FAYETTE FORWARD – 2008 CTP

Purpose

Proper community planning requires foresight and commitment on the part of the community leaders. Adequate infrastructure must be conceived, designed and constructed ahead of the ultimate need. Although governing bodies often find themselves in a reactive mode when dealing with challenges, Fayette County strives to plan for and provide community facilities and infrastructure necessary to meet future demands.

Two examples demonstrating the County’s commitment planning are the County’s Water System and Land Use Plan. During recent drought periods, the Fayette County Water System was able to maintain a safe and sufficient supply of drinking water for its citizens and customers as a result of implementing plans that began decades earlier. With respect to land use and development, Fayette County has been successful in maintaining controlled growth at desired densities by following its Comprehensive Plan. This commitment has been maintained despite increasing pressure from developers for smaller lot sizes and faster development common in some of our neighboring Counties. These are tributes to the foresight and planning of past and current elected officials and staff. The planning and implementation of the County’s transportation system has been, and must continue to be, met with this same commitment.

An unfortunate truth regarding major community projects is that the primary factor for success often comes down to funding. Transportation projects are no different. Fayette County has a history of supporting projects through local funding activities, an indication of strong community support. Local funding however routinely falls short of the total funding necessary for major transportation improvements. Due to this reality, City and County governments must rely on, and compete for, funding from the State and Federal level.

In order to competitively compete for these resources, Fayette County must demonstrate that the community is well organized and committed to the improvement process. Commitment is shown through the ability to provide a share of the funding from the local level. Fayette County scores well here. Organization is shown by having a thought-out plan for transportation needs, priorities and projects. This is the role of the Comprehensive Transportation Plan. Combining the strong local funding abilities with a current, well conceived transportation plan will enable Fayette County, and the Cities within, to budget for and pursue outside and/or alternative funding sources. Having the Plan and securing the funding allows the County to anticipate future transportation needs and implement the projects necessary to stay ahead of demand.

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