TANK Pilot Service Program

 Project Information

Facility: Various facilities

Location: Hebron, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG), KY 536 (Mt Zion) and KY 338 (Richwood Road) employment centers in Boone County

Project Type: Transit

Priority Level: Tier 1

Project Description:

  • Provide operating funds for TANK pilot service that leverage private contributions and connect industrial parks and major employers with high volume TANK fixed routes and Park & Ride lots.
  • Step 1: TANK, in cooperation with Boone County and other partners, conduct a planning process that brings businesses to the table to share information on shift times, set a plan and market to employees.
  • Step 2: TANK pilots and test routes to see if a critical mass of employee riders (15-20 per hour of service) can be reached.
  • Step 3: When critical mass is reached, TANK would consider adding the route to the TANK fixed-route network and the Pilot Service Program could move on to other Boone business locations to repeat the process.

Cost Estimate: $250,000-$500,000/year

Benefits:

  • Builds upon an existing and proven TANK pilot program.
  • Provides a highly efficient and flexible transit service using appropriately-sized vehicles that operate where and when they are needed, thereby maximizing public and private transportation investments.
  • Reduces door-to-door travel times and cost for Boone County employees.
  • Enhances Quality of Life for Boone County employees.
  • Increases Boone County employers’ ability to attract and retain employees by widening the regional pool of potential workforce candidates through increased accessibility across the region’s public transit service areas.
  • Helps to reduce overall Boone County roadway congestion through increased transit usage.

Challenges:

  • Securing a steady funding stream for transit operating costs.
  • Working with private employers to market and incentivize use of the pilot service program to their employees to secure critical mass.

Existing Conditions

Congestion:

  • Existing and future data identifies areas throughout Boone County experiencing congestion-related concerns and travel time delay due to high use of Single Occupant Vehicle (SOV) travel.

Safety:

  • Existing and future data does not support this as a safety-related transportation improvement.

Land Use/Socio-Economic/Environmental:

  • Boone County already holds the title as the fastest growing county in the OKI region and Commonwealth of Kentucky. Boone County population growth is projected to increase to almost a quarter of a million people by 2040.
  • Boone County also leads the region and state in employment growth with an additional 20,000 or more new employees by 2040.
  • Hebron, CVG, KY 536 (Mt Zion Road) and KY 338 (Richwood Road) are the areas most impacted by this growth in employment. These areas are home to major companies that serve as significant traffic generators employing hundreds of people who reside across the entire OKI region.
  • Workforce availability and accessibility has been acknowledged at the local, county, regional and state level as a critical issue facing continued economic growth and vitality.

Multi-Modal:

  • TANK currently operates nine express routes in Boone County:
  • 1X – Houston Road/Mineola Pike Express
  • 2X – The Airporter
  • 22X – Richwood/Walton Express
  • 28X – Empire Drive/Industrial Road Express
  • 32X – Burlington Express
  • 35X – East-West Express
  • 39X – Petersburg Road/South Hebron Express
  • 40X – Worldwide Boulevard/North Hebron Express
  • 42X – Florence Hub Express
  • TANK currently operates one local route in Boone County (1 – Dixie Highway/Florence)
  • TANK currently operates six Park & Ride lots in Boone County with a total of 461 spaces.
  • Burlington Park & Ride (1751 Patrick Drive) with 52 spaces
  • Hebron Lutheran Church Park & Ride (3140 Limaburg Road) with 50 spaces
  • Houston Road Park & Ride (4486 Houston Road) with 124 spaces
  • Mt. Zion Park & Ride (377 Mt. Zion Road) with 75 spaces
  • North Bend Park & Ride (1883 North Bend Road) with 72 spaces
  • Walton First Baptist Church Park & Ride (47 South Main Street) with 88 spaces
  • TANK currently operates one Transit Hub in Boone County (Florence Transit Hub (831 Heights Boulevard) with 170 spaces.
  • Several public comments received during the development of the Boone County Transportation Plan voiced their appreciation for existing transit and support for expanding transit as a means of addressing Boone County traffic.