Kentucky transportation officials are asking the public to weigh in on the state’s transportation needs to help set priorities for the next 25 years.
The survey will help the state update its Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan—a federally required document that lays out the state’s current conditions and goals for the coming decades.
The last plan was finalized in 2007, and officials are hoping to finish the next one by the end of next year.
In a statement, Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Secretary Jim Gray said the transportation system needs to reflect the needs and desires of the people who use it.
“My hope is that everyone will take this opportunity to tell us what’s most important to them as they travel across town and across our state, both now and in the future,” Gray said.
Gray said the cabinet is taking input on all forms of travel, including car, rail, bike and plane.
The long-range plan will set the stage for all of the state’s transportation policy and investment strategies between now and 2045.
The survey can be accessed at GetThereTogetherKY.org and is open until December 6.
Officials say they will have more opportunities for the public to weigh in and eventually review a draft of the long-range plan next year.
In 2019, Kentucky earned a C- grade in the semi-annual Infrastructure Report Card issued by the American Society of Civil Engineers, saying the state has $6 billion in unfunded construction projects.
Kentucky’s road construction fund has been strained in recent years because it isn’t bringing in as much revenue through the motor fuel tax, the largest source of money for the fund.
Officials say that’s largely due to lower gas prices and people using more fuel-efficient vehicles. Proposals to raise the state’s gas tax and other fees have failed in recent years at the state legislature.
