The Director’s Office includes:

• The Director, who is accountable for all procedures and quality assurance and assists the Customer Service Branch with the annual State Planning and Research (SPR) Planning Work Program and training development.
• The Assistant Director, who is responsible for the Strategic Highway Investment Formula for Tomorrow (SHIFT) program.
• An IT Support Systems Consultant

This branch tracks the administrative, budgetary, and financial dimensions of activities related to the annual SPR Work Program.

Primary branch responsibilities:

• Coordinates with all other Division of Planning branches to prepare the annual SPR Planning Work Program
• Prepares monthly expenditure reports for each chapter of the SPR Planning Work Program
• Identifies and coordinates training for KYTC Division of Planning personnel

This branch maintains official Department of Highways records for the following road systems:

• State Primary Road System (SPRS)
• Designated National Truck Network (NN)
• Coal Haul Highway System
• Forest Highway System

The branch works with the Highway District Office Planning Section, Central Office Data Management staffs, and other offices to track changes in road and highway systems and prepare official documents for approval. It compiles source data on coal transported by trucks in Kentucky to prepare the Coal Haul Highway System Annual Report and other information related to coal transport. The branch also creates, updates, and distributes digital and printed maps that analyze highway transportation data.

This branch coordinates three types of planning activities:

The branch consolidates studies and projects developed through planning activities into prioritized state and federal plans, projects, and programs.

Primary branch responsibilities:

• Manages a consultant in developing KYTC’s Long-Range Statewide Transportation Plan (LRSTP)
• Assists with developing the Recommended Six-Year Highway Plan (SYP)
• Provides oversight of and assists with MPO planning activities
• Coordinates and oversees ADD regional transportation planning
• Oversees and performs corridor planning studies, interchange justification/modification studies, project planning studies, Small Urban Area (SUA) Studies, and special planning studies
• Manages consultants as part of the following statewide contracts:
  • Planning Services
• Reviews district Data Needs Analysis (DNA) Studies

Branch responsibilities encompass many statewide planning activities, including:

• Planning for multimodal freight systems (truck, rail, water, air, and pipeline)
• Planning and coordination for multimodal facilities (e.g., ferry boats, railroads, public riverports)
• Planning for bicycle and pedestrian facilities
• Traffic forecasting
• Travel demand modeling
• Congestion and/or mobility analysis
• Air quality analysis

Primary branch responsibilities:

• Oversees development of KYTC’s freight plan
• Oversees development of KYTC’s rail plan
• Performs travel demand modeling/traffic forecasting
• Performs travel time reliability studies
• Develops and promotes bicycle and pedestrian planning procedures and policies
• Coordinates efforts of the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeways Commission
• Analyzes traffic trends and provides current and projected traffic volume estimates
• Performs regional air quality analysis to verify compliance with federal regulations
• Conducts air quality analysis for Congestion Management and Air Quality (CMAQ) projects
• Serves as the custodian for the Statewide Truck Parking Plan
• Manages Statewide Consultant Contracts:
  • Planning Traffic Modeling Services
  • Traffic Forecasting Services

The Traffic and Equipment Management Branch collects, processes, and stores traffic data. Work is split between two sections: an Equipment Section and a Data Section. The Equipment Section procures, distributes, operates, maintains, and repairs all equipment used at traffic data acquisition stations. The Data Section processes, maintains, and performs quality control of data collected from data acquisition stations throughout Kentucky.

Primary branch responsibilities:

• Traffic data collection, including:
  • Traffic volumes
  • Vehicle classifications
  • Vehicle weights
  • Vehicle speeds
  • Turning movements
• Maintains KYTC Traffic Database
• Maintains interactive traffic count maps
• Inspects, repairs, and maintains permanent traffic data and weigh-in-motion (WIM) stations
• Acquires traffic data acquisition equipment
• Manages the Statewide Traffic Counting Services consultant contract

The Data Management Branch oversees and maintains the Highway Information System (HIS) database, which serves as the Cabinet’s storage unit for geographic information system (GIS) road centerlines and information about roadway characteristics, transportation systems, and road analysis. The HIS contains information on traffic counts, roadway features and systems, and other KYTC data routinely updated to facilitate analysis by the Division of Planning.

Primary branch responsibilities:

• Maintains HIS database
• Maintains GIS route network for Kentucky’s public roadways
• Maintains databases for and coordinates changes to the National Highway System (NHS) and SPRS
• Continuously monitors the functional classification system and coordinates changes
• Manages the Highway Performance Monitoring System (HPMS)
• Maintains data for performance-based planning measures

KYTC Planning Guidance Manual