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Bike Walk Summit Kentucky 2024
More than 300 community leaders and advocates from across the state will gather at Transylvania University from August 15-16 for a Bike Walk Kentucky Summit. The conference will explore how to…
Quarterly Numbers
Our quarterly numbers are provided below. One shift that continues is increased activity in rezoning applications in the County over the City in areas such as single family and multi-family…
BikeWalkBG Updates / Events
BikeWalkBG has been busy with installing multiple bike racks, providing bike education sessions at local schools and events, coordinating monthly bike rides, and the establishment of the BWBG Walking Club.…
Roadway Reality
On a 5-year average, 16,641 people die each year on rural roads. More than 25% of these fatalities involve speeding according to data provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety…
What We’re Reading
Our staff comes across numerous articles each month that reflect current and trending planning practices, development patterns, and more. With each newsletter, we try to highlight a few that have…
Transportation Updates
City of Bowling Green The 2-lane portion of the Cave Mill Road corridor, from Dishman Lane to Scottsville Road, received design funds in the most recent KYTC Enacted Highway Plan…
City Awarded $11 Million for Reconnecting Communities Grant
The City of Bowling Green was one of 132 communities across the nation awarded funding through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot grant program. The funding is aimed at reconnecting communities that…
Transportation Updates
City of Bowling Green The 2-lane portion of the Cave Mill Road corridor, from Dishman Lane to Scottsville Road, received design funds in the most recent KYTC Enacted Highway Plan…
BikeWalkBG Upcoming Events
BikeWalkBG has been busy with many outreach and education efforts, including bike rodeos for local 4th graders in some City and County schools. We’re gearing up for National Bike Month,…
Quarterly Numbers
You can see our quarterly numbers below. One shift we’re seeing is activity in the County over the City; all zone changes – both single family and multi-family units –…
Planning and Zoning Updates
Growth and Planning As additional industrial announcements continue to be made and more people move to the area, Bowling Green and Warren County continues to try and best position itself…
What We’re Reading
There’s a lot of news and opinions circling around the internet, but we’ve picked a few articles we want to share with you. We’re always looking for ways to stay…
Planning Commission 2023 Recap
This wouldn’t be a newsletter post without us mentioning that we’re growing. Our 2023 recap numbers show just that – see the table below for our 2023 activity and the…
What We’re Reading
There’s a lot of news and opinions circling around the internet, but we’ve picked a few articles we want to share with you. We’re always looking for ways to stay…
Transportation Updates in Warren County
City of Bowling Green The 2-lane portion of the Cave Mill Road corridor, from Dishman Lane to Scottsville Road, received design funds in the most recent KYTC Enacted Highway Plan…
Traffic Gardens Help Educate our Youth
A couple of recent tragic events on our local streets remind us that traffic safety is a “two-way street”. Pedestrians and cyclists are our most vulnerable users of our streets,…
BikeWalkBG Winter Walking Club
BikeWalkBG has started a Winter Walking Club to encourage our community to get outside, regardless of the weather. Winter is a hard season for many, with fewer hours of daylight,…
Zoning Reform?
