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photo credit: Jamesmac96
Venue industry publication, Pollstar Magazine, released its 2017 Year-End Worldwide Ticket Sales rankings and AEG Facilities’ managed KFC Yum! Center is ranked 24th in the nation and 50th in the world for ticket sales by venue, having sold more than 386,000 tickets in 2017. The arena broke its records for total tickets sold and total number of concerts hosted in a calendar year, both set in 2014.
AEG Facilities, the KFC Yum! Center’s management group, owns, operates or is affiliated with 26 of the top 100 arenas worldwide, including the No. 1 ranked The O2 in London.
Multiple factors contributed to the success of the arena including the record breaking number of concerts, quality of artists who performed at the venue and fan support. Of the 29 total concerts hosted at the KFC Yum! Center in 2017, 14 sold out and three were ranked in the top 10 tours in the world, including Guns N Roses, Bruno Mars and Ed Sheeran. The Louisville community visited the venue in record numbers, but more than half of the venue’s ticket sales came from regions outside Louisville, including Lexington, Cincinnati, Evansville and Indianapolis.
The KFC Yum! Center is excited for a strong slate of amazing shows in 2018, including Kid Rock, Luke Bryan, P!nk, Maroon 5, among many others.
*Value includes concerts and family shows only; does not include sporting events, private meetings or trade shows
Photo: LiveNation
Singer/Songwriter Rod Stewart, the two-time Rock & Roll Hall of Fame-music icon, today announced plans for an extensive North American summer tour. Following the incredible success and rave reviews for their 2017 summer tour, Stewart has invited the legendary Cyndi Lauper to again join him as the tour’s special guest. Produced by Live Nation, the 22-date tour begins June 25 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, CA with performances scheduled at some of the most storied venues across North America including Madison Square Garden in New York on Aug. 7, Bridgestone Arena in Nashville on Aug. 1, Budweiser Stage in Toronto on Aug. 10, Shoreline Amphitheatre in San Francisco on Aug. 29 and more. The tour will come the KFC Yum! Center July 29, 2018. Tickets start at $42.75 each.
Pre-sales begin Tuesday, January 9 at 10:00 a.m. local time; tickets will go on sale to the general public starting Friday, January 12 at 10:00 a.m. local time via www.livenation.com. For complete details on presales, ticketing and tour information, please visit: https://fanclub.rodstewart.com/, LiveNation.com or CyndiLauper.com.
Citi® is the official presale credit card for select markets of the Rod Stewart with Special Guest Cyndi Lauper tour. As such, Citi® cardmembers will have access to purchase pre-sale tickets beginning January 9 at 10:00 a.m. local time until Thursday, January 11 at 10:00 p.m. local time through Citi’s Private Pass® Program. For complete pre-sale details visit www.citiprivatepass.com.
A major project to improve safety along one of the city’s most traveled highways began a new phase today, as Mayor Greg Fischer and U.S. Dept. of Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao announced the construction kickoff of the New Dixie Highway Project.
Upon completion in December 2019, the improved corridor will include safety improvements such as new medians, wider sidewalks and clearly marked crosswalks; efficiency improvements including responsive traffic signals linked by fiber optic cable; and the city’s first bus rapid transit system which will vastly improve bus travel times to and from downtown.
“The U.S. Department of Transportation’s $16.9 million TIGER grant is providing nearly half of the funding for the New Dixie Highway Project to greatly improve the Louisville area transportation network,” said Secretary Chao. “As a resident of Louisville, I have spent a lot of time driving Dixie Highway and am delighted to be part of this effort to improve the safety and efficiency of the city’s busiest traffic corridor.
The $35 million project will create a New Dixie Highway that’s safer for drivers and pedestrians, and will fuel transformation of a major economic corridor for southwest and west Louisville. The New Dixie Highway Project is the first major construction project under the Mayor’s MOVE Louisville initiative.
“We’re investing more money into improving Dixie Highway right now than any other corridor in the city,” said Mayor Greg Fischer. “This road is a crucial connector for people to get to schools, to work, to health care, and most importantly, to get back home. This project will not only make Dixie safer for drivers, but it will make it more attractive for business owners, consumers and investors.”
Dixie Highway carries nearly 60,000 vehicles per day near its busiest intersections, which is a higher traffic count than some interstate stretches. Dixie Highway also suffers a fatality rate three times higher than comparable Kentucky roadways.
The project includes funding from federal, state and local sources, including a $16.9 million federal TIGER grant, $5.28 federal funds through KIPDA, $12 million in state funds, and $600,000 from Louisville Metro.
“It takes collaboration and support between city, state and federal partners to move a project of this size forward,” said KYTC Secretary Greg Thomas. “The upcoming construction, coupled with roadway improvements in recent years, will completely transform Dixie Highway into a safer, better-connected corridor.”
