News

This morning, as you read this, I’m honored to be speaking to one of the most important organizations in Kentucky – the Kentucky County Judge/Executive Association. Every February, the group gets together to learn about new challenges, network, and discuss current issues. Unfortunately, there are so many issues that impact our 120 counties. From pensions to opioids to paying for jails – our county governments deal with it all – and usually dealing with an issue also means paying for it in some way. When it comes to transportation issues, our County Judge Executives and their fiscal court members are on the front line. They get called first if there is a pothole. They get called first if there is … Read More

Sunday is the Super Bowl. Like lots of people I know, I won’t be watching to cheer on a team. I’ll be watching for the commercials. The commercials provide something to talk about the next day – and there’s always a review of the most popular, memorable commercials. The commercial that I remember most is the 1984 Wendy’s commercial. You know the one – she kept asking “Where’s the Beef?!” And, during this especially interesting Legislative session, that sounds similar to what lots of people are saying to me lately – only instead of “Where’s the Beef?” I’m hearing “Where’s the Bill?!” Everyone wants to know how we’re going to address our infrastructure funding needs? Is there a bill? And … Read More

Christmas is a little more than a week a way, and I’m not ready at all. I’m taking the day off today to try to find the toys included in the letters to Santa, and hoping that there will still be something available that my little ones want. Like so many people, I will also be doing much of my shopping online this year – looking for something – anything – that UPS can deliver to my house before December 24. And, thanks to all the work our members have done – not just those that build and design our roads and bridges or the rail companies, airport authorities, riverport directors and transit operators who provide the transportation services – … Read More

My mama is full of little sayings. One of her favorites is “Time waits for no man and very few women.” This past year has certainly proven my mama’s cliché. Time has flown by this year. I still can’t believe I’m attending Christmas parties for 2017 and planning the 2018 Kentucky Transportation Conference – it just doesn’t seem possible that it should be time yet. But the fact remains it is! And, the one reality we all face is that time will pass whether we like it or not. That’s true for us personally – and it ‘s true when it comes to our issues. The longer we wait to address our transportation issues in this state, the more it … Read More

Transportation can be transformative. Take the Cumberland Gap Tunnel. More than 20 years ago, the tunnels, each carrying two-lanes of traffic, were bored through 4,100-feet of solid rock. This transportation route transformed a steep, mountainous path with 12 percent grades down to 6 percent grades. As a result, there is greater access among the tristate area of Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, which serves as a catalyst for economic development for the region. What used to be a dangerous trip is now a short commute, and the route is so well-used that it boasts one of the few non-interstate Cracker Barrels in the country. Superloads with multiple axles choose to use the tunnel instead of going across Jellico Mountain on I-75. … Read More

The holiday season kicked off last week with Thanksgiving. According to AAA, more than 51 million people traveled more than 50 miles from their homes using planes, trains, and driving on the roads. That’s an increase from previous years – and the highest level of travel in dozens of years, according to AAA’s report. That was a lot of people. To put it in perspective – that was like everyone in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Illinois, and Missouri traveling at the same time. Like I said – that was a lot of people. And the majority of those travelers drove. AAA estimated that 45 million people drove to their destination this past weekend. My family and I were … Read More

I’m having trouble wrapping my head around the fact that next week is Thanksgiving 2017. I’m not sure where this year has gone. But alas – this year is nearly over and hopefully next week we’ll all be gathered around full tables with the people we love the most celebrating all the people and things we’re grateful to have in our lives. As people who provide transportation – whether you design it, build it, provide it, or move the materials used to build it – this is our time to shine. This is the time of year when we make sure that people get to their families quickly and safely so they can enjoy one more holiday together no matter … Read More

Yesterday morning I had the privilege of moderating a panel during KACo’s 43rd Annual Conference and Exposition. This was a great panel – the presenters included Dave Adkisson from the Kentucky Chamber, Boone County Judge Executive Gary Moore, and KYTC Secretary Greg Thomas. The Secretary informed attendees about where we are as a state with our transportation network. He spoke of the billion dollar backlog in resurfacing, the more than 1,100 structurally deficient bridges in the state, the additional $30 million that is needed to create a multi-modal transportation fund, and the additional $500 million that is needed every year to maintain the roads and bridges we have and to build the new roads and bridges we need. Judge Moore … Read More

Last year KBT and several other organizations formed the Kentucky Infrastructure Coalition or KIC. The Coalition members are organizations and companies that depend on infrastructure and the goal is to advocate for sustainable funding for all modes of transportation to move Kentucky forward. Earlier this week I sent the KBT Board of Directors an update on the Kentucky Infrastructure Coalition’s activities. It only took a few minutes to write – but after I read it I was tired. We’ve been busy. From drafting editorials to creating newsletter content to creating videos, much has happened. We’ve also been out on the road. In the past 4 weeks, we’ve addressed 9 different civic groups. From Murray to Morehead, I’ve talked about how … Read More

When you find out you’re in a hole, the best thing to do is quit digging. The problem is, when you find out you’re in a hole – you’re in a hole – and there’s no easy way out. And that’s where we’ve found ourselves as a state. We’re facing some significant financial holes that have far-reaching and long-term impacts on everything we do. When it comes to funding our transportation infrastructure, we’re fully aware of our financial holes. Our state faces funding shortfalls that have left us with a billion dollar backlog in resurfacing, 70 closed bridges, $50 million in deferred maintenance at our General Aviation airports, hundreds of millions in needs at our public riverports, hundreds of rail … Read More