The executive board of the Ohio Kentucky Indiana Regional Council of Governments passed an update to its long-term transportation plan June 13.
The 2050 Metropolitan Transportation Plan has , including pedestrian, bike, road and transit improvements.
OKI Deputy Executive Director Bob Koehler says the plan is a comprehensive blueprint projecting the region’s transportation needs until 2050.
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"People want to know where the roadways are going to be; where the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit routes)... In this case in our region is a new element that's under development," he says.
One big part of the plan? Getting ready for self-driving vehicles. OKI Manager of Transportation Programing Andy Reser says the technology will make up a significant portion of local traffic in the coming years.
"We're forecasting about 31 percent of future vehicles will be connected and autonomous," he says.
The plan also recommends creating about $472 million worth of new bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure; $626 million in public transit initiatives; more than $1 billion for infrastructure related to freight; and more than $6 billion in roadway projects.
Koehler says the plan is a federal requirement, in exchange for receiving Department of Transportation grants. The projects have an estimated cost of $8.5 billion.
