KENTUCKY'S TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROGRAM FOR SMALL URBAN AREAS

THE DESIGN OF URBAN TRANSPORTATION PLANNING STUDIES IN KENTUCKY INVOLVED THE FOLLOWING PHASES: (1) EXISTING POPULATION, (2) POTENTIAL GROWTH, (3) EXISTING HIGHWAY PROBLEMS, AND (4) UNIQUE SITUATIONS. A FUNCTIONAL CLASSIFICATION OF THE HIGHWAY SYSTEM IS REQUIRED TO ESTABLISH THE BASIC HIGHWAY SYSTEM. AN INVENTORY IS NEEDED OF PARKING SUPPLY AND USAGE DURING PEAK PARKING PERIODS. TRAFFIC COUNTING IS AN IMPORTANT PHASE IN A SMALL URBAN TRANSPORTATION STUDY. AN EXTERNAL ORIGIN-DESTINATION SURVEY SHOULD BE CONDUCTED FOR EACH OF THE URBAN AREAS REGARDLESS OF SIZE. THE FOLLOWING STEPS ARE NECESSARY TO DETERMINE THE EXISTING AND FUTURE TRIP ENDS: (1) THE INTERNAL AREA IS DIVIDED INTO PLANNING ANALYSIS ZONES, (2) COUNT LOCATIONS ARE ESTABLISHED ALONG EACH FACILITY ON THE MAJOR STREET NETWORK, AND (3) TRIP GENERATION RATES FOR VEHICLE TRIPS ARE BORROWED FROM OTHER URBAN AREAS IN WHICH AN INTERNAL ORIGIN-AND-DESTINATION SURVEY HAS BEEN MADE. BY UTILIZING TRIP GENERATION RATES BORROWED FROM OTHER AREAS, AN OF THE PRESENT AND FUTURE TRIP ENDS CAN BE MADE FOR EACH PLANNING ANALYSIS ZONE. TRIP-END PRODUCTIONS ARE BASED ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF TRIPS PER DWELLING UNIT OR TRIPS PER PERSON. TRIP-END ATTRACTIONS ARE BASED ON TRIP RATES RELATED TO TOTAL EMPLOYMENT, COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY, AND OTHER PERTINENT INDICES. IT IS ALSO NECESSARY TO HAVE: (1) A POPULATION AND ECONOMIC FORECAST, (2) A LAND-USE PLAN SHOWING FUTURE AREAS INTENDED FOR RESIDENTIAL, COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, AND OTHER ACTIVITIES, AND (3) A RESULTING HIGHWAY PLAN COMPATIBLE WITH THE LAND-USE PLAN. THE FOLLOWING LAND-USE INFORMATION BY TRAFFIC ZONE IS OBTAINED: (1) DWELLING UNITS, (2) POPULATION, AND (3) EMPLOYMENT. IN DEVELOPING THE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, A BEST ESTIMATE FORECAST OF THE LAND-USE DATA BY TRAFFIC ZONES IS MADE. A CONTINUATION PROGRAM MUST BE DEVELOPED TO ASSURE THAT AS EVENTS, LAND USES, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FACTORS CHANGE, TRANSPORTATION PLANNING WILL BE UPDATED OR REVISED.