Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Improvement Program topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
MPO approves project awards in TIP amendment process; committee increases downtown trolley award by $60,000
Summary
The Transportation Policy Committee reviewed a multi-program set of project awards totaling about $23.3 million, directed staff on processing eligible projects as TIP modifications, heard public support for a downtown trolley, and approved a $60,000 increase to the trolley award to raise the match to 80%.
The Lexington area Transportation Policy Committee reviewed a package of project awards for the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) that staff said totals about $23,300,000 in awards and leaves roughly $2,000,000 unallocated.
Chris Avila presented the proposed awards and explained that staff rescored 25 applications after receiving new KYTC guidance removing equity and greenhouse-gas considerations from evaluation criteria. Avila told the committee that the rescoring did not change the recommended projects and described which projects could be handled administratively as TIP modifications and which required a formal amendment. He said three supplemental funding requests totalled $5,800,000 and that many bicycle-pedestrian projects and bus purchases could be processed as grouped projects and handled administratively; by contrast, Waller Avenue and New Circle Road, and separately Richmond Avenue (KY 169) in Nicholasville and Alexandria Drive, were significant roadway reconstructions that staff expected to require formal TIP amendments.
As part of the TIP discussion, staff held a public hearing and reported 11 written comments received during the January 31–February 18 public comment period. Staff summarized the comments as including: two letters supporting the full recommendations, one in support of Armstrong Mill, three opposed to the Waller Avenue project (raising concerns similar to those aired at the prior meeting), one opposed to a Lextran project (advocating support for existing fixed routes instead), two supportive of the downtown trolley, one general complaint about bike-lane expansion, and requests to prioritize North Limestone, Greentree and Chinaway roads, and completion of the Legacy Trail to Georgetown.
Several business and tourism representatives addressed the committee in favor of the downtown trolley purchase. Erin Arnold Davis, director of Destination Stewardship and Community Engagement for VisitLex, said the trolley would improve public safety by offering alternatives to impaired driving, reduce vehicle use and emissions, and ease parking pressure in busy entertainment districts. Kaylee Peyton, speaking for Barrel House Distillery, and Rebecca Bernworth, representing Distillery District businesses, also urged support; Jeff Wiseman described a trolley in Newport that reduced traffic by about 15 percent.
After discussion about available funds, committee member Brown moved to increase the downtown trolley award by $60,000 to a total award of $480,000; a second was recorded and the committee voted by voice/hand-raising with the motion carrying. On the record, staff confirmed they would identify which projects could be processed as TIP modifications and proceed administratively for those projects.
Procedural votes recorded during the meeting included approval of the TPC minutes from Jan. 29, 2025 (motion and second; motion carried by voice vote) and the motion to increase the downtown trolley award (mover: committee member Brown; second: not specified; outcome: motion carried). The transcript lists the agenda item as Resolution 2025-2 (amend the Lexington Area Transportation Improvement Program for fiscal years 2025–2028) but the meeting record in the transcript does not include an explicit roll-call vote on Resolution 2025-2 after the hearing; staff said they would proceed with processing eligible projects as TIP modifications and formal amendments where required.