One of the growing planning and zoning trends across the country is zoning reform. The catalyst of the conversation is housing affordability and availability. The National Association of Realtors fall…
BikeWalkBG Upcoming Events
BikeWalkBG Events Community Bike Rides August 1 | Bike Rodeo/Repair Clinic, SoKY Marketplace, 636 Center St, Bowling Green, KY 42101, 4-5pm August 3 | 10 Mile Bike Ride, Community Farmers…
BikeWalkBG 2nd Annual Halloween Night Ride
Join BikeWalkBG for our 2nd Annual Halloween Night Ride on Monday, October 30th at 6:00pm. We’ll meet in the Mellow Mushroom parking lot (1035 Chestnut St) no later than 5:45pm…
Transportation Projects Fall 2023
City of Bowling Green The 2-lane portion of the Cave Mill Road corridor, from Dishman Lane to Grider Pond Road, received design funds in the most recent KYTC Enacted Highway…
What We’re Reading…
Our staff comes across numerous articles each month that reflect current and trending planning practices, development patterns, and more. With each newsletter, we try to highlight a few that have…
Planning Commission Quarterly Numbers
The table below lists our quarterly numbers by City and County: Quarterly Totals | July 1 – September 30, 2023 Quarterly Totals (July – September) Total City County Planning Commission…
It’s Not Just Us…
Ah change. Whether you love it or hate it, it is happening. More people, more cars, more homes and it never seems to slow down. That is because it isn’t.…
Hybrid Work Schedules & Their Effect on Transportation
To some, the pandemic may seem like a faint memory. Many have returned to their normal work and personal schedules. Social gatherings such as concerts, sporting events, and community activities…
Transportation Updates in Warren County
City of Bowling Green The Shive Lane Extension (Ken Bale Boulevard) project was completed and opened in May. This project included a new roundabout at the intersection with Middle Bridge…
31-W Bypass Project
If you are one of the 18,000+ drivers that utilizes the 31-W Bypass daily, it should be of no surprise that it is receiving a facelift. These changes are promoting…
Planning Commission Quarterly Numbers
The table below shows our quarterly activity from April 1 – June 30, 2023 : Quarterly Totals | April 1 – June 30th, 2023 Quarterly Totals (April – June) Total…
Smallhouse Road Study Final Document
The Smallhouse Road Study was initiated in November 2022 by the Bowling Green – Warren County Metropolitan Planning Organization (BG-WC MPO) to provide recommendations on how to transform the corridor…
Smallhouse Road Study Recap
The Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) kicked off a transportation study analyzing future improvement options on Smallhouse Road from US 231 (Campbell Lane) to KY 884 (Three Springs Road) last fall.…
Updated Small Cities Focal Point Plans
Staff at the Planning Commission have been hard at work updating several Focal Point Plans for Warren County’s incorporated small cities. These include updated revisions to the Woodburn, Smiths Grove,…
Transportation Projects in Warren County
City of Bowling Green Public Works The Shive Lane Extension project, which began in 2022, is nearing completion. This project will ultimately continue the widening from the recently completed roundabout…
Planning Commission Quarterly Numbers
The table below shows our quarterly activity from January 1 – March 31, 2023. Quarterly Numbers | January 1 – March 31, 2023 Quarterly Totals (Jan – Mar) Total City…
BikeWalkBG Seeking Summer Intern
BikeWalkBG is looking for a bicycle and pedestrian outreach and education intern for summer 2023! Do you love bicycling, walking, and serving the public? Do you want to help make…
BikeWalkBG Participates in Grant Planning for Jennings Creek Outdoor Classroom
Nearly two years ago, staff at the MPO/BikeWalkBG starting working alongside partners from various departments within the City of Bowling Green to dream up ideas for an outdoor classroom along…
Transportation Updates in Warren County
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet – District 3 Construction season has come to a close in the District 3 area. One of the biggest projects wrapped up just before the winter season…
Planning Commission Numbers | 2022 Year-End Review
The 4th quarter numbers for 2022 were lower than previous quarter’s for single family lots approved, but more than doubled the number of multi-family units approved. Review of building permits…
Smallhouse Road Study Underway
The Bowling Green-Warren County Metropolitan Planning Organization (BG-WC MPO) is conducting a study on Smallhouse Road from US 231 (Campbell Lane) to KY 884 (Three Springs Road). The study is…
What We’re Reading
We might not be reading out of textbooks, but our staff is always learning and trying to stay up-to-date on emerging planning matters. There are MANY articles and sources of…
Yes, We Need More Housing!
Housing affordability has been a hot topic this past year. Unfortunately, it will continue to be for the foreseeable future. A recent commentary found in the Northern Kentucky Tribune helps…
Planning Commission Quarterly Numbers
We’ll do a full roundup of numbers in our January newsletter, comparing development trends over the past ten years, but 2022 has nearly reached the 2021 totals for single-family lots…
2030 Comprehensive Plan Update – Upcoming Meetings and Content
The Planning Commission staff has been underway with an update to the 2030 Focus Comprehensive Plan, the community’s long-range planning document. The update process is slated to wrap up by…
Transportation Projects
City of Bowling Green The Shive Lane Extension project began early this summer. This project will continue the widening from the recently completed roundabout at Ken Bale Boulevard and the…
Planning Commission Quarterly Numbers
The second quarter (April, May, and June) consistently represents increased permit volumes. These months are typically the busiest time of year for construction and ranks first among the other three…
BikeWalkBG Community Bike Day
Join BikeWalkBG for our next Community Bike Day on Saturday, August 13th from 10 am to Noon at The Foundry (531 W. 11th Ave). Our Mobile Bike Program provides free…
Planning Commission Quarterly Numbers
The first quarter (January, February, and March) of many recent years tend to represent a slower period of development within the calendar year. Comparatively, it typically ranks last among the other…
What’s the Deal with the New Infrastructure Bill?
