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WHO: Louisville Metro Government (Public Works Department) and Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC)
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WHAT: Rightsizing is restriping the road from 4 lanes to 3, with a two-way left turn lane (center turn lane) and dedicated left turn lanes at certain intersections.
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WHEN: Work begins overnight on May 10, 2021 (weather pending)
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WHERE: Southern Parkway between 3rd Street/Oakdale Avenue and Woodlawn Avenue/Kenwood Way
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WHY: This section of Southern Parkway, which is owned and maintained by KYTC, will be milled, paved, and striped in May. To save costs and improve safety at the same time, we intend to restripe Southern Parkway with a new configuration proven to improve safety.
Southern Pkwy from Woodlawn to Oakdale is a State maintained route and therefore on the State maintenance schedule. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) repaves every 8-12 years and this segment has long been slated for improvement. Enter road rightsizing: A treatment applied to calm traffic, reduce crashes, and lessen the severity of injuries through restriping 4 lanes to 3. A road segment has to meet a criteria to be eligible (e.g. traffic counts below 17,000) and traffic engineers and planners widely regard rightsizing as an evidenced-based method for making roads safer and enhancing quality of life by supporting multi-modal use. We all have seen these safety enhancements. One example is S. 3rd St. with 16% fewer crashes and a 24% reduction in injuries. Presently there are over 700 roadway segments in Metro eligible. Road rightsizing most often occurs at the time of repaving for purposes of cost neutrality but over time may result in cost savings with a reduction in emergency response.
For years neighbors have shared concerns about speeding and crashes along Southern Pkwy including challenges brought on by existing roadway design, built at a time when advances in vehicular performance and societal shifts could not be predicted. It is also reaffirming that the experiences of neighbors align with the numbers. From 2017-2019, there were 218 known vehicular crashes along the State route segment of Southern Pkwy from Oakdale to Woodlawn. A section of this road segment (Oakdale to I-264) was ranked number 32 out 40 for top crashes in the Louisville region. Just south of Woodlawn, a segment along the Parkway was measured by LMPD as having an average speed of 45mph and that's with a visible speed machine present. In a recent Public Works survey, approximately 63% of respondents identified speeding as a significant safety challenge.
Councilman Kevin Triplett
City Hall
601 West Jefferson St
Louisville, KY 40202
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