Public input wanted for Kentucky rail plan

FRANKFORT, Ky. (KT) - The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) says planners completing a statewide analysis of freight and passenger rail in Kentucky invite the public to provide feedback at meetings next week or online.

Whether you're a rail user, a business owner or simply interested in transportation, input on the 2024 Kentucky Statewide Rail Plan will help guide future rail service enhancements.

The KYTC will host three in-person public open houses next week the following locations and times:

--Monday, March 11, at Pontotoc Park Community Center, 100 W. State Line St. in Fulton, from 4-7 p.m., CT.

--Tuesday, March 12, Union Station, 1000 W. Broadway in Louisville, from 4-7 p.m., ET.

--Wednesday, March 13, at the Ashland Transportation Center, 99 15th St., in Ashland, from 4-7 p.m., ET.

The open house meetings will feature information about the Statewide Rail Plan and allow attendees to show how they use rail, how they want to use rail and how Kentucky should prioritize future rail needs. The public may drop in at any time during each meeting's three-hour schedule. Attendees will be offered an electronic survey to provide feedback about future rail use and access.

For those unable to attend the in-person meetings, an online survey will be available on the project website at kyrailplan.com.

"As a multimodal state, this plan has the potential to guide improvements to our passenger and freight rail system and enhance rail service that benefits everyone," said Jeremy Edgeworth, KYTC freight, rail and waterways coordinator. "We value the input of community members and look forward to hearing their perspectives."

Work on the plan began in the fall of 2023 as the KYTC team focused on understanding the current conditions of the passenger and freight rail network and conducted an infrastructure assessment. This level of analysis allowed local stakeholders and operators to understand the strengths and challenges the network is facing and to begin identifying future opportunities. During this phase, focus groups and key industry interviews were conducted to discuss and review initial findings.

The current and next phases will focus on gathering input from the public and on development of the rail plan document. The plan will include information from the initial phases as well as identified rail needs, opportunities, potential investments and improvements for both passenger and freight networks.