SPR 27-705: Improve the Approach to Measuring Highway Criticality

The metric currently used to assess highway criticality was developed for large-scale, statewide assessment in applications like SHIFT and has been applied in pavement prioritization, rockfall studies, and other areas. Because it relies on trips between traffic analysis zones from the Kentucky Statewide Travel Demand Model, many roadways with lower functional classifications receive criticality scores of zero. This limits the measure’s usefulness for corridor-level analysis and other applications where such facilities play an important local or regional role. Developing a multi-scale criticality framework could meaningfully differentiate roadway importance at the statewide, regional, and corridor levels and help program areas (e.g., bridges, pavements) across KYTC make better use of criticality in project prioritization.