After taking steps in recent years to shore up the state’s troubled pension system, Kansas lawmakers got good news about the fund’s long-term outlook Monday. Its unfunded liability — how much the pension fund will have to pay out over the next 40 years that isn’t covered by current assets and assumed earnings — fell by $154 million during calendar year 2017, while the overall size of the pension fund grew to $19.5 billion. And even though the remaining size of the unfunded liability, at $8.9 billion, may still appear daunting, the head of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System said [...]

The city of Lawrence now has a website for residents to report traffic safety concerns and to potentially get improvements made to roadways and increase traffic enforcement by police. Assistant City Manager Diane Stoddard announced the creation of the website at the City Commission’s most recent meeting. Stoddard said the website allows residents to provide information about any dangerous driving behavior in their neighborhoods. “So if there are any concerns about people speeding or other hazards that are in the neighborhood, this is a way to get that information to us,” Stoddard said. Read more: LJWorld.com

Transportation planners are asking residents what changes would help make the city more bicycle-friendly, including the possibility of additional bikeways, amenities and traffic enforcement such as lower speed limits. The Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization is conducting a survey about potential changes as part of its update to the Countywide Bikeway Plan, which aims to create a low-stress bicycle network throughout Lawrence and Douglas County, according to a city news release. Specifically, the survey asks residents whether they would support implementing 16 potential changes. Read more: LJWorld.