KIPDA's nine county service area - image from kipda.org

What is KIPDA?

KIPDA is a government organisation that marshals counties around these parts. Of particular interest is the Transportation Division, which does regional transportation planning for Louisville and four surrounding counties. KIPDA headquarters host regular meetings where citizens come to learn about their transportation system, and work with the government to build a regional plan. The transportation planning division of KIPDA is what's called an "MPO" - Metropolitan Planning Organisation.

Opportunity Knocks

KIPDA could achieve great things for the region - they're really the only meta-government between the county level and the state level, and this is the sweet spot for transportation planning. We all benefit from an active, engaged MPO. The value of the feedback KIPDA can garner is proportional to the diversity of the people collaborating, and so KIPDA needs to engage the population as broadly as possible. These public meetings are good, in other words. We need more. A lot more. They're listening, but it is hard.

So we were really excited to hear that KIPDA is moving their headquarters. Their current location is remote, to put it mildly. Riding transit out there is just about impossible. Recently cars have started to overflow their parking lot, and had to create their own mini-transit service from a mall parking lot. So they're searching for a new location.

It follows that by moving to a location that's more accessible to more people, you'll have a stronger agency. Furthermore, you want a diversity of people to be able to attend. But where should they go?

Ladies and Gentlemen - The Contendas:

Downtown Louisville

Bardstown @ 264

Plantside Drive near 64

As you probably know, Cincinnati has proposed a $200m streetcar line. As usual, the anti-tax crowd is bashing the idea, no surprises there. However, NAACP has also joined the fight against the streetcar. When you have the NAACP working against public transit, it is time to think deeply about what you're trying to do. Until today, I haven't been able to cut through the rhetoric and get to the tofu of the issue. However, Urbanophile rides to the rescue, with his new piece titled 'The Great Streetcar Debate'.

Hat tip: Overhead Wire

http://brokensidewalk.com/2009/07/23/developer-proposes-streetcar-line-f...

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood can hardly contain his enthusiasm at the prospect of all those applications. And in truth, it looks like the next transportation authorization will probably kick in about $10b/yr in HSR funding, so it is indeed good that the states are working so hard on this.

See also our previous article: High Speed Rail: The Battle of Chicago

In addition to the previous service mentioned to Ashland, Paintsville and Hazard from Lexington. Greyhound lines operated from Ashland to Pikeville via US 23 buses originated at Columbus Ohio stops in Kentucky included Cattletsburg, Louisa , Paintsville, Prestonsbrg, Allen and Pikeville.

In addition to Greyhound Pikeville was served  by Trailways with routes to Jenkins Kentucky and beyond with stops in Shelby, Indian Creek, Virgie, and Dorton, in Kentucky the route also went north to Williamson WV and Huntington and a another route operated to Millard Belcher and Mouth Card en route to Grundy , VA

In Ashland Trailways operated a route to Cincinnati which served Vanceburg, Maysville, Augusta and Covington

And Bristol - Jenkins Bus Lines offered service to Appalachian Virginia from  Harlan , Middlesboro and Jenkins and operated to Pineville from Harlan serving Blackmont and Wallins in Kentucky

Other services were operated from Albany , KY to Chattanooga by CC Bus Lines Inc.

Concludes Lack of Transit, Walking, and Biking Options to Blame

From the article:

... "I think that has more to do with Southerners' lack of physical activity rather than the food."

Bassett isn't just talking about neglected gym memberships and people who sit on the couch all day. Physical activity can be something as simple as walking to the bus stop. That's another problem, by the way: the South doesn't have many bus stops. Public transportation is paltry, and for most people the best way to get around is by car. "You don't really think of riding the train as exercise, but at least you have to walk a few blocks to get to the stop," says Bassett. States like Mississippi and Tennessee also have a surprising lack of sidewalks, discouraging even the most eager pedestrians. Many roads are narrower than those in the North — where streets have wider shoulders to accommodate winter snow — and people who want to bike or jog find themselves uncomfortably close to traffic.

Southeastern Greyhound in Western Kentucky operated service between Evansville and Nashville, Paducah to Memphis, Evansville to Paducah.  These routes were complemented by Trailways, Brooks Bus Lines at Paducah, Tennessee Trailblazers at Owensboro, Audubon Trails provided bus service from Owensboro to Indianapolis, and the Evansville and Owensboro provided service on the Indiana Side of the river between those cities. Hopkinsville was served by Greyhound Lines, Brooks Bus Lines and Tennessee Trailblazers.  Gulf Transport Company provided service to extreme western Kentucky.

Greyhound - Evansville to Nashville served Henderson, Madisonville, Hopkinsville, Fort Campbell in Kentucky Clarksville and Nashville in Tennessee with four buses a day. In addition Greyhound Lines operated local service between Hopkinsville, Fort Campbell and Nashville.

Greyhounds route from Evansville to Paducah served Henderson, Corydon, Camp Breckenridge, Morganfield,Sturgis, Marion, Salem, Burma and Smithland.

Greyhounds Paducah to Memphis route operated to Mayfield , Fulton in Kentucky to Union City and Dyersburg in Tennessee.

transit the only cost-effective choice to solve nation's transportation problems

Today's C-J story on this 2009 Urban Mobility Report deals with one problem out of many in our our transportation system: congestion delays. Congestion is costly, and the study can tell you all about that. But is congestion cost actually significant in the grand scheme of our household transportation budgets? You'll be surprised. How would you rank these three car driving expenses: gasoline, crash costs, and congestion costs? Read on...

Southeastern Greyhound Lines operated many routes in addition to the ones mentioned in part one from the Lexington, KY bus station located at Short and Sycamore in Downtown Lexington.

The primary north to south routes operated via I -75 and US 25 to Cincinnati and Knoxville stops included Richmond, Berea,Renfro Valley, Mt. Vernon, Livingston, London, Corbin, Barbourville,Pineville, Middlesboro,in Kentucky and Haragate, Tazewell, Maynardville, and also via Williamsburg and Jellico on certian runs, towards Cincinnati the bus stopped at Williamstown, Georgetown and Covington

Other Lexington routes included Lexington - Somerset - Chattanooga with stops in  Harrodsburg, Danville, Stanford, Somerset, Whitley City in Kentucky and Oneida, Wartburg, Hariman, Rockwood, Spring City and Dayton in Tennessee

Another route operated via Paris to Cincinnati and Maysville, Greyhound offered a commuter schedule between Mt Sterling and Lexington.