Meet your Metro Council candidates: District 2

    By Broken Sidewalk -
    0

    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.

    Tuesday! Lecture explores the legacy of Frank Lloyd Wright in Kentucky

    By Broken Sidewalk -
    0

    You won’t want to miss the April lecture from the Central Kentucky Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA-CKC). While Frank Lloyd Wright didn’t build any buildings in Louisville, his presence is still felt throughout the city, and certainly the state, where only one of his designs was realized.

    Historian William B. Scott will deliver the lecture, Frank Lloyd Wright in Kentucky, tomorrow, Tuesday, April 19, at the Kaden Tower auditorium, 6100 Dutchman’s Lane, itself based off of a Wright Design. If you enjoy architecture, both historic and modern, you’ll be glad you attended. The lecture begins promptly at 6:00 p.m. (doors open at 5:30) and will last about an hour. The event is free for AIA-CKC members or you can purchase tickets for $10. Click here for more information or email atriplett@jrarchitects.com.

    08-louisville-headquarters-move-to-suburbs
    The lecture will be held in the Kaden Tower Auditorium. (Branden Klayko / Broken Sidewalk)

    “Scott will discuss Wright’s activity within the state as well as others who followed in his footsteps,” the event description reads. “Attendees will learn what projects are connected to Frank Lloyd Wright in Kentucky and learn the design principles that shaped Wright’s projects.”

    [Top image of Frank Lloyd Wright standing in front of the old courthouse, now Metro Hall, in Downtown Louisville courtesy AIA-CKC.]

    Sale of massive Service Tanks property on Main Street could dramatically change Nulu, Butchertown

    By Branden Klayko -
    1
    (Courtesy PRG)

    (Correction noted below.)

    Over half a city block on the border between Nulu and Butchertown has potentially found a buyer. The Service Tanks property at 700 East Main Street had been listed for $8.9 million by Tyler Smith of PRG Commercial Property Advisors.

    Smith declined to name the buyer or what might become of the property, but he did say the unnamed buyer has a contract for the entire Service Tanks property, which stretched from Shelby to Clay Streets. He said if the deal goes through, the new owner planned to make his or her own announcement about the block soon.

    09-louisville-service-tanks-main-street-sold
    (Courtesy PRG)

    “I do know that’s it’s a 2.7-acre site on Main Street,” Smith said. That scale gives any buyer a lot of clout. “It’s a big deal, yes.” Smith had previously told press that there was interest in the site from across the nation, including many out-of-town developers.

    Andy Cornelius, president of the Butchertown Neighborhood Association told Broken Sidewalk that there have been no rumors floating around on the street, even among other local real estate professionals. “I haven’t really heard anything about Service Tanks,” he said, “which is unusual.”

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    (Courtesy PRG)
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    (Courtesy PRG)

    Given that the unknown potential buyer plans a public announcement and the energy currently going on in the area with the under-construction Main & Clay Apartments across the street and the planned AC Hotel by Marriott on the southern corner of the block, we expect a major project to be announced on the site, likely by an out-of-town developer.

    “I think there’s a big trend for mixed-use commercial residential, and I’d hope it would be something along those lines,” Cornelius said. “There’s a great project happening now at Main & Clay and I hope that’s just the beginning of what can happen here. There’s a lot of opportunity.”

    Broken Sidewalk's montage of what the AC Hotel might look like on the southeast corner of the block.
    Broken Sidewalk’s montage of what the AC Hotel might look like on the southeast corner of the block.

    Most of the site is taken up by an enormous blue warehouse that provides a monolithic presence along Main Street. We wrote about its faded blue walls back in 2008 as part of our Big Blank Thursday series. “Even though the wall casts a shadow on nearly 400 feet of sidewalk, there is something about this building that we love,” we wrote at the time. Still, we won’t be sad to see the site transformed into something much more vibrant for the surrounding neighborhoods.

    On the western side of the block, several historic structures face Main and Clay streets. “I think those are anchor points to the block and to the neighborhood,” Cornelius said of the structures ranging from one- to three-stories tall. “Hopefully whatever is being proposed for the site will be sensitive to what’s there. They’re currently in great shape and we hope that they are preserved and used in the best way possible.”

