Tag Archives: transportation

An Early Warning That Saved Hardin County Millions

5 Jul

More than a year ago—before contracts were signed and before large checks were written—concerns were raised about committing Hardin County to a redundant mass transit system based on growth assumptions that had not yet been proven. That early warning turned out to matter more than many realized at the time. 

Fourteen months ago, I wrote a letter to the editor questioning a proposed expansion of public transit being discussed in and around Hardin County. The proposal was justified by one central assumption: that the BlueOval SK project would deliver rapid, large-scale growth on a short timeline. That assumption drove discussions about vanpool pilots, mass transit studies, buses, shelters, staffing, and long-term operating subsidies—all costs that would fall on Hardin County taxpayers. 
(Source: Letter to the Editor, October 2024) 

As that narrative gained traction, some advocates on the political left used the opportunity to push for a broader, countywide public transportation system, arguing that veterans, soldiers, the elderly, and the disabled were in dire need of expanded transit. Those groups absolutely deserve support—but the implication that they were unserved was misleading. 

Hardin County already has targeted transportation programs in place serving seniors, veterans, students, and residents with medical or financial limitations—programs designed specifically for those populations rather than the general public. 
(Sources: Lincoln Trail Area Development District public materials; local agency transit programs reported in The News-Enterprise) 

Using the needs of vulnerable populations to justify a universal, fare-free mass transit system blurred an important distinction: targeted assistance versus permanent countywide systems. The latter would have required long-term subsidies and ongoing tax support regardless of actual ridership. 

At the time, questioning this framing was not especially welcome. Growth was the prevailing narrative. BlueOval SK was treated as a certainty rather than a projection. Raising concerns about timing, scale, or fiscal exposure was often characterized as resistance to progress rather than prudent financial stewardship. 

Today, the facts are clearer. 

The BlueOval SK project, at least in its original form, collapsed early in its life cycle. Large-scale EV battery production never materialized. Thousands of projected jobs did not arrive. The joint venture dissolved. Ford pivoted. Layoffs followed. Production timelines were pushed years into the future, with only a fraction of the original capacity now planned. 
(Sources: WDRB News reporting; Wall Street Journal; public statements by Ford Motor Company, 2024–2025) 

That shift fundamentally altered the cost-benefit analysis used to justify major public investments—especially mass transit in a car-dependent county. 

Had Hardin County fully committed to the growth model being promoted in 2023 and early 2024, taxpayers could have been locked into: 

  • A new mass transit system duplicating existing services 
  • Long-term operating subsidies with uncertain ridership 
  • Staffing, maintenance, and capital replacement costs last for decades 
  • Debt service justified by population growth that never arrived 

Those obligations do not disappear when projections fall short. 

To the credit of local and regional leaders, many of these decisions were slowed, studied, or deferred rather than rushed. Transit proposals remained for pilots and studies—not permanent systems. Major spending commitments were not universally fast-tracked on unproven assumptions. 

That restraint spared Hardin County residents millions of dollars. 

This is not an argument against helping veterans, seniors, or the disabled. It is an argument for honest justification and proportional solutions. Targeted programs can be strengthened without using vulnerable populations as a blanket rationale for expensive systems the county does not need. 

Recognizing risk early was not obstruction—it was stewardship. 

Preventing waste rarely makes headlines. 
But for Hardin County, it may be one of the most important public finance outcomes of the past two years. 

— TW Shortt 
Focus on Finance 

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Is the lack of public transport in Hardin County a legitimate issue?

4 Jul

Many people received the recent online transportation survey published by The Lincoln Trail Area District; LTADD is ideally suited to conduct the research and, if appropriate, eventually propose a solution. But is public transit an issue? Do community members need transportation to join the workforce? Are there elderly people who lack transportation to medical appointments? Are there residents struggling to get to a grocery store due to transportation issues? Let’s look closer.  

Hardin County is a community of kind people. We would not stand for conditions where the elderly, handicapped individuals, and people who wanted to work could not do so. While there is no government solution for everything that ails us, many communities have found that implementing a public transit system works for them. Some implemented systems were at a net monetary loss.  

The study is designed to gather the facts. Most people I spoke to about this issue agree that a community of our size needs a public transit system. They usually quote an anecdotal story about someone they know who needs transportation and is detrimentally affected by the lack thereof. To get the facts, we do not have to look far.  

One of those facts is that we already have a public transit system in Hardin County called the Transit Authority of Central Kentucky (TACK). These folks offer three categories of service: Fort Knox, Medicaid Services, and Public Services. I see TACK’s brightly lettered vans all over the community, yet I still run into people who have never heard of them or the service.  If this was not enough, at the risk of getting on a soapbox, what about the two hundred churches in Hardin County with a 12-passenger van parked behind them six days a week? Could an interdenominational leader come to the table with a solution?  

In conclusion, our tendency to turn to the government to solve every challenge is coming to an end. Every aspect of American worker production is now taxed, so it is time to find different solutions.  

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