This year, Broken Sidewalk asked each Metro Council candidate to respond to a survey of questions related to the topics we cover here on the site: urbanism, transportation, health, and the environment. Broken Sidewalk will make no endorsements this year for Metro Council candidates, but we hope these survey responses—published verbatim—are helpful to voters in making up their minds.
We will be publishing the results by district. Below is District 2. Our survey included two types of questions: 1. multiple choice answers about personal behaviors and views, and 2. longer responses on a range of topics. Each candidate was also given an optional open field to expand upon a topic of their choosing, if they so desired.
Louisville Metro Council District Two comprises Newburg, Petersburg, Buechel, and parts of Okolona and Camp Taylor.
The candidates for District 2 include, in alphabetical order, Teleperformance account manager and Keen Dance Theatre board member RaSean Crawley (D), Caroline Grundy (D), chief of the Buechel Fire Protection District Rick Harrison (D), and incumbent Barbara Shanklin (D).
RaSean Crawley
Did not respond.
Caroline Grundy
Newburg
Have often do you walk to work or for basic errands?
A couple times a year
Have often do you take transit to commute to work or for basic errands?
Never
How often do you ride a bike to get to work or for errands?
A few times a month
How often do you drive in a personal motor vehicle?
Every day
How safe do you feel as a pedestrian walking on Louisville’s streets?
There’s some risk.
Louisville’s transit system should expand service, infrastructure, and offerings.
Agree
The city should invest in complete street design that promotes safety for all road users.
Agree
Walkable and transit-oriented development should be promoted over auto-oriented development.
Disagree
Louisville should repair and maintain its existing transportation network before widening or building new roads.
Agree
Historic architecture promotes the economic vitality of the Louisville region.
Strongly Agree
Describe your favorite walk OR your favorite place to hang out in your neighborhood.
I like to ride my pre-war old school bicycle around the community.
What’s the biggest issue facing your district and how would you address it?
1. Urban Heat Island Hot Spot at General Electric- inform the residents
2. Speeding, speed humps.
In three sentences, what does Metro Council do?
1. Enact ordinances, orders and resolutions.
2. Review budgets and appropriate money.
3. Levy taxes.
Louisville is among the most dangerous cities in the country for pedestrian collisions and fatalities. What would you do to improve street safety for all road users in Louisville? Please cite specific examples.
Speed humps, properly functioning cross walk signals with buttons to make it safe to cross the street, lighted cross walks at dangerous intersections such as Bardstown Road and Goldsmith Lane, Newburg Road and Indian Trail, Preston Highway and Indian Trail. The addition of bike lanes in some parts of the district to make it safe to ride bikes and for mobility scooters to travel the roads, I would support stiffer penalties for accidents involving pedestrians attributed to cell phone use.
What does responsible development look like in Louisville and in your district? What would you do to promote responsible development in Louisville?
Development that benefits the community such as good paying jobs, and ensures that the tax revenue generated will be adequate to sustain the roads, infrastructure and safety, does not cause undue financial burdens on the current residents. Responsible development is development that is environmentally sound and not damaging to the air and water, the development does prey on economical status and is accepted by the community for what the development gives back.
Louisville is among the fastest warming cities in the country. Please describe your stance on fixing Louisville’s Urban Heat Island Effect. What specific steps need to be taken to solve this problem?
I would push to plant as many trees as safely possible around the hot spot at General Electric. I would also push to place restrictions on large concrete developments requiring large asphalt parking lots within certain perimeters of GE, and monitor the development taking place in and around the Jefferson area which is within miles of the hot spot. I would support ordinances that any new development would be required to leave some existing trees around the development as well as leaving tree islands in any newly constructed asphalt parking lots. I would consider a process to erect shade barriers if necessary to aid in the cooling effect and make the climate temperature safer for the elderly and children.
How would you strike a balance between preservation, development, and economic development in Louisville?
Keeping the historical tone of the neighborhood. propose ordinances to preserve some 1) green-land during development 2) preserve animal habitat, balance biodiversity and 3) prevent future hot spots on any development involving tax payer incentives. I would push to demolish dilapidated dwellings and redevelop existing businesses by infilling those areas with buildings that are inline with current structures. I support community involvement to make sure that the citizens are comfortable and have a buy-in as to changes that are taking place in their community and making sure the residents get some real benefits from the development(s).
