McKenzie travels to Frankfort to accept grant funding for Ky. 321 shared-use path

On Oct. 10, Johnson County Judge-Executive Mark McKenzie traveled to Frankfort to accept the award of a $4.7 million check on behalf of the Johnson County Fiscal Court and the City of Paintsville.

The funding, according to officials, will go toward the approximately $5.9 million development of a shared-use path to make travel for pedestrians, cyclists and those with mobility issues safer along the corridor of Ky. 321 that runs beside the Appletree and Mayo Plazas.

According to a statement from the Johnson County Community and Economic Development social media page, this 0.9-mile, 8-feet wide, paved, and lighted path will begin in the vicinity of 123 Cafe and traveling along Ky. 321 to Pizza Hut, connecting several schools, the hospital, residential areas, commercial and retail businesses and more — providing a safe route for pedestrians, cyclists and those with mobility challenges.

In August, the city council and fiscal court agreed to split the approximately $35,362 local match portion of the project after the $4.7 million in Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) funding and the approximately $1.178 million in state funds provided through House Bill 723 covered the rest of the project, amounting to a nearly $6 million dollar project costing local governments approximately $17,500 each.

On Oct. 10, during his Team Kentucky update, Gov. Beshear presented a check for the TAP funding portion of the project to McKenzie alongside several other projects.

“These grants, from the federally-funded Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP) will directly benefit Kentuckians by paying for a dozen new projects to improve or install sidewalks, shared use paths and trails,” Beshear said. “Three million dollars of the grant funding will increase the budget for 10 similar, ongoing city projects around the commonwealth; it will help those communities deal with inflation and rising costs to make sure they get the projects done.”= “These projects will make a big difference in the lives of Kentuckians,” Beshear said. “First, they make our families safer. Second, they provide better and more accessible options for walking, cycling or just enjoying our beautiful outdoors. They will offer new recreational opportunities that are available to every Kentuckian as we build our new Kentucky home. In Johnson County, the fiscal court will use $4.7 million for the Ky. 321 shared-use path.”

McKenzie expressed gratitude for the funding.

“We are really excited about this project,” McKenzie said. “On behalf of the Johnson County Fiscal Court, the City of Paintsville and our residents, I’m deeply grateful to receive this TAP (Transportation Alternatives Program) funding commitment for the Ky. 321 shared use path project. Our goal every day is to strive to improve the quality of life of our residents of Johnson County.”

McKenzie said the project is more than just a convenience and should have a dramatic impact on accessibility and safety in Paintsville.

“This project represents a tremendous step forward for us in our community’s infrastructure, connectivity and safety,” McKenzie said. “The corridor throughout Ky. 321 is one of our most congested and traveled in the community. With this funding we’ll be able to create a dedicated, safe path for pedestrians and cyclists, as the governor mentioned.

“We’ll also be able to provide this as an opportunity for those with mobility challenges to be able to navigate throughout our community,” he continued. “Residents will have a secure, well-lit route that connects them to key places of commerce and medical services … This shared use path is more than just a convenience, it’s a vitally important improvement to our safety and quality of life for our residents — for our children walking to and from school, for our families enjoying the outdoors and for those who commute to work on foot or by bike, this project will have a lasting impact for them, as well.”

The project, McKenzie said, is the result of a collaborative effort.

“We really thrive and strive in our community on cooperation and collaboration, because we know that’s how we make projects like this happen,” McKenzie said before listing those who he wanted to thank specifically. “I want to thank the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Secretary (Jim) Gray, Commissioner (Bobbi Jo) Lewis, KYTC District 12 in Pikeville and QK4, Inc. consultants for their careful planning and foresight, recognizing the congestion and safety issues along this corridor and identifying this path as a part of the solution. I want to thank the city and county governments in our community and our community partners. I want to thank Regina McClure, our community development coordinator, because this is how we make projects happen in our community, through collaboration and cooperation.”

McKenzie also praised the passage of House Bill 723 by the Kentucky General Assembly in this year’s session.

“While the $4.7 million in TAP funding is vital, this is almost a $6 million project, so how does a small community like ours come up with the funds for a project like this? Thanks to you and the state legislature and all those who advocated for it and supported it, the remaining local matching funds will be made available through House Bill 723,” McKenzie said. “The investment in this project will make Paintsville and Johnson County a safer, healthier and more connected place to live, work and learn, and we’re ready to move forward and we’re excited for the future. We’re grateful for this opportunity to make such a meaningful difference and experience in our community.”

According to a social media statement from the Johnson County Community and Economic Development page, TAP is a competitive federal grant program that can only be used for surface transportation projects that provide connectivity for non-drivers or pedestrian traffic.

According to an informational table provided by KYTC, of this round of TAP funding, Johnson County’s $4.7 million Ky. 321 shared use path project represents the largest single award given to any project throughout the commonwealth as part of this funding round’s total $18.61 million.

McKenzie said during the Oct. 14 meeting of the Johnson County Fiscal Court they could have not pursued the funding for that project.

“We could have just not pursued it at all, but that’s an almost-six-million-dollar project that would have gone elsewhere, but why not us?” McKenzie said. “For far too long, Eastern Kentucky has taken a backseat to losing projects in other parts of the state and I think we have to keep fighting as a community here, and as a region, to bring these dollars here. That money could have ended up in Lexington, Louisville, any of the other places in our state.

“Folks, we have said for so long that we want our share. We wanted to have our share of support for projects in this community; this is how you get your share,” he continued. “The backs of our people carried coal out of here for years to support the country and we’re trying, as we move, to reinvent ourselves because we know that the coal industry, unfortunately, is not our backbone any more. If we don’t go after it, somebody else will have those dollars.”

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