    An earlier concept plan for the Service Tanks block. (Courtesy Village Solutions)
    An earlier concept plan for the Service Tanks block. (Courtesy Village Solutions)

    Back in 2009, a concept plan for the Service Tanks site was released showing a mix of uses and infill buildings set among the historic architecture. Service Welding & Machine Company owners Carl and Earl Grier had commissioned the concept to demonstrate what an urban redevelopment of the site might look like. Back then, food distributors Creation Gardens had planned a retail/wholesale grocery on the current site slated for the AC Hotel. According to our previous report:

    Rick Hill explains that while Service Tanks will continue to operate at its current site for now, someday the property will be redeveloped into a thriving pedestrian environment. The rendering isn’t meant to suggest what will eventually be built, but is “a long-term vision of what could happen one day.” Hill says the Griers have an excellent urban sensibility and want to see the site used to its fullest potential including preservation of existing historic structures and the Billy Goat Strut alley corridor. There’s currently no timeline for redeveloping the rest of the block.

    We’ll be closely watching how this deals follows through and what proposals take shape on this site and look forward to a project on such a pivotal parcel within two of Louisville’s most exciting neighborhoods. If you catch any rumors about what’s planned on this site, be sure to drop us an anonymous tip to tips@brokensidewalk.com.

    [Correction: A previous version of this article said the property had sold when it should have said it was under contract. The article has been updated.]

    Louisville among nine cities to receive federal help to promote economic development around transit

    By Branden Klayko -
    0

    The Federal Transit Administration (FTA), under the United States Department of Transportation (DOT), has selected Louisville among nine cities to receive technical assistance from the agency to encourage economic development around transit. The agency is partnering with Smart Growth America on the four-year nationwide initiative, called the National Public Transportation/Transit-Oriented Development Technical Assistance Initiative.

    The FTA’s technical assistance is focused on creating “opportunities that jumpstart local economies and strengthen communities, with a focus on boosting disadvantaged areas,” according to a press release.

    03-dixie-highway-fta-assistance

    04-dixie-highway-fta-assistance“Helping local leaders leverage their transit investments to attract more affordable housing, commercial development, and jobs is a critical priority for the Department,” DOT Secretary Anthony Foxx said in a statement. “We’re also extending ladders of opportunity directly to residents, using strategies that support equitable, appropriate development linked to transit service. In these communities, people will now more easily get to where they need to go without relying solely on cars.”

    Louisville’s technical assistance is focused around the Transforming Dixie Highway project which aims to remake the arterial street with increased safety for pedestrians and add premium TARC transit to a popular route along the corridor. The 15-mile-long, $29 million project will connect the U.S. Army base at Fort Knox and Downtown Louisville with a number of nodes in between.

    According to the initiative:

    The city is currently working to more clearly define the TOD nodes and analyze market conditions; develop educational and public engagement plans to bring land owners and developers together; develop strategies and tools for land assembly, financing and incentivizing economic development; identify barriers and solutions to maximize TOD around BRT stations; and identify and create development incentives and/or policies for affordable housing.

    “We all know that an ideal place to develop—or re-develop—is near a transit station,” FTA Senior Advisor Carolyn Flowers said in a statement. “This initiative encourages these cities to get the most value out of their investment dollars by capitalizing on the access that transit provides.”

    02-dixie-highway-fta-assistanceBesides Louisville, the eight other cities chosen include Stamford, CT; Honolulu, HI; Moline, IL; Kansas City, MO; Oklahoma City, OK; San Antonio, TX; Lynnwood, WA; and Richmond, VA. Technical support will range from in-depth, multi-day visits to one-day, targeted workshops. “The technical assistance will include planning for and managing economic development near transit through effective zoning and land use,” the press release said, “as well as expert advice on preserving affordable housing and securing advantageous commercial development, among other opportunities.”

    Meet your Metro Council candidates: District 8

      By Broken Sidewalk -
      1

      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 8. 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 Eight comprises the Highlands and beyond, including the Original Highlands, Cherokee Triangle, Tyler Park, Bonnycastle, Highlands-Douglass, Belknap, Deer Park, Cherokee-Seneca, Hayfield Dundee, and Hawthorne. This is Louisville’s most walkable district.

