News Releases
Keep up on the latest KTA news by reading our press releases below.
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GEICO new sponsor for KTA Safety Assist
Sep 14, 2022
Sponsorship augments free Safety Assist services
WICHITA, Kan. – The Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) Safety Assist program is getting a new look as GEICO becomes the sponsor of the motorist assistance service. KTA Safety Assist, sponsored by GEICO, continues to be a key part of the Kansas Turnpike’s effort to safely and efficiently keep traffic moving.
“Customer service and safety are important to KTA and this program allows us to put those values into action,” said Steve Hewitt, KTA Chief Executive Officer. “Thousands of drivers benefit from the KTA Safety Assist program each year giving KHP troopers the time to focus on law enforcement activities. We’re grateful to have GEICO sponsor this valuable roadside assistance program.”
KTA Safety Assist, sponsored by GEICO, units patrol the two heaviest traveled areas of the Turnpike from Topeka to Kansas City and Wichita to the Oklahoma border. Keeping traffic moving is an important safety consideration in these busy areas of the Turnpike as blocked lanes delay other traffic and increase the risk of secondary accidents. In the United States, 20% of crashes result from a previous crash, and for every minute a primary incident remains a hazard, the likelihood of a secondary crash increases by 2.8%.
“GEICO is proud to build this new partnership with the KTA Safety Patrol – and do our part to help ensure Kansans get from point A to B as safely as possible,” said GEICO Regional Vice President Shane Wheeler. “GEICO has a long history of promoting driver safety and encourages drivers to do their part by putting their phones down and driving alert, not distracted.”
The KTA Safety Patrol typically operates during the busiest travel times such as morning and evening commute hours and on weekends. However, hours vary depending upon location, weekend, weather, safety and traffic-related needs. KTA Safety Assist vehicles are equipped with various tools and equipment to help assist in tire changes assist in tire changes and other minor mechanical issues. Technicians also assist during roadway incidents by directing traffic and helping clear the roadway of debris. All services offered are free to travelers – no matter their insurance. Motorists requiring assistance while on the Turnpike can call KTA’s Incident Management Center at *KTA (*582).
Stranded motorists are relieved when the Safety Assist arrives on scene, seemingly out of the blue. One motorist assisted by the service* wrote:
“I am from Colorado and was driving to Oklahoma and my Suburban's brakes locked up and cracked my front rotor. Your highway assist driver Ryan 7017 stopped to see if we were OK. I told him what happened. He said hang on and went back to his truck. Grabbed some tools and got my rotor off and put on the new one in about 20 minutes on the side of the highway. I am more than impressed with your service. I mean who does that? Amazing job!” *new rotor provided by motorist
The KTA Safety Assist program is not intended to replace or interfere with services provided by private businesses. Technicians will provide only immediate services needed to assist motorists in need in getting off the side of the road and to help maintain the flow of traffic.
More information about the KTA Safety Assist, sponsored by GEICO, can be found at SafetyPatrolinfo.com and the KTA website. Assisted motorists are encouraged to share about the help they received by posting to social media using #GEICOSafetyPatrol.
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New electric vehicle charging stations open on Kansas Turnpike
Sep 2, 2022
WICHITA, Kan.— Just in time for the holiday weekend, three Tesla Supercharging stations have opened at service areas along the Kansas Turnpike:
- Lawrence Service Area (Mile Marker 209, I-70/KTA)
- Topeka Service Area (Mile Marker 188, I-70/KTA)
- Towanda Service Area (Mile Marker 65, I-35/KTA)
Located adjacent to the service areas buildings, the new Tesla Superchargers stations will help Tesla drivers stay charged anywhere. There are at eight Superchargers available at the Topeka and Towanda service areas, and 12 available at the Lawrence service area.
“We began making electric vehicle charging available in 2019 based upon feedback received in our annual customer satisfaction survey,” said Steve Hewitt, KTA’s Chief Executive Officer. “We’re excited for these Superchargers to become a reality for our Tesla vehicle customers.”
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KTA seeks customer feedback
Aug 26, 2022
WICHITA, Kan.— The Kansas Turnpike Authority invites the public to provide feedback on their Turnpike travel experience by participating in its annual Customer Satisfaction Survey. Anyone who uses the Turnpike, whether daily or occasionally, is encouraged to share their thoughts to help KTA prioritize future projects and make internal improvements. Those who complete the survey will be entered to win one of six $50 Amazon gift cards.
Previous improvements and enhancements that came from customer feedback include electric vehicle charging stations, increased vertical bridge clearance and KTA’s transition to cashless tolling in 2024.
“We are proud to be a customer-driven organization,” said Steve Hewitt, KTA’s CEO. “Customer feedback helps drive our decisions for future projects. It’s why we highly encourage our travelers to fill out this survey each year.”
The survey is open until September 30 at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CSS22NEWS
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RFP announced for four Kansas Turnpike service areas
Aug 18, 2022
WICHITA, Kan. — The Kansas Turnpike Authority requests proposals from qualified quick service restaurant vendors for four of its service areas along the 236-mile roadway. These locations include:
- Towanda, Mile Marker 65 on I-35/KTA
- Matfield Green, Mile Marker 97 on I-35/KTA
- Emporia, Mile Marker 132 on I-335/KTA
- Topeka, Mile Marker 188 on I-70/KTA
Quick service restaurant providers can find the full Request for Proposal on the Business Opportunities page of the KTA web site.
KTA anticipates the selected vendor(s) to begin operation of their respective locations on April 15, 2023. Communication will be delivered during the transition period to travelers regarding the availability of these services. Convenience stores will continue to be operational 24 hours by their current third-party vendors.
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KTA encourages teen driver safety with video contest
Aug 8, 2022
Wichita, Kan. — The Kansas Turnpike Authority encourages teen driver safety with its seventh annual “Put the Brakes on Fatalities” video contest for Kansas students in grades 8-12.
This contest is held in conjunction with Put the Brakes on Fatalities Day, October 10, to help raise awareness about safe driving habits.
The entry deadline is Sunday, September 25 at 11:59 p.m. CST. There will be three winners. Entries must follow specific criteria:
- Video must promote fatality prevention using themes such as (but not limited to): distracted driving, seatbelts, speeding, texting while driving, etc.
- Video must be between six (0:06) and sixty (0:60) seconds in length
- Don’t break any laws while filming
- Entries must be made public for judging
Those interested in the contest can view details and enter at www.ksturnpike.com/contests.
“We have seen an increase in distracted driving and aggressive driving behaviors and incidents over the last year,” said John Lehnherr, KHP Troop G Captain. “This contest is a great way to bring awareness to the consequences of distracted driving, speeding and improper seatbelt use to teens during their formative driving years.”
In addition to KTA’s video contest, the Kansas Department of Transportation holds a poster art contest for Kansas kids ages five through 13. Learn more about the contest and other Kansas awareness campaign activities here: https://www.ksdot.org/events/PutTheBrakesOnFatalitiesDay/.
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Editor’s’ Note: view the 2021 winning videos here.
