 Louisville Metro Public Works has released the city's first Speed Management Plan to support its transportation safety efforts. The plan recommends strategies to manage speeds through policy changes, street design, education, and enforcement to help Louisville realize its vision of zero roadway deaths by 2050.
A survey was used to gather input from the community and spread awareness of the plan. Over 1,400 people responded to the survey, which found that 85% believe Louisville Metro should do more to reduce speeding, including enforcement and roadway design changes. Speeding increases both the frequency and severity of crashes and is a significant contributor to traffic deaths.
Highlights of the plan include:
- Analyzed current driver trends, including a comparison of observed speeds to posted speed limits.
- Created road context classifications and a speed limit range for different types of streets based on crash data, land use, population density, and other factors.
- Recommended consistent speed limit sign placement and an inventory system to map and replace signs as needed.
The plan also recommends implementing automated speed enforcement, which is currently not permitted under Kentucky law. However, House Bill 664 filed this session would allow automated speed enforcement in highway work zones as a five-year pilot program. Other states have passed similar legislation, including Indiana and Pennsylvania. Research shows automated speed enforcement is effective in reducing roadway deaths and injuries.
The plan was a collaboration between Louisville Metro Public Works and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to support Vision Zero Louisville, the city's transportation safety initiative.
 Mayor Greenberg recently announced that Louisville Metro Emergency Medical Services (EMS) will be the first agency in the Commonwealth of Kentucky to deliver pre-hospital blood and blood products to patients in the field. EMS will partner with the American Red Cross to provide this service, which is offered by less than one percent of EMS agencies nationwide.
“This is an amazing, first-of-its kind in Kentucky program that will save lives,” said Mayor Greenberg. “I’m grateful to my colleagues at EMS, who respond to over 120,000 calls each year with high-quality care and always look for ways to improve.”
The leading cause of preventable death in trauma victims is loss of blood, and recent studies show that for every minute a traumatic bleeding victim doesn’t get blood, mortality odds increase by 2 percent. In other cities where blood is being used in the field, trauma patient survival rates have improved on average 75-85%. The program is expected to start April 12.
This program supports Vision Zero Louisville's Post-Crash Care strategy, with its key goal being to improve the survivability rate associated with motor vehicle collisions.
Community members are invited to attend a public input session to review initial design plans to enhance safety and accessibility along Southern Parkway, a historic Olmsted designed roadway in South Louisville.
Louisville Metro Public Works, Parks and Recreation and the Olmsted Parks Conservancy will be at the Beechmont Community Center, 205 W. Wellington Ave., from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on April 9 to share preliminary plans that illustrate a vision to improve safety and connectivity for drivers, pedestrians and bicyclists.
The proposed design includes transforming the four-lane street, between W. Woodlawn Ave. and KY-1865 (Taylor Blvd./New Cut Rd.), into a three-lane street with one travel lane in each direction and a center two-way left turn lane. It also includes adding lighting along Southern Parkway. The plans are based on feedback from residents and stakeholders.
“We want to know what people, who utilize Southern Parkway, think of these initial designs,” said Jennifer Caummisar-Kern, director of Public Works. “Listening to our community members is key in creating roads that work for everyone. This is another step in turning an idea into action that protects lives and strengthens our city.”
The improvement project is part of the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) initiative, a federal grant program that funds regional, local and Tribal transportation safety projects to help prevent roadway deaths and injuries.
In February 2023, Public Works was awarded $21 million in SS4A funds from the U.S. Department of Transportation to improve 10 corridors in Louisville Metro, which includes Southern Parkway. The improvement project advances Louisville’s Vision Zero initiative to eliminate roadway fatalities by 2050.
Louisville Metro Public Works recently released the Vision Zero Louisville 2024 Annual Report. The annual report is a requirement of Louisville's Vision Zero ordinance, which establishes a vision of zero roadway deaths by 2050.
Preliminary figures show that 94 people died on non-interstate roadways in Jefferson County in 2024, a 14% decrease from 2023. However, 39 of those killed were pedestrians, a 26% increase from 2023 and the highest figure in at least ten years. This mirrors an alarming trend of rising pedestrian deaths across the country.
To realize Louisville’s vision of zero roadway deaths by 2050, the city’s transportation safety initiative is rooted in the Safe System Approach, which prioritizes the prevention of fatal and serious injury crashes through overlapping safety measures.
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), in 2022, over 3,000 people were killed in the U.S. by distracted driving.
Distracted driving is any activity that diverts attention from driving, including talking or texting on your phone, eating and drinking, talking to people in your vehicle, fiddling with the stereo, entertainment or navigation system — anything that takes your attention away from the task of safe driving.
Texting while driving is illegal in 49 states, including Kentucky. Handheld phone use is prohibited while driving in 30 states.
The federally funded Rightsizing Louisville for Safe Streets project is getting underway. The project includes rightsizing and other safety improvements for 10 corridors in Louisville. The project is funded by a $21 million Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Implementation Grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). Rightsizing, also called a road diet or roadway reconfiguration, calms traffic and reduces speeding and weaving between lanes.
The Project Team for 3 of the 10 corridors is seeking public input on ways to improve safety for all road users, including pedestrians. Here are the 3 corridors:
- Wilson Avenue (S. 26th St - Algonquin Pkwy)
- Louis Coleman Jr. Drive/Dr. William G. Weathers Drive/S. 35th Street (Virginia Ave - Algonquin Pkwy)
- S. 22nd Street (US 31W) (Dumesnil St - Dixie Hwy/Bernheim Ln)
Early bird registration fee expires May 1, 2025!
The 2025 Safety Summit returns, building on last year’s success as the single statewide conference combining all transportation safety topics for travelers and workers. This year’s Summit will once again bring together experts in engineering, education, emergency services, enforcement, and transportation safety to share best practices, cutting-edge research, and proven innovations. Attendees will gain insights into successful programs and emerging issues aimed at preventing fatalities and injuries on Kentucky's roadways, raising safety awareness, reducing workplace incidents, and fostering networking and collaboration across sectors.
Spend a half day with your teen at the free Ford Driving Skills for Life safe mobility program for newly licensed or permitted drivers.
Ford Driving Skills for Life provides skills beyond those taught in traditional drivers education courses and is an important step in keeping everyone on the roads safer. The event pairs teen drivers with professional instructors, focusing on important driving skills, including:
- Hazard Recognition
- Vehicle Handling
- Speed and Space Management
- Reaction Time
- Avoiding the Dangers of Distracted and Impaired Driving
- Safety in Mobility
The free training program is conducted on a closed course. Vehicles used during the training are provided.
Registration is limited. Morning and afternoon sessions available (choose only one) on Saturday, June 21 and Sunday, June 22.
|
