|
In the April 25 edition of District 8 eNews, I
wrote about the serious problem of parked cars on Baxter Avenue and Bardstown
Road during weekday rush hours. Over the past three months, my team and I
have been hard at work preparing to counter this phenomenon, and the result is
a campaign called “I Can Get You a Tow,” which is set to launch August 15.
The campaign focuses on the 900 block of Baxter
and the 1000 block of Bardstown because 1,084 of the 1,749 (62%) parking
citations issued along the “lane reversal” corridor stretching from Lexington
Road to Princeton Drive from April 2016 to April 2017 were written in those two
blocks alone. The campaign has three stages:
Education, Warning and Enforcement, and each will last about a month.
The Education stage beginning in August targets
Baxter/Bardstown businesses, employees and customers. It introduces them to the problem, our plan
and asks them to be part of the solution.
Our communication strategy includes field visits, direct mail, marketing
materials, traditional and social media and more, all designed to convey the
simple message and raise awareness: This
is not Nam. This is parking. There are rules.
The Warning stage builds on our public education
efforts with increased visibility on the streets in the form of additional
parking enforcement officers and unmistakable written warnings that future violations
will result in towed cars. I'm talking about drawing a line in the
sand, Dude. Across this line you do not
–
The Enforcement stage means a towing blitz (with
an emphasis on repeat offenders) and new tools – and even incentives – for citizens to report
illegal parking. It may sound harsh but
I believe stopping on Baxter/Bardstown during peak periods is a fatal accident just
waiting to happen, and one that is to be avoided at any reasonable cost. Am I
wrong? Am I wrong!
This is an experiment in behavior change, which
is sure to be difficult and prompt a wide variety of responses. I invite all stakeholders to give me feedback
while the campaign is ongoing, and afterward I certainly intend to review and
discuss the results with the public at large.
This is the first in-depth conversation we’re having about parking in
the Highlands; it won’t be the last. The
goal is parking that is safe, accessible, convenient and sufficient. If you
will it, it is no dream.
For more information on District 8 parking,
click here.
* * *
For breaking news and information, please follow
me on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram. If you have a question or comment,
please call me at: (502) 574-1108 or email: brandon.coan@louisvilleky.gov (and copy jasmine.masterson@louisvilleky.gov). If you have a service request, please
use MetroCall 311 online to submit or check on it, and contact our office if
you experience any problems.
Thanks very much.
Councilman Brandon Coan
|
