The Freight Movement and Intermodal Access in Kentucky Study (SPR 98-189), undertaken by the Kentucky Transportation Center (KTC) on behalf of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC), has two main objectives. These objectives include the evaluation of access for trucks between intermodal or other truck generating sites and the National Highway System (NHS) and furthering the understanding of freight commodity flows throughout the state. This report summarizes the access evaluation for one cluster of facilities located in Warren County in the Barren River Area Development District (ADD) and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Highway District #3. The location of the site is shown in Figure I. Work on other specific sites as well as the freight commodity flow task are on-going and are documented elsewhere.
The sites to be evaluated in this project were selected from two existing databases (a truck facility survey from 1994 and the intermodal facility inventory) based on ADD and KYTC planner recommendations, geographic location, distance to the National Highway System, and the number of trucks accessing the site. Consideration was also made for the freight type handled and transportation modes used.
This particular site was visited several times for data collection on May 13 1998 and for video recordings on January 28, 1998. Traffic counts were taken at two intersection on June 1, 1998. Aerial photographs of the area can be seen in Figures 2 and 3. The following facilities are located in the area: Bowling Green Concrete, Trace Die Cast, Nyloncraft of Kentucky, American Freightways, Vanmeter Contracting, Woodwork ofMidAmerica, Roadway, Top Drawer Manufacturing, Pepsi, Rapid Parcel Service, and Building Systems and Acoustics Incorporated. Some of these facilities are located west of Plum Springs Loop on Graham Street (approximately 0.2 miles from US 31W and Plum Springs Loop) or Commerce Street (approximately 0.9 miles from US 31 W and Plum Springs Loop), and others are located directly on Plum Springs Loop. Phone surveys were completed on three of the area facilities that were considered to have the highest volume of truck traffic. These facilities indicated that approximately 100 trucks per day (200-one way trips) are accessing the area as a result of their daily operations. From observation during the various site visits, the total number of trucks utilizing the route (from all the facilities) is only slightly higher as many of the other facilities have only 1 – 2 trucks per day
