MATT KOESTERS, Evening News
Matt.Koesters@newsandtribune.com
The Kentuckiana Regional Planning and Development Agency, or KIPDA, proposed significant changes to both short- and long-range infrastructure-improvement plans in anticipation of receiving about $3 million in federal funds from a federal stimulus package.
The $789 billion - expected to be signed into law by President Barack Obama on Presidents Day - calls for "shovel-ready" infrastructure-improvement projects that can commence within 120 days of the passage of the bill.
Projects receiving preliminary approval to receive economic stimulus funds will be fully funded by federal dollars. Normally, the federal government funds 80 percent, with the remainder covered by the state or local government. Funding sources depend on the project's initiator and the type of project.
KIPDA's approved-project list was conservative, but could be amended further when the actual amount of federal funds to be received is known, said Josh Suiter, KIPDA community outreach specialist.
KIPDA's FY 2007-2011 Transportation Improvement Plan, or TIP, could see anywhere from $2.6 million to $3.4 million added as a result of the stimulus package, Suiter explained.
"This thing's changing every time we turn around," he said.
Amendments to the TIP were proposed by KIPDA's transportation policy committee, comprised of representatives of Clark and Floyd counties in Indiana and Bullitt, Jefferson and Oldham counties in Kentucky.
"If there was even a slight hesitation as to whether or not [a project] would be shovel-ready, it probably did not make the list, because we want to make sure these projects can be done and we can use that money and not have to send it back," Suiter said.
Projects that have been granted KIPDA's preliminary approval include intersection improvements, bridge replacement projects, safety projects, railroad protection improvements and traffic signal upgrades.
The proposed plan also saw some more unusual additions, including the construction of a public plaza honoring Lewis and Clark in Clarksville, funding for Kentuckiana Air Education to educate the public about air-quality issues, the purchase of six new buses for Ticket to Ride and the purchase of an unspecified number of paratransit vehicles for TARC.
Project sponsors include INDOT, APCD, the River Ridge Development Authority, KIPDA, the city of Jeffersonville, the city of New Albany, Floyd County and TARC.
To increase public awareness, KIPDA is set to hold an open house from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday at the agency's office, located at 11520 Commonwealth Drive in Jeffersontown. A second open house will be held that same day at the Louisville Free Public Library Crescent Hill Branch, located at 2762 Frankfort Ave. in Louisville. Suiter and other KIPDA officials will accept public comments and provide additional information about projects.
KIPDA is a voluntary association of local governments which provides regional planning, program administration, review and technical services in the areas of public administration, social services and transportation, according to an agency release.