BEAM
Lexington, KY – Aging roads and bridges, broadband Internet access and public transit options across the Bluegrass need improvement to keep the region economically competitive, according to a regional infrastructure assessment recently released by the Bluegrass Economic Advancement Movement (BEAM). But the region also has strengths to leverage, according to the report, including access to low-cost water and energy and the presence of the UPS Worldport facility at Louisville International Airport.
The BEAM Regional Infrastructure Report was developed by a 51-member committee charged with the task of identifying critical gaps in the infrastructure network that supports manufacturing for the 22-county region including Louisville and Lexington.
Infrastructural elements in the report were divided into three basic manufacturing-focused categories: essential services, moving people and moving products. The report concluded that the region has sufficient capacity in its energy, water, wastewater and solid waste infrastructure to meet current and future manufacturing needs at relatively low costs, although federal regulation, aging infrastructure and rate increases may create challenges in the future. High-speed Internet connectivity also was identified as a growing necessity for advanced manufacturers.
The report identified the effective maintenance and expansion of the region’s roadway network as critical for the region’s economy and suggested the growth of public transit options including vanpools and possibly passenger rail to connect the BEAM region more efficiently. Gaps in domestic service at Blue Grass Airport and Louisville International Airport were also identified, including a lack of nonstop service to the West Coast.
The major water ports of the BEAM region along the Ohio River have adequate capacity for freight transport, the report concluded, and the region’s port facilities are poised to grow as demand increases in the future. The report called for infrastructure improvement to the region’s freight rail system, including new passing tracks and rail replacement, to meet the growing needs of new and existing manufacturing facilities.
“Our manufacturing economy operates regionally, so it makes sense to look at our infrastructure on a regional level,” Lexington Mayor Jim Gray said in a media release. “We’ve found there is solid infrastructure to move people and goods, and in some cases it is world class. But there are challenges, as well. We won’t flinch from taking those on to ensure our region’s competitiveness moving forward.”
The BEAM initiative began work on a joint business plan in 2011 to better position the dual-metropolitan region as an attractive hub for advanced manufacturing enterprises. BEAM has established six core strategies to accomplish this aim, which include solidifying a Lexington-Louisville partnership, building a system to support innovation, increasing demand for Kentucky exports, nurturing regional tech- and knowledge-based clusters, and enhancing the region’s human capital and placemaking efforts.
The entire report can be accessed online at http://www.lexingtonky.gov/Modules/ShowDocument.aspx?documentid=28104.