety in Kansas and the Midwest
Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024 | Written by Greg Tammen
OLATHE — Kansas State University's Olathe campus is receiving two grants totaling more than $3.2 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, or FMCSA, for safety initiatives involving commercial motor vehicles and buses.
Eric Fitzsimmons, P.E., recipient of the Hal and Mary Siegele Professorship in Engineering and associate professor of civil engineering, will work with Debbie Kirchhoff, executive director of strategic initiatives at K-State Olathe, to administer the funding for two initiatives. These initiatives support K-State Olathe’s Next-Gen Strategic Plan focusing on advanced manufacturing and the supply chain and expand the research capabilities and presence of K-State's Carl R. Ice College of Engineering into the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area.
“Kansas State University’s multi-modal transportation research portfolio has been nationally recognized over the last 50 years for excellence in applied research, technology transfer, workforce development and partnerships across the country,” Fitzsimmons said. “The ability to use our research programs’ strengths and faculty expertise in the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering combined with K-State Olathe’s strategic initiative will provide new avenues for research growth and program outreach.”
Funding comes from the FMCSA’s High Priority Grant and Commerical Driver’s License Program Implementation. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, signed into law in November 2021, provides a once-in-a-generation investment in the nation’s infrastructure and increased FMSCA research funding by $211.4 million over five years. In 2024, it provided $88 million in High Priority grants and $55 million in the Commercial Driver’s License Implementation Program.
“At FMCSA, we are serious about our mission of reducing crashes and fatalities on the nation’s roadways that involve large trucks and buses,” said Vinn White, FMCSA deputy administrator. “Together, these grants represent our commitment to investing in America and our dedication to supporting strong state and local partnerships that help ensure safe and qualified commercial motor vehicle drivers are on the roads.”
One grant, totaling more than $1.8 million, will establish and evaluate a commercial driver’s license docket with the Kansas Third Judicial Court in Shawnee County, Kansas. K-State will partner with eScience and Technology Solutions to work with law enforcement, court clerks, prosecutors, judges and Kansas Department of Revenue personnel on reducing the practice of commercial driver's license “masking.” Masking is a process that prevents a traffic violation from showing on a driving record. The practice of masking traffic violations or the unwarranted reduction of charges for commercial drivers in traffic and criminal courts is common. The docket and training will serve as a model to other Kansas counties and municipalities and other states to ensure proper adjudication and convictions are reported accurately and timely to the Kansas Department of Revenue.
“The third Judicial District recognizes the importance of adhering to Federal and State Commercial Driver’s License masking laws," said Kansas Third Judicial District Court Magistrate Judge Christopher Turner. “We look forward to working with FMCSA, eScience and Technology Solutions and Kansas State University on this significant initiative.”
A second grant, totaling more than $1.3 million, will fund the third Midwest Commercial Vehicle Safety Summit in Dec. 15-17, 2025, and provide resources to stand-up the Midwest Commercial Vehicle Safety Collective. These initiatives bring together federal and state agencies, law enforcement, industry suppliers, vehicle manufacturers, university researchers, trucking associations and insurance companies from FMCSA’s Midwest Service Center’s 10 states to identify key safety initiatives and technical presentations to reduce the number and severity of commercial motor vehicle crashes over a two-year funding period.