HUTCHINSON, Kan. — As part of the Hutchinson City Council meeting on Tuesday, the city will update its official Urban Area Boundaries Map.
According to agenda documents, beginning with the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1973 there has been a legislative requirement to maintain a functional classification system of roadways on the highway system.
Although there have been some changes since the 1973 Act, the requirement to functionally classify roads for eligibility for federal funding is still in effect. Urban and rural funding differences are based on urban definitions from the census. Those change every 10 years.
The Census has recently released updated definitions of urban areas based on the 2020 Census, and it is time to review and update the Urban Area Boundaries (UAB) map. The UAB must cover the entire incorporated area of cities over 5,000 population (or contiguous incorporated cities) but tends to be a larger area that covers urbanized or urbanizing areas adjacent to cities. The most significant single change to the Reno County map is the addition of a three-mile strip along K-96 that extends down to the public/private partnership site held by Growth Inc. The thought here is that services are likely to be needed in this area to facilitate growth and inclusion in the UAB may open a pathway to urban funds.
Once the UAB map is approved by the City of Hutchinson and the City of South Hutchinson, the Reno County Commission is asked to provide concurrence of the map. The approval documents are then submitted to KDOT.
Once the UAB is approved, the local communities will begin the process of reviewing and approving an updated Functional Classification Map for Reno County. Some types of federal funding for transportation projects are tied to a roadway classification on the approved Functional Classification Map. Some types of funding may only be used for urban areas, some only for rural areas. Some require that the road be classified at a certain level in hierarchy. The goal is to plan for 5 - 10 years into the future.
KDOT has asked that communities across the state submit the Functional Classification Map by the end of the year. That will require a second round of formal actions by the local communities.
The Hutchinson City Council meets Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.