KIPDA will do county transportation study

SHEPHERDSVILLE - If you asked residents of Bullitt County to tell you one of their biggest concerns, it would probably involve roads.

Whether it concerned safety or whether it was about congestion, roads are a concern in a growing community.

To get a better handle on some of the traffic issues, Bullitt Fiscal Court approved a planned transportation study to be conducted by the Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency.

Andy Rush, a transportation planner for KIPDA, said similar studies had been done previously for other member counties, such as Oldham.

The goal would be to look at the entire transportation system, including all modes of transportation.

Rush said the study would provide long-term and short-term recommendations.

With the recommendations, projects could then be placed in KIPDA’s transportation improvement program.

A steering committee would be formed with local members and two public hearings would ultimately be held, according to Rush.

By March, Rush said he would like to have a public meeting to get input and suggestions from residents on transportation issues in the county.

And, by summer, he hoped to have the second public meeting to unveil some of the consultant’s ideas and then receive feedback.

Magistrate Eddie Bleemel expressed an interest in serving on the steering committee.

Bullitt County Judge/Executive Melanie Roberts said it was very important for the leaders to look to the future.

She inquired about mass transit as part of the study.

Rush said that would be a part of the plan and he was aware of the interest in additional services in Bullitt County.

County attorney Walter Sholar, who also agreed to serve on the committee, wondered about pedestrian and bike paths in transportation planning in Kentucky.

Rush said Metro Louisville has made the alternative routes a major priority but the state’s top goal is to move traffic.

Sholar said he remembered the days of riding a bike on Highway 61 and Highway 44 but there would be no way he would want his kids to do that today.

The $100,000 study would be covered by federal funds and through KIPDA. There should be no cost to the county.

It would be the second major transportation plan conducted in the past year.

The city of Shepherdsville commissioned QK4 to conduct a traffic study of Beech Grove Road and other roads south of the Salt River. No action has been taken by the city on the plans.