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Infrastructure Enhancement
Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) – The Radcliff-Elizabethtown Metropolitan Planning Organization was established in 2003 as a result of meeting population thresholds set by the Federal Surface Transportation Assistance Act requiring Metropolitan Planning Organizations for urban areas exceeding 50,000 in population.
The MPO was created to ensure existing and future expenditures for transportation projects and programs in our region are based on comprehensive, cooperative, and continuing planning. The MPO is governed by a Policy Committee, of which I serve as Chairman. The MPO also has a Technical Advisory Committee comprised of transportation officials, community representatives, and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet who work to provide guidance and assistance to the Policy Committee.
In the Spring of 2005 the MPO completed its first Area Transportation Plan. The Radcliff-Elizabethtown MPO Area Transportation Plan is the primary tool for establishing transportation needs within our area through 2030. The plan provides recommendation for developing an improved transportation system, with an emphasis on highways, while also giving consideration to potential needs for other transportation modes in the future. The plan also identifies available financial constraints, based primarily on federal and state funding, and presents recommendation for future scheduling of proposed projects.
Among the many recommendations of the plan are thirty highway projects rank ordered to be addressed within the State’s Six Year Road Plan as funding becomes available. Some the projects topping the list and included in the current Six Year Road Plan are: the widening of Wilson Road from Ft. Knox to KY Hwy 31W, extension of Ring Road to the Western Kentucky Parkway, extension of KY Hwy 313 to U.S. Hwy 60, and adding a new interchange on I-65 in the Glendale area to open access to the Glendale Industrial site. Also on the books is the Radcliff to Elizabethtown Connector Road and the widening of KY Hwy 251 from Pear Orchard to Ring Road in Elizabethtown.
Public Transportation – The need and desire for public mass transportation continues to grow in our region. Currently the Transit Authority of Central Kentucky (TACK) is the state designated Human Service Transportation Delivery provider for transportation services to Medicaid recipients, the blind, vocational rehabilitation recipients, senior citizens under Title III, foster care participants, and the mentally challenged within Hardin County - to include Radcliff and Elizabethtown.The Transit Authority of Central Kentucky also provides demand response service for all other citizens living in the unincorporated areas of Hardin County. Because “on demand service” is funded through federal rural transportation funding, federal regulations prevent the funds to be used to provide “open to the public” demand service within the urban areas of Elizabethtown and Radcliff.
The projected growth for our community as a result of Base Realignment Process for Fort Knox will undoubtedly increase the desire for urban area public transportation services for non-government program reimbursed riders. Hardin County Government, along with the cities of Elizabethtown and Radcliff recognize this potential increase in demand and have taken the first steps toward identifying the action required to meet those needs.
During Fiscal Year 2004/2005 the Radcliff-Elizabethtown Metropolitan Planning Organization, commissioned Wilbur Smith and Associates to study the need for and feasibility of a public transportation system within Hardin County. Their final report was issued in September 2005.
The study outlined the needs for public mass transportation, estimated costs, summarized funding options, and recommended future implementation of transportation in three phases. The combined capital investment costs for all three phases is estimated at $459,000 with a combined annual operating cost of approximately $445,500.
Phase I of the recommendation involves fixed-route service along U.S. 31W between Elizabethtown and Radcliff. Phase II would provide east-west fixed route service within Elizabethtown and the Radcliff-Vine Grove area. Phase III would add service between Fort Knox and Radcliff.
Phase I of the implementation plan would require an estimated $189,000 in capital investments with an annual operation cost of $148,500. External funding through potential Federal and State Grants could reduce local governments’ cost to $37,800 for capital expenditures and $66,825 in first year operational costs for Phase I only. Dividing the $104,625 in initial Phase I costs equally among our three local governments (Hardin County, Radcliff, and Elizabethtown) would result in an initial $35,000 expenditure for each entity. In an effort to move this endeavor forward, I have included $35,000 in the Fiscal Year 2006/2007 Hardin County Budget.
Phases II and III combined would require an additional $54,000 in local funding for capital investments and an annual local contribution for operational expenses of approximately $133,650. Obviously the total operational expenses would be reoccurring and require annual funding from all three entities of local government. When completed, all three phases are projected to cost local governments approximately $200,475 or $66,825 each for annual operational costs. The total portion of the one time capital contributions from local governments for all three phases is estimated at $91,800 or $30,600 each.It is my belief public mass transportation’s time is upon us in Hardin County to meet the increasing demand for services, especially in light of the rapid increases projected due to BRAC. I foresee a system, very much like the one recommended in the Wilbur Smith and Associates study, may achieve fruition by the end of the BRAC 2010 timeline.
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