KYOVA Interstate Planning Commission is the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the Tri-State area of West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. As the MPO, KYOVA serves as a transportation planning agency and forum for regional transportation decisions. With all major freight modes present, Greenup and Boyd counties serve as a gateway to this region of Kentucky. The region includes the main gateway to Eastern Kentucky, I-64, the Ohio River, and also hosts several inter-modal freight facilities and a regional commercial airport in neighboring West Virginia. Now more than ever, it is important for planners to be aware of the needs of freight as it affects transportation and contributes to the economic health and quality of life of regions across the Commonwealth. This study created a systemwide freight plan focused on identifying transportation issues and solutions in Eastern Kentucky.

The Greenup/Boyd County Freight Plan will develop a comprehensive understanding and profile of the counties’ existing mult-imodal freight network to ensure freight needs are considered as part of the region’s transportation planning and investment decision-making process. To accomplish this, our team was responsible for assisting in the development of the freight plan that is data driven, economic development site identification and analysis, stakeholder engagement, and public outreach.