LOUISVILLE, Ky. (Nov. 6, 2013) — In the first tangible result related to Vision Louisville’s public input phase, Mayor Greg Fischer is asking for the community’s input – and imagination – for creating greater mobility and connectivity between places where people live, work, shop and enjoy leisure time.
“Through Vision Louisville, we heard many suggestions regarding high-performing transit from throughout the community,” Fischer said. “There is clearly a growing interest in enhancing the city’s overall connectivity and bolstering new and existing modes of transportation.”
Four public meetings have been scheduled for the week of November 11, where residents can provide input on a set of draft goals for improving the community’s connectivity.
The meetings are:
♦ Monday, November 11, 6:30 to 8 p.m. – Nia Center, 2900 W. Broadway
♦ Tuesday, November 12, 12:30 to 2 p.m. – Hardscuffle Gallery, 471 W. Main Street
♦ Tuesday, November 12, 5:30 to 7 p.m. – Valley High School, Auditorium, 10200 Dixie Hwy.
♦ Wednesday, November 13, 5:30 to 7 p.m. – Jeffersontown Community Center, 10617 Taylorsville Road
The meetings will be the first step in the creation of MoveLouisville – a long-range strategic multimodal transportation plan for the city. MoveLouisvillewill be adopted as part of KIPDA’s Metropolitan Transportation Plan, the regional metropolitan planning organization blueprint that is then made part of the state’s 6-Year Road Plan that covers the nine-county KIPDA region. The MoveLouisville planning process will take about 10 months.
“Whether you commute by car, live on your bike or rely on mass transit, we need to hear your input so this plan works for you,” Fischer said.
The city received a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s 2012 Transportation, Community and System Preservation Grant Program. The city partnered with the Transit Authority of River City (TARC) to help fund the local match for MoveLouisville.
Executive Director J. Barry Barker said TARC is already making significant upgrades including adding all-electric buses on downtown routes next year. The MoveLouisville effort, he said, “will result in an action plan for guiding transportation investments that provide social, economic and environmental benefits for generations to come.”
The new transportation plan will take into account information and planning efforts by residents and partner agencies – including the Vision Louisville community process; TARC’s long-range plan; KIPDA’s “Connecting Kentuckiana”; Louisville Metro Parks’ Louisville Loop project; and 21st Century Parks’ Parklands project.
The $750,000 MoveLouisville planning process will be led by San Francisco-based Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates, Inc., a nationally recognized firm that assists communities in creating balanced, multimodal transportation. The firm has developed and assisted in the implementation of transportation plans in a variety of urban areas – Pittsburgh; Atlanta; Omaha, Neb.; Davenport, Iowa; and Santa Monica, Calif., to name a few. The contract was competitively bid.
“The city of Louisville is already in a very innovative mindset as it looks for new and better ways to connect people and neighborhoods with one another,” said Nelson/Nygaard Principal Paul Moore, who will be leading the Louisville project. “We will work with local agencies to layer in their ongoing planning efforts.”
Moore also stressed the importance of community input. “We want to hear from residents about their concerns regarding current transportation issues, as well as their interests and wants moving forward so that this will truly be Louisville’s plan.”
For more information about MoveLouisville, go to www.louisvilleky.gov/MoveLouisville.
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