On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) (Public Law 117-58, also known as the “Bipartisan Infrastructure Law”) into law. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law…
Learn about all the BikeWalkBG Happenings
Tell us how you want our bicycle and pedestrian network to grow! We need your input! As we work on updating our Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan, we need to…
Transportation Projects in Warren County
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet – District 3 Now that winter is over, motorists can expect to see lots of orange cones and barrels as project construction begins to pick up. A…
Planning Commission 2021 Year-End Review – We’re Growing (even more)!
While much of the community’s focus was on storm relief efforts from the devastating tornado in December of 2021, Warren County growth remains strong. Market Demand for single family lots…
BikeWalkBG Momentum, Mechanic Training, and Planning for the Spring
Though we’re in the thick of our coldest months of the year, BikeWalkBG is starting to think about warmer days ahead and all the ways we can encourage Bowling Green…
Creation of Tornado Maps Assist Local Public Agencies, Disaster Relief Efforts
The tornado that devastated our community on December 11, 2021 damaged or destroyed some large swaths of our community, both old and new. The community did not hesitate to spring…
A First Look into Disaster Recovery Efforts, For Now
As cleanup of areas continue, the community now begins thinking about rebuilding. Part of that is repairing structures that are repairable, and part will be replacing structures that were destroyed.…
Local Transportation Updates
City of Bowling Green Phase II of the Downtown Improvements Project construction which began in July was completed in December. This project continued streetscape improvements on College and State Streets…
Time to Update the FOCUS 2030 Comprehensive Plan…
What is the FOCUS 2030 Comprehensive Plan? How is it used? What does it say? How do you provide input? The Comprehensive Plan is the community’s vision for how…
Transportation Projects in Warren County
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 3 Even though the construction season is entering its final months there are still numerous projects that the KYTC is working on in the Bowling Green/Warren…
Planning Commission Quarterly Numbers
The 3rd Quarter of most construction calendars marks the peak development period each year and this trend was no different in 2021. For the year 2021, the 3rd Quarter will…
What We’re Reading
Building Transportation Supply Chain Resilience after a Pandemic U.S. Rents Spiking As More Renters Enter the Market People are Walking More than Pre-Pandemic Cities Beef Up Bike Infrastructure after Boom…
Momentum Continues for Walking and Biking
The pandemic certainly changed a lot with the ways we live, work, and play. Our lives were seemingly halted; we experienced social isolation; our work environments were trial and error,…
Planning Commission Quarterly Numbers
The 2nd Quarter typically marks the start of the peak development season in most communities. In the year 2020, the quarter began with a slow start, but ended in an…
Transportation Updates & Upcoming Projects
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet – District 3 Road construction season for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 3 area is turning out to be one of the busiest seasons in recent memory…
Growing Focus on Bicycle & Pedestrian Facilities, Upcoming Events
If you’ve driven around Downtown over the past month, you’ve likely noticed some changes to the street striping. Several Downtown streets have recently been restriped as part of routine maintenance…
What We’re Reading
Air Taxis by 2024!?!? Bloomberg News | We’ve talked a bit about the future of transportation with autonomous cars and delivery drones, but now we’re thinking about air taxis! The…
Transportation Updates and Upcoming Projects
District 3 The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is gearing up for a busy construction season throughout the Bowling Green/Warren County area. While the orange cones and barrels may mean some…
Planning Commission 1st Quarter, By the Numbers
