- Panelists said reliable transportation is essential for connecting workers to jobs and sustaining economic growth.
- Transit demand has shifted toward suburban job centers like CVG and major logistics corridors, creating new challenges.
- Leaders emphasized that solving transportation gaps will require coordinated efforts among employers, transit agencies and local governments.
Northern Kentucky University economics professor Janet Harrah believes reliable transportation is one of the central pillars for maintaining and growing the region’s workforce.
Transportation is often a prerequisite for employment, as workers need to reliably get from where they live to where jobs are at the right times. Regional infrastructure largely determines the public transportation options accessible to workers. In Northern Kentucky, a widespread public rail system does not exist. As a result, workers rely on either a personal vehicle, carpooling, or the Transportation Authority of Northern Kentucky bus system to commute to and from their jobs.
To inform the public about the state of NKY’s transportation network, the Northern Kentucky Forum hosted a panel on Tuesday, featuring speakers who discussed the transportation system and the real-world barriers workers face. The panel, moderated by Harrah, included Gina Douthat, executive director of TANK; Gina Stough, vice president of human resources for the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport; and Corey Eimer, director of NKY Works, a regional workforce development organization…