Abstract

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 1) the evaluation of access for trucks between intermodal or other truck generating sites and the National Highway System (NHS) and 2) furthering the understanding of freight commodity flows throughout the state. This report summarizes the access evaluation for one facility located in Franklin County in the Bluegrass Area Development District (ADD) and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) Highway District #5. The location of the site outside of Frankfort is shown in Figure 1. 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 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 NHS, 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 for data collection on September 20 and November 25, 1998 and video recording on January 15, 1998. The facility for study was the Topy Corporation located in Frankfort on Industrial Drive. Originally, Frankfort Plastics was to be added to Topy to create a cluster, but the survey for Frankfort Plastics indicated that it would cease operations in late September 1998. The last site visit confirmed that it had closed. The only other truck-traffic generator in the vicinity is Allied Signal, but the site visit revealed that it did not produce a large volume of trucks. In addition, Allied Signal has direct access onto US 421 and would not use the same route as the Topy Corporation. Thus, Allied Signal was not surveyed or included in this report. Early into the study process, phone surveys were conducted so that facility managers could indicate the routes and provide insight into potential access-limiting issues. The phone survey completed on the facility, which is located in Appendix A, found that approximately 70 trucks per day (140 one-way trips) are accessing the facility.

Report Date

1-1999

Report Number

KTC-99-9

Digital Object Identifier

http://dx.doi.org/10.13023/KTC.RR.1999.09

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