Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0312-5584

Date Available

8-20-2025

Year of Publication

2025

Document Type

Master's Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Civil Engineering (MSCE)

College

Engineering

Department/School/Program

Civil Engineering

Faculty

Dr. Nikiforos Stamatiadis

Abstract

Complete Streets is a vital strategy for developing an equitable transportation network that provides access to all users and transportation options to communities. A growing interest in this concept has been noted in the United States, with over 1,700 Complete Streets-related policies implemented nationwide. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has developed the “Complete Streets, Roads, and Highways Manual” and the “Complete Streets Policy” aiming to promote a safer and more inclusive transportation system statewide through Complete Streets implementation. A recent KYTC initiative was the development of a scorecard to systematically evaluate Complete Streets projects competing for funding. The scorecard is comprised of five benefits with specific metrics and associated weights for each benefit resulting in a score for each project. This study conducts a sensitivity analysis on the initially developed weights and proposes the most appropriate weighting scheme based on KYTC priorities. Unlike traditional transportation project evaluations, Complete Streets require different evaluation approaches as such projects account for a diverse array of users and not only automobiles. Mobility, accessibility, connectivity, equity, and safety are the five benefit categories considered. Initial weights are developed through a Delphi approach and a statistical analysis is employed to evaluate and compare the outcomes of eight alternative weighting schemes. Results show that the initial weight scheme, which prioritizes mobility and safety, yields rankings that are not significantly different from most alternative scenarios. However, for agencies aiming to emphasize equity along with mobility and safety, an alternative weighting scheme is proposed that leads to distinct prioritization outcomes. This study contributes to the growing need for robust tools that assist decision-makers in prioritizing projects that deliver the greatest benefits across diverse user groups with a focus on active transportation users. The findings are relevant to a range of practitioners, researchers, tool developers, and other stakeholders involved in urban planning, transportation, and policy development related to Complete Streets.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.13023/etd.2025.430

Funding Information

This study was supported by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet State Planning and Research (SPR) funding program (SPR 24-652) in 2023-2024.

The author was supported by the Fulbright program for the first academic year of her graduate studies, 2023-2024.

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