Logan Hart, with the Bluegrass Area Development District, briefed the Scott County Fiscal Court on a federally funded Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) project designed to produce a regional safety action plan.

The presentation said the project was awarded roughly $425,000 in federal funding, with a total project cost of about $530,000 and a required local match of roughly $106,000 that the state is covering through the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. "The purpose of it was to develop a regional safety action plan, for the entire Ad District," Hart said.

Hart described five project tasks: a regional crash analysis, identification of focus roadways and strategic safety projects, a Vision Zero resolution tailored for each county, a public engagement component and the final safety action plan. The Kentucky Transportation Center at the University of Kentucky will compile crash data from state sources and produce a list of roadways "they're gonna look at which roads contribute up to 90% of the crashes in each county," Hart said; local participation will let counties validate and refine that list.

Participation would require Scott County to sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) so the AD can work directly with county staff; Hart said the AD would reimburse the county $13,500 for staff time and related tasks if the MOA is signed. "So, $13,500 is, available for you all if you pass this MOA," he said.

Hart said local involvement matters because some minor crashes are never reported to state data systems and local knowledge can identify or dismiss problem locations. The AD will train two county-designated staff members to use iPads and a survey protocol to collect roadway observations and crash-related data.

Court members asked procedural questions about the reimbursement and scope. Hart said the $13,500 is paid as a lump amount based on a formula the state used when budgeting tasks and not tied to tracked hours: "It comes back to you in that full amount," he said. He confirmed the Vision Zero element is a county resolution committing the county to pursue zero fatalities but not legally binding the county to any specific construction project.

Judge-Executive Joe Patt Covington said the topic should return to the court for consideration and suggested designating one staff member from each relevant county agency to participate in data collection. Hart said the AD already has an MOA document and would share a draft resolution and the MOA with county staff for review.

The court agreed to discuss the MOA at a future session. The presentation materials and Hart's remarks showed the project funding comes entirely from federal and state sources and that signing the MOA is voluntary; however, local participation would give Scott County control to refine data and prioritize sites in the county-specific plan.