Smart Growth America brought the Complete Streets Leadership Academy to Kentucky in 2025. This program built partnerships between three participating cities and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) to design quick-build demonstration projects on state-owned roads. The cities of Bowling Green, Morehead, and Winchester worked with KYTC districts, community members, and regional staff to develop processes for conducting quick builds in Kentucky.

Quick-build demonstration projects are temporary installations that can be used to test safer road designs, grow partnerships, and build momentum for long-term change. With state-owned routes being the most deadly to people walking, coordinated efforts between local jurisdictions and states are key to improving safety, and quick builds are an important strategy to this effort. The Complete Streets Leadership Academy supports participants in developing processes to design, install, and evaluate quick builds, with the aim of KYTC and the local teams being able to continue these partnerships and replicate the process in the future.

This report covers the major themes identified in the process of developing the quick builds and ideas for how to apply lessons from the program to future quick builds on state routes, in Kentucky and beyond. The report also includes case studies with more details about the work of the participating cities: Bowling Green, Morehead, and Winchester. You can find a summary of the report here.

The projects are scheduled for installation in late summer 2025, so check back in to learn more about the quick-build project outcomes.