SHIFT: Prioritizing Kentucky's Transportation Dollars
The Strategic Highway Investment Formula for Tomorrow (SHIFT) is the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's data-driven, objective approach to compare capital improvement projects and prioritize limited transportation funds.
SHIFT helps reduce overprogramming and provides a clear road map for construction in the coming years. The formula applies to all transportation funding that isn't prioritized by other means, such as maintenance work, local government projects and dedicated federal projects. (Click here for list of project areas inside and outside of SHIFT.)
Five Key Attributes
SHIFT allows policy makers to see just how far down the priority list our limited dollars will go and which other projects could be funded if additional dollars were generated. This collaborative model uses measurable data to assess the need for and benefits of planned projects and compare them to each other. Projects are scored based on these five key attributes:
How SHIFT Works
The List – KYTC starts with a list of projects previously identified by state and local transportation leaders (Area Development Districts, Metropolitan Planning Organizations and KYTC Districts). These leaders may add or subtract projects at this stage.
Sponsorship – To move forward, projects must either be sponsored by local transportation leaders or be committed projects – those listed in the previous State Highway Plan with funding beyond the design phase. Each ADD, MPO and District are allocated a number of sponsorships based on population, lane miles and number of counties served. After consulting with local elected officials, transportation leaders choose which projects to sponsor.
Review and Scoring – Each project is reviewed and scored on a scale of 0 to 100 with a formula that uses objective measures for five key attributes – safety, congestion, asset management, economic growth and benefit/cost. Projects of statewide significance – interstates, parkways and other major connecting routes – are scored first. The remaining projects, known as regional projects, are scored using a similar formula.
Statewide Priorities – KYTC identifies the top scoring statewide projects and about one-third are selected for priority funding. The remaining statewide projects are considered during the next phase.
Local Boosting – Local transportation leaders take the lead role in prioritizing regional priorities, which include highways and local roads as well as the remaining statewide projects. Using local insights, ADDs, MPOs and KYTC Districts may "boost" the scores for their top priority projects, adding 15 points to their base scores on the 0-to-100 point scale. Projects boosted by both the District and ADD/MPO receive an additional 30 points – a "turbo boost."
Regional Priorities – Kentucky is divided into
four geographic regions – each containing three contiguous KYTC districts. Each region gets an equal allocation of funds. The top ranking projects in each region are the priorities considered in drafting the State Highway Plan.
Recommended State Highway Plan – KYTC combines the statewide and regional priorities to help develop the Governor's Recommended State Highway Plan, which is presented to the General Assembly.
Enacted State Highway Plan – During the legislative session, lawmakers fine-tune the plan based on additional information and funding availability. The result is the Enacted State Highway Plan, which includes two years of funded projects and spending priorities for the following four years.
SHIFT 2024
SHIFT 2024 is underway and will help lead to the 2024 Recommended Highway Plan. The 2024 process includes several refinements to scoring metrics and the prioritization process based on feedback and experience.
Supporting Resources
SHIFT 2022 Scores
SHIFT 2020 Scores
SHIFT 2018 Scores
SHIFT Regions