Optional open response. Discuss any issue in Louisville relating to land use, development, transportation, preservation, or health.
There is no since in Louisville attempting to address expanding bike zones until the city can address the issue of speeding. Practically every precinct that I have walked thorough expressed concerns of vehicles traveling on residential streets at dangerously high speeds and great fear of our children being killed or injured!!!!!!!!!
Rick Harrison (D)
Buechel, Newburg
Have often do you walk to work or for basic errands?
A couple times a year
Have often do you take transit to commute to work or for basic errands?
Never
How often do you ride a bike to get to work or for errands?
A couple times a year
How often do you drive in a personal motor vehicle?
Every day
How safe do you feel as a pedestrian walking on Louisville’s streets?
There’s some risk
Louisville’s transit system should expand service, infrastructure, and offerings.
Strongly Agree
The city should invest in complete street design that promotes safety for all road users.
Strongly Agree
Walkable and transit-oriented development should be promoted over auto-oriented development.
Agree
Louisville should repair and maintain its existing transportation network before widening or building new roads.
Strongly Agree
Historic architecture promotes the economic vitality of the Louisville region.
Undecided
Describe your favorite walk OR your favorite place to hang out in your neighborhood.
Buechel Park is a regular walking area as well as the tennis courts in Newburg Park off Indian Trail
What’s the biggest issue facing your district and how would you address it?
The biggest threat we face is related to the out-of-control heroin and drug problems including the shootings that accompany them.
In three sentences, what does Metro Council do?
The council is responsible to develop the ordinances and regulations needed to promote the future growth and progress of Metro Louisville. The council must be diverse in their ability to manage the financial needs of our districts as well as support the community in a manner that is above reproach. The most significant responsibility the council holds is to lead by example and represent our City’s needs in a fair and impartial manner.
Louisville is among the most dangerous cities in the country for pedestrian collisions and fatalities. What would you do to improve street safety for all road users in Louisville? Please cite specific examples.
Education of both pedestrians as well as drivers on safe use of existing crosswalks and sidewalks. We have a sidewalk across from the Buechel Fire Station that was recently redone and is at grade with the street, which is a problem when drivers are driving around a vehicle turning onto Buechel Avenue.
What does responsible development look like in Louisville and in your district? What would you do to promote responsible development in Louisville?
Reusing buildings that have sat vacant for years rather than building new ones. The other issue we see is flooding from the development of property in a wetland area and the water shed that now floods the Broadmoor neighborhood regularly.
Louisville is among the fastest warming cities in the country. Please describe your stance on fixing Louisville’s Urban Heat Island Effect. What specific steps need to be taken to solve this problem?
I haven’t seen the benefit of unrestricted commercial development for the sake of granting tax credits to bring jobs into our community without making sure the factories are building appropriate safe guards to promote green construction techniques and reducing the carbon footprint they create. Until we address the current building codes and adopt plans that require adherence to the Green Codes and International Energy Codes.
How would you strike a balance between preservation, development, and economic development in Louisville?
As a council person, I feel it’s incumbent on my part to provide a balanced approach to fixing our infrastructure while maintaining the opportunities of responsible development to offset the negative effects of construction in our community. We’ve seen the result of very lax building codes and development plans along Fegenbush Lane where homes are built so close that when one catches fire, three or more structures are damaged. The only people who win in that scenario where the developers from another State who came here, proposed something that was against our codes and left after they completed their project with the money and we suffer the consequences for many years. At some point we have to take a stand and restrict this behavior all together.
Optional open response. Discuss any issue in Louisville relating to land use, development, transportation, preservation, or health.
Aside from our drug issue I identified earlier in this survey, we have got to do everything in our power to resurface our roadways not done by the State. As well as install and maintain sidewalks for safe passage by everyone. I’ve lived in the Buechel community all my life except the four years I served in the US Navy, and we have needed better street maintenance and only in recent years have our public officials made strides to require developers to foot the expense of installing sidewalks and streets that meet a National standard. Narrow, nearly impassable roads especially where on-street parking is permitted creates hazards to anyone who desires to walk or bike to work or for recreation. Thanks for providing a platform to get these issues out there.
Barbara Shanklin (D)
Did not respond.
Y’vonne Woods (D)
Withdrawn from race.