As the new year rolls on and we start the beginning stages of putting the pandemic behind us, some things in development change and some things stay the same. Despite…
Kentucky Moves to Restore Billboard Regulation with New Bill
After a US District Court ruling last spring, an estimated 100 unregulated billboard signs were erected across the state of Kentucky, particularly in the central and western Kentucky region. After…
Cycling Continuing to Grow In Popularity Deep Into the Pandemic, Community Responding
When the pandemic first began more than a year ago, everything was thrown into chaos and the only thing we knew is that we didn’t know how life would be…
Progress Made Through Public Input on I-65 Interchange, GO bg Transit Studies
Over the last few months, significant progress has been made on two studies the MPO is actively working on to identify a new I-65 interchange in the southern part of…
The Value of Downtown in a Tumultuous Year
Reviving Main Streets has long been a topic amongst planners, and most likely a topic amongst many throughout communities nationwide. We all have particular images of what we envision when…
Planning Commission’s 2020 Numbers
Despite the pandemic woes, Warren County growth remains strong. There was a dip in second quarter numbers, mostly in March, but April picked back up and activity continued to increase.…
MPO Looks at Three Possible New Interchange Locations on I-65
In a study led by consulting firm, Michael Baker International, the MPO and KYTC are analyzing the feasibility of a new interchange along the southern portion of Interstate-65 in Warren…
Best Worst Year Ever
How can you describe a year like 2020? The pandemic pandemonium has certainly been a year of extremes, constantly adapting to ever-changing regulations, recommendations, and executive orders. Every person and…
Transportation Updates & Upcoming Projects
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet – District 3 The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has spent the last several months in winter preparation and response mode. Up until this point in the season the…
BikeWalkBG Community Bike Rides Kickoff
BikeWalkBG has taken a break from many events throughout this season of dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic. We see the value in promoting exercise and encouraging people to get outside.…
Local Transportation Updates
City of Bowling Green The City of Bowling Green Public Works Department is continuing to improve local infrastructure, despite some budget restrictions due to COVID-19. Projects that are in the…
MPO Finalizes 2045 Long-Range Transportation Plan
The Bowling Green-Warren County Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) recently approved the final draft of the community’s long-range transportation plan, the Metropolitan Transportation Plan (MTP). The MTP guides the planning efforts…
Local Development Trends
In last month’s quarterly newsletter, the CCPC reported that there was a slight decline in construction permits at the beginning of the second quarter (April – June). However by the…
Living in the Virtual Meeting World: The pros, cons and a glimpse to the future?
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, government organizations, businesses, churches and educational institutions, among others, have been forced to come up with alternative mediums for meeting together. And it’s…
Transportation Project Updates
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KTYC) District 3 The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has improved two major areas with resurfacing on two highly traveled routes in Bowling Green. A section of US 231…
Study Recommends Road Diet on US 31W Bypass
The section of US 31W Bypass from the roundabout at University Drive to Lehman Avenue may see a road diet come to fruition in the next few years. A study…
A Look to the Future of our Transportation System – the 2045 MTP
Transportation is the means of moving people and goods from one location to another in order to carry out the daily needs and desires of life. People and goods transport…
Planning Commission by the Numbers: Quarterly Updates
For the last few years, the second quarter of the year typically marks the increase in construction projects in our community. This season begins the peak development time period that…
Where Does Planning & Zoning Fit Into Our Cities?
