Planning and growth models affect various aspects of our quality of life- including transportation, food prices, and affordability.
Fuel , Transporation and energy drive retail food prices. An expected increase of about 5% in retail food costs for 2008 breaks down like this:
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- 44% Fuel, Transporation & Energy
- 29% Raw Farm Products
- 19% Labor Costs
- 8% Other Expenses
–Amercian Farm Bureau Federation
In addition, Many Lexingtonians want to live in the urban interior because they don’t want to deal with traffic and their families are getting smaller. In fact, the “cost of owning and operating one car is estimated to be $10,000 a year-which roughly translates to a $100,000 mortgage.”
–“In Housing, Smaller is Big”, Planning, the American Planning Association, December 2006.
Lexington’s peak travelers experience 38 annual hours of delay in 2005, while they only experienced 18 hours in 1995.
– Transportation for America, 2009
Research shows that a compact mixed-use development can reduce automobile use by 5-15%.
– Duerksen, Chris. Saving the World through Zoning, Planning, The American Planning Association, January 2008.
Lextran has steadily been increasing its ridership since 2001. Bus ridership in Lexington has increased 11.5% in Lexington from 2007-2008.
–Transportation for America, 2009
In 2007, the League of American Bicyclists named Lexington a Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community.
– Guide to the Bluegrass, Commerce Lexington, 2008.
Moreover, our demographics are changing in Lexington. 72% of all new residents in Lexington are singles and childless couples under the age of 30.
– Zimmerman & Volk, 2004
And, on average, only 2.3 persons live in Fayette County households.
– U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey
In fact, by 2010, nearly 75% of households will not have children at home.
– Bluegrass Tomorrow, 2007