      Current District 8 incumbent, Tom Owen, has decided not to run after more than 20 years as the district’s councilman, so change is coming to how the Highlands is represented in Metro Council. The candidates for District 8 include, in alphabetical order, attorney and former Mayor Fischer aide S. Brandon Coan (D), Spalding associate anthropology professor Chris Kolb (D), former LMPD officer and Tom Owen aide Terra Long (D), Kosair Children’s Hospital executive Lynnie Meyer (D), entrepreneur and chair of SEED Capital KY Stephen Reily (D), Neuronetrix production manager and Graffiti Abatement Coalition of Louisville founder Josh White (D), and realtor and GE employee Charles Terry Wooden (D)

      S. Brandon Coan

      Tyler Park

      Have often do you walk to work or for basic errands?
      Every day

      Have often do you take transit to commute to work or for basic errands?
      A couple times a year

      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?
      Not very safe

      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.
      Strongly Agree

      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.
      My favorite walk in my neighborhood is the usual route I take with my dogs Olive and Miles: a mile and a quarter zigzag loop along Rosewood and Castlewood Avenues and Valley and Cross Roads.

      What’s the biggest issue facing your district and how would you address it?
      The biggest issue facing District 8 is growth: the complicated stew of land use, preservation, development, housing and transit issues (including parking), and how to plan for it. My Plan for District 8 at CoanforMetroCouncil.com speaks to all these topics more specifically, but generally my approach is to favor the protection of residential neighborhood cores, mixed-use, transit-oriented development along commercial corridors and investment in streets for people and public transportation. Moreover, affordable living for working people must be central to these discussions in order to maintain and foster the creativity and diversity that makes District 8 unique.

      In three sentences, what does Metro Council do?
      Metro Council is the legislative branch of our local government and, so, is supposed to make the laws for our city, including passing the budget. A lot of what individual councilpersons appear to do is share information with constituents, respond to complaints and appear at meetings and events. I hope to expand the role of councilperson in District 8 to include lead organizer and team builder so as to draw on the wealth of knowledge and experience in my district to govern this city together with my neighbors.

      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.
      My Plan for District 8 includes a number of bike/ped safety initiatives: replacing the most dangerous roadside TARC stops with more appropriately-sited bus shelters; exploring to new trail connectivity between Belknap/Deer Park and Germantown/Audubon Park, and Cherokee Park/Waterfront Park; pursuing 20’s Plenty Slow Zones and repairing broken sidewalks for ADA compliance. I also intend to get serious about litter and clean streets – broken glass in bike lanes is a big safety problem.

      What does responsible development look like in Louisville and in your district? What would you do to promote responsible development in Louisville?
      Responsible development in Louisville means stopping sprawl, promoting infill, redevelopment and brownfield remediation, as well as conserving natural and agricultural land and protecting wildlife. In District 8, it means: neighborhood planning; preserving smaller (affordable), single-family housing; promoting height and density where it makes sense – but not at the expense of our neighborhoods’ character or architectural heritage – and investing in public and alternative transportation. I am open to considering new land use conditions and restrictions – specifically including a no net loss tree policy – as well as new smart growth incentives.

      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?
      We absolutely must confront the Urban Heat Island Effect and related air pollution issues for public health and economic development reasons. Reforesting urban core neighborhoods to replenish tree cover is important – and I will support such efforts – but stopping even further tree loss from sprawl is vital. Additionally, reducing auto-dependency through investment in streets for people, bike facilities and clean energy public transportation (like expanded ZeroBus service in the Highlands and elsewhere), as well as greater green building efforts (like preservation!) are all important parts of the solution.

      How would you strike a balance between preservation, development, and economic development in Louisville?
      Again, my Plan for District 8 addresses this question and begins with fixing historic building demolition policy to condition such occasions (which should be rare and avoided whenever possible) on securing redevelopment plan and building permit approvals first before any historic structures are deconstructed (ideally, rather than “demolished”). Preservation is good for economic development. So, too, is new well-designed, transit-oriented, mixed-use green building. Projects hitting all these marks are not always feasible, however, and can still be good without being perfect. That’s why we need strong neighborhood planning, a balanced land use and development system (including appointed decision-makers) and knowledgeable, reasonable Metro Council representatives to oversee, protect and guide our built environment.

      Optional open response. Discuss any issue in Louisville relating to land use, development, transportation, preservation, or health.
      I strongly encourage BS readers to review my Plan for District 8 and contact me with any questions or suggestions. Additionally, I have many years of experience working in this community with urbanists and environmentalists (who I intend to bring closer together!) from Floyds Fork to Tyler Park and Butchertown to Russell and Shawnee. Talk to your peers and those who know me in deciding the right choice in the District 8 race. Thank you very much!