Recent events in the world have affected so many aspects of our lives and has left many of us wondering what our new normal will be as we move beyond…
Locals learn how to create an age-friendly city
What makes a city great for an 8-year-old, an 80-year-old, and anyone in between? Local government staff, review board members, and several citizens converged at the Historic RailPark & Train…
Planning Commission Year-End Review
2019 started out as busy as ever. There were a couple of short periods of slowdowns on the application side but we finished with a flurry of activity. Construction activity…
BikeWalkBG Gears Up for New Initiatives
BikeWalkBG, the advocacy and education branch of the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s (MPO’s) bicycle and pedestrian program, is teaming up with Western Kentucky University (WKU), Warren County, the City of Bowling…
Projects in Warren County
City of Bowling Green Public Works The second phase of Smallhouse Road, which includes widening to 3 lanes from Highland Way to Ridgecrest Way as well as an 8 foot…
BikeWalkBG
BikeWalkBG Launches Bike Bowling Green Map BikeWalkBG, the community’s bicycle and pedestrian program is working to advocate and educate the public on basic bicycle and pedestrian safety tips and recommended…
Changes in Transit
Topper Transit Implements Route Adjustments and New Technologies Western Kentucky University (WKU) Topper Transit runs transit service in and around WKU’s main and south campuses that is free and open…
Gearing Up for the 2020 Census
The spring of 2020 will kick off our nation’s next census. For the first time, people will be able to respond to the Census online and over the phone in…
Planning Commission Quarterly Numbers
Here’s a look at our 2019 second quarter numbers…Overall, zoning applications have slowed down, but construction is still higher than ever before. Figure 1 Planning Commission Quarterly Numbers Year-to-Date Totals…
Housing Study Determines Need for All Types of Housing
The City of Bowling Green recently partnered with Bowen National Research to conduct a housing needs assessment of Bowling Green and Warren County. The study analyzed a variety of local…
Can You Guess How Many Cemeteries are in Warren County?
The Planning Commission has staffed the Cemetery Board since the board’s creation in 2004. The board is tasked with facilitating cemetery grants from the state, when available, as well as…
Planning Commission Quarterly Numbers
The first few months of 2019 have been busy. Though our re-zonings are lower than previous year-to-date numbers, construction and code enforcement are steadily rising. With warmer weather comes an…
Why Biking and Walking is Good for Communities
In our world today, there seems to be a societal trend for walkable places, painted bike lanes, and community-driven development. In the planning world, we’re seeing global trends for communities…
Transportation Projects in Warren County
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 3 It’s been a historic year already just in the first few months of 2019 for transportation in the region. The official signing of the newly…
Our World is Changing
We appear to be in the midst of a fundamental change in the housing market relating to demand, preferences, amenities, and need. In addition to the housing market, the retail…
Planning Commission 2018 Growth Numbers
We’re continually reporting on growth in our community in a variety of ways. Bowling Green and Warren County have experienced a substantial increase in development – commercial and residential –…
Retail’s Role in Reshaping Cities
Here we are yet again – the post-holiday new year, new you energy. Our workplaces exploded with sweets, we gorged on sugar cookies and eggnog, our bank accounts grew thin,…
Bowling Green Road Projects
The City of Bowling Green Public Works Department is in full-swing with a number of projects varying from pavement improvements to roadway widenings. The second phase of the Smallhouse Road…
Local Transit Agencies Seek Service Improvements
WKU Topper Transit Topper Transit provides free transit service to Western Kentucky University students, faculty, and staff. During FY18, WKU faced a 30 million dollar budget reduction. Each department…
More Momentum for Biking and Walking in BG
BikeWalkBG, the new name and face for biking and walking advocacy, advising, and education in Bowling Green, wrapped up a fall marketing campaign, building momentum for a more active community.…
Forecasting Change for Baby Boomers and Millennials
Our western world is made up of approximately 23% Baby Boomers and 20% Millennials, where the population of Millennials are projected to surpass Boomers in 2019. Both generations are pushing…
Planning Commission Numbers…We’re Still Growing
As we’ve told you before, Warren County’s population has grown exponentially over the past decade, and in particular, we’ve seen a lot of new infrastructure in the past few years.…
Solving the Congestion Problem Doesn’t Always Start with Road Widening
There are many uncertainties for the future of transportation and with that comes a lot of unanswered questions. With a mere century of widespread public ownership of the automobile, our…
What’s BikeWalkBG? Glad you asked.
Join in as we launch BikeWalk BG, the new face and name supporting bicycling and walking activities in Bowling Green! BikeWalk BG assumes the roles of the previously established Greenways…
Road Projects in Warren County
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 3 The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) District 3 area has been bustling with many projects improving roads throughout Warren County and the rest of the district.…
News from The Hill: Topper Transit’s Biodiesel Buses and Bike Share Program Hit the Ground this Fall
Western Kentucky University’s Topper Transit is operating their transit fleet using 20% biodiesel. The biodiesel is a plant based oil that is a renewable energy source and allows Topper Transit…