Transportation Components of the City of Bennet Comprehensive Plan and Downtown Economic Development Plan

Authors

Kyle McLaughlin, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Abigail Cochran

Second Advisor

Aemal Khatak

Date of this Version

11-2023

Citation

Professional project for dual degrees:

Master of Community and Regional Planning

Master of Science in Civil Engineering, Transportation Specialization

University of Nebraska, November 2023

Review Committee:

Co-Chair: Abigail Cochran, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, CRPL

Co-Chair: Aemal Khattak, Ph.D., Professor, Director Mid-America Transportation Center, CIVE

Zhenghong Tang, Ph.D., Professor, Program Director, CRPL

Jason Hawkins, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, CIVE

Mason Herrman, Marvin Planning Consultants

Comments

Copyright 2023, Kyle McLaughlin

Abstract

In partnership with the City of Bennet, the University of Nebraska, and Marvin Planning Consultants, this project assisted the creation of the City’s Comprehensive Plan and Downtown Economic Development Plan by creating a transportation focused report as a supplement to those plans. The project operates in six sections; Introduction and Overview, Evaluate the Present, Engage the Community, Recommendations, Strategies, and Policies, Implementation and Funding, and Monitoring and Evaluation. The project scope included existing conditions understanding, qualitative and quantitative transportation analysis, public engagement and stakeholder meetings, coordination with two plan creators, identifying transportation improvements, description of implementation steps, overview of available funding options, and an outline for city progress tracking.

The Research methodology involves a mixed method approach with the use of quantitative and qualitative data in the form of primary and secondary sources. Qualitative data is gathered through interactions with city staff, public engagement events, aerial review, and site visits understanding.

Quantitative data is gathered from publicly available sources such city, county, and state online data portals. Primary data sources include interviews, on-site evaluations, planning meetings, public engagement events and stakeholder meetings. Secondary data sources include GIS site mapping, and numerous other studies, polls, and journal articles that provide a mixture of qualitative and quantitative data.

The result of the project includes maps of proposed improvements and actions which address gaps in the current infrastructure in methods consistent with community identified goals.

Advisors: Abigail Cochran and Aemal Khatak