      Chris Kolb

      Upper Highlands/Kingsley

      Have often do you walk to work or for basic errands?
      A few times a month

      Have often do you take transit to commute to work or for basic errands?
      A few times a month

      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?
      In danger

      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.
      Strongly 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.
      Strongly Agree

      Describe your favorite walk OR your favorite place to hang out in your neighborhood.
      Along Valletta Rd to Seneca Park Rd along Beargrass Creek and into Seneca Park.

      What’s the biggest issue facing your district and how would you address it?
      Achieving a more appropriate balance between the interests of residents, area businesses, and Bellarmine University. While residents welcome the presence of businesses and Bellarmine, the balance has become skewed against residents. I believe businesses and Bellarmine want to be good neighbors, but we need a process for regular communication where residents have a meaningful space to express their concerns. I will create that process.

      In three sentences, what does Metro Council do?
      Council members are primary points of contact for residents to communicate with Metro Government, and must be highly responsive to residents’ concerns. Metro Council shows leadership to enact policy in the best interest of residents even when political risk-taking is required to do so. Metro Council should empower residents to be engaged and informed citizens who participate in the democratic process.

      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.
      We must require measurable goals to increase public transportation options and ridership—as well as improve walkability and bike-ability—in any strategic and economic development plans. This includes lowering speed limits in certain areas, creating more and safer pedestrian crossings, reconfiguring roads to accommodate bike traffic, and building the T2 light rail system to decrease the amount of car traffic, which will also decrease cut-through traffic on residential roads.

      What does responsible development look like in Louisville and in your district? What would you do to promote responsible development in Louisville?
      Metro government should follow guidelines laid out by the Environmental Protection Agency in the document, “Essential Smart Growth Fixes for Urban and Suburban Zoning Codes.” We must address suburban sprawl, which increases pollution, shifts financial resources away from urban communities, makes us more reliant on the automobile, decreases walkability, worsens public health, needlessly consumes land, and creates inefficiencies and higher costs in the provision of utilities. We must change the zoning code to allow for higher density housing throughout the city. Right now, over 60 percent of land in Louisville is zoned for single-family dwellings on lots of 6,000 (R-5) or 9,000 (R–4) square feet. This prevents infill in most areas of the city. Metro Council took the first steps to address this last year but much more needs to be done. Second, we must fund the Louisville Affordable Housing Trust Fund with a dedicated stream of ongoing public revenue totaling at least $10 million per year and then prioritize the rehabilitation of vacant and abandoned housing to increase housing stock available inside the Watterson.

      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?
      Louisville has the most pronounced heat island effect in the country. Metro Council must strengthen requirements for development projects to retain trees on site, plant new trees, pay into a tree mitigation fund, or face significant fines. It is unacceptable that the administration has sat on a tree-protection ordinance for nine months. To mitigate the heat island effect, we must adopt a legally-binding “no-net-loss” tree policy and invest in a green roof infrastructure.

      How would you strike a balance between preservation, development, and economic development in Louisville?
      Like many residents, I was deeply disappointed by the decision to tear down the old water company building at the site of the Omni Hotel. The old water company building was unique to Louisville, whereas the Omni Hotel is not. Decisions regarding historic structures must be made with an extremely long-view in mind, not the immediate desires of politicians or developers. I agree with Gil Holland, who called the water company building decision, “a serious disappointment in democracy.”

      Optional open response. Discuss any issue in Louisville relating to land use, development, transportation, preservation, or health.
      We must reduce the use of fossil fuels in Louisville and I will aggressively push to set a goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse emissions by 2050. Fossil fuels are only affordable because government heavily subsidizes fossil fuels and the true costs of fossil fuels are externalized to taxpayers. Local government must offer significant incentives to renewables to level the playing field.

      Terra Long

      Highland-Douglass

      Have often do you walk to work or for basic errands?
      Every day

      Have often do you take transit to commute to work or for basic errands?
      A couple times a year

      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?
      Very safe

      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.
      Strongly Agree

      Describe your favorite walk OR your favorite place to hang out in your neighborhood.
      I love to walk Bardstown Road in the morning from my home to Cave Hill Cemetery. On the way back, I often stop at the Heine Brothers Coffee Shop it the Douglass Loop for a cup of “pick me up”. The Farmer