Hardin County has been studying public transportation for years — and the need has never been clearer. A 2024 study conducted by the Radcliff/Elizabethtown Metropolitan Planning Organization (REMPO) surveyed more than 1,400 residents and found that one in six don't own a personal vehicle. That's not a small number. Those are working people, seniors and students who depend on rides they can't always count on to get to jobs, medical appointments and school. The county now has a concrete, phased plan to build a real transit system — starting with vanpools and leading to fixed-route service along Dixie Highway and through Elizabethtown. That plan deserves a champion at the Fiscal Court level, and I intend to be one.

Transportation must work for everyone. I will:

• Advocate for full implementation of the county's three-phase transit plan — supporting the vanpool phase already in development and pushing to keep the timeline for fixed-route service on track.

• Champion federal funding through programs like the FTA Section 5311 rural transit grant, which is designed specifically to help counties like ours build transit systems without bearing the full cost alone.

• Support walkability improvements and bike paths, especially in and around rural villages and public facilities where short trips shouldn't require a car.

• Prioritize road safety and responsible corridor planning to improve access while preventing unplanned commercial sprawl that degrades both safety and community character.