Mayor Fischer, Sec. Chao, KYTC Sec. Thomas, Congressman John Yarmuth, Metro Council members and other leaders celebrated the New Dixie Highway construction kickoff at the Kroger Marketplace, a $23 million grocery and retail superstore, at 4915 Dixie Highway. The location is appropriate, Mayor Fischer said, because the project builds on the renaissance already under way on the corridor, with tens of millions of dollars in private investments in new restaurants, retail businesses, housing and other developments.
Safety improvements lead the way
This month, MAC Construction began preparations for construction, including temporary lane shifts and utility location. Safety improvements will include new concrete medians designed to limit left turns between Crums Lane and Greenwood Road. Dedicated turn lanes will reduce the risk for head-on collisions. Pedestrians will enjoy new, more accommodating sidewalks that are eight feet wide in many areas, and better markings for crosswalks.
The city’s busiest transit corridor will also get the region’s first “bus rapid transit” line, including distinctive TARC buses and high-visibility shelters to help move thousands of people daily and better define the 14-mile corridor. More than 100 trees will be planted along the route, as well as native grasses and plants within the new landscaped medians.
Mayor Fischer thanked state legislators, Metro Council members and the KYTC for their commitment to improving safety and mobility along Dixie Highway, noting that without their work to secure state and local matching funds, the city would not have been able to leverage the federal grant to jump-start the project.
Bus rapid transit will help move people to work, home
Fueled by a $16.9 million federal TIGER grant, the New Dixie Highway project will include a new bus rapid transit line along Dixie Highway from around the Gene Snyder Freeway to Broadway, and connect to the downtown business district. It will include specially designed vehicles and bus stations that will reduce travel times for riders and increase reliability along Louisville’s most used public-transit corridor.
“This strategic investment in a proven transportation solution will help transit users get to work, to stores and back home faster and more reliably than today,” Yarmuth said. “That’s important for working families, employers and our regional economy.”
With more than 30 distinctively branded bus shelters, new buses and sidewalk improvements, the New Dixie Highway project will also help transform the look and feel of the corridor.
Multiple improvements on Dixie are already underway or completed
Overall, more than $50 million has been invested in Dixie Highway in a series of projects over the past two years. The total investment of federal, state and local dollars includes:
- $14.5 million in pavement replacement and resurfacing underway along a five-mile segment from Stonegate Manor Drive to Greenwood Road
- $2.5 million in resurfacing work completed this summer – a two-mile section from Algonquin Parkway to Maple Street (31W) and a six-mile section from the Jefferson/Hardin county line to Stonegate Manor Drive
- $2.5 million project to clean and repaint the Dixie Highway overpass at the Watterson Expressway completed last year
- $800,000 project completed this fall to add a new sidewalk along the east side of Dixie, and straighten ramp and add a signal at the westbound I-264 Shively exit
Open house meetings planned for early 2018
Citizens will get a chance to learn more about the planned improvements at an open house meeting in early 2018. Citizens can also get more information through the project website (www.TheNewDixieHighway.com) and social media channels, including Facebook and Twitter.
Follow progress on the New Dixie Highway at TheNewDixieHighway.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter @NewDixieHighway.
Photo: Kentucky Derby Museum
The Kentucky Derby Museum received a grant from the Kentucky Colonels in the amount of $7,150 to help purchase a new golf cart for the Museum. After the success of both the Around the Golf Cart and Race Day Golf Cart tours, adding a second golf cart to the Museum’s fleet will help keep up with demand for the specialty tours, especially as Derby season fast approaches.
The Kentucky Colonels is an organization of talented and capable men and women appointed by the Governor because of their citizenship and service. Their primary objective is to support Kentucky organizations who stand ready to help our citizens everywhere. The Kentucky Colonels, through their Good Works Program, distributed $1.5 million to support 171 worthy causes this year, which will impact over 3 million people across the state.
“A Kentucky Colonel is more than just a certificate, it’s a group of compassionate individuals that care about the citizens of Kentucky and who want to make a difference. We harness our members’ generous donations and award grants to not-for-profits to help those most in need throughout the Commonwealth,” Barbara Dutschke, Commanding General of the Board of Trustees of the Kentucky Colonels said.
The golf cart will be ready for tours this spring. If you are interested in reserving your spring or Derby season tour, visit DerbyMuseum.org.
Tickets are now on sale for the 50th annual Championship Tractor Pull sponsored by Syngenta. The scream of monster engines, the smell of burning rubber and the ground-pounding vibrations of the country’s largest, loudest and most powerful pulling machines returns to Freedom Hall. More than 70,000 fans will watch as the nation’s top drivers compete for the title of Grand Champion and a share of over $200,000 in prize money.
The four day event starts February 14 and continues until the February 17. Tickets range in price from $20 to $45. All events start at 7:00 PM, except for Saturday where there are two events (the first is at 12:00 PM and the second is at 7:00 PM). Parking will be $8 per vehicle.
Tickets are available at the Kentucky Exposition Center Ticket Office, by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or online at Ticketmaster.
A Glorious Christmas Tour featuring For King & Country and Casting Crowns is coming to Louisville with special guest Rebecca St. James. Celebrate the holiday season with Christmas classics, carols and original songs.
The show is scheduled for Saturday, December 16 at 7:00 PM in Freedom Hall at the Kentucky Exposition center.
Tickets range from $16 to $79 per seat and parking will be $8 per vehicle. Tickets can be purchased at the Kentucky Exposition Center Ticket Office, over the phone by calling 1-800-745-3000 or online at Ticketmaster.
Thoughts of snow and ice may be far from the minds of Kentuckians with warm temperatures hovering over the state, but the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is sounding the battle cry “Winter is Coming” to alert motorists to prepare for the impending wintery conditions. The KYTC stands ready to tackle the elements with sharpened plow blades, stocked salt supplies and trained maintenance crews.
“Snow and ice season is upon us,” said KYTC Secretary Greg Thomas. “Transportation crews are prepared to serve the public over the next few months by responding to winter weather events that may affect travel. We encourage Kentucky motorists to be equally prepared.”
With a strategy reminiscent of combat, nearly 2,000 professional “snowfighters” and support staff have been briefed and trained on best practices for snow and ice removal in an effort to keep motorists moving on Kentucky roadways. A statewide brigade of trucks and plows stands ready, and a strike force of eight plows is positioned for district deployment from the state capital during major winter weather events.
“Our mission for snow and ice removal is to keep traffic moving safely with an emphasis on maintaining mobility along critical corridors and priority routes,” said Patty Dunaway, state highway engineer. “Our teams will strive to provide a uniform response statewide to achieve safe driving conditions on roadways while considering environmental and economic factors to steward taxpayer money responsibly.”
During routine snow and ice occurrences, KYTC will operate using snow and ice priority route maps. In 2016, the Cabinet updated snow and ice removal policies for operational efficiency and cost effectiveness. While many aspects of the policy remain the same, treatment turnaround time adjustments were made to allow crews to focus on removing snow and ice from interstates and other priority routes. These adjustments improve statewide mobility, help alleviate potential safety challenges and curb increased costs caused by weather conditions that lead to inoperable equipment or ineffective treatment.
Launched last winter, the Cabinet’s snow and ice information website, snowky.ky.gov, provides details about priority routes, helpful winter weather tips, fact sheets and videos on salt application and snow removal.
For severe winter storm events, the Cabinet has established a snow emergency plan similar to state emergency plans for other major weather events (e.g., floods, hurricanes and earthquakes). The snow emergency plan will allow available resources within each county to be diverted as needed to ensure optimal mobility for the highest priority routes that lead to critical locations, such as medical facilities. Emergency priority route maps for severe snow and ice events are accessible at goky.ky.gov.
Featured this season
Goky.ky.gov communicates additional information to Kentucky travelers, detailing KYTC’s snow and ice removal response, including treatment and plowing of roadways. Visitors to GoKY can access the latest information about what’s happening in their local counties.
Thousands of men and women serve on the frontlines and behind the scenes of the Cabinet’s snow and ice removal efforts. Throughout the season, the KYTC will be highlighting select district snowfighters on Facebook and Twitter and sharing their sage advice on how to stay safe on the roads.
A new strike force of retrofit snow plows housed in Frankfort was available last year for statewide deployment as needed during winter weather emergencies. Reserved for high priority routes to ensure interstates remain open, the strike force is again in place this winter.
Inventory of materials and equipment
Winter-ready, the Cabinet is stocked to capacity with a supply of 481,000 tons of salt, 1 million gallons of salt brine for anti-icing and 1 million gallons of calcium chloride, an additive to salt for deicing.
The Cabinet is equipped with approximately 980 deployable trucks and plows among the 125 snow and ice maintenance locations. Another 431 contracted trucks are available to assist in snow and ice operations.
Maintenance crews have prepared rosters and schedules, calibrated salting equipment, prepped plows, reviewed plowing strategies and completed safety training.
The Cabinet will continue to manage equipment, salt supplies and other snow-fighting materials efficiently. Using reverse auction procurement on new salt contracts for this winter, KYTC has reduced the cost of salt purchases by as much as $20 per ton in districts throughout the state. Districts will continue to look for opportunities to shift resources for sharing with other districts as needed, focusing on the statewide team goal of serving all Kentucky citizens.
Public preparation
KYTC encourages motorists to prepare for winter and remain safe by following these tips:
- Pay attention to weather advisories. Weather will impact your commute on some level.
- Travel only as necessary during major snow events. It’s better to be stuck at home than to be stuck on the road.
- Maintain a safe distance from snowplows and other heavy highway equipment.
- Do not pass snowplows on the shoulder.
- Allow time for a slower commute.
- Winterize vehicles.
- Stock vehicles with blankets, flash light and an emergency supply kit.
- Know before you go. Visit goky.ky.gov and download the free Waze app to check traffic conditions before you travel.
- Eliminate distractions (e.g. using phone and eating) while driving.
- Cooperate with the expectations of the Quick Clearance law, which requires drivers to move vehicles to the shoulder in the event of a non-injury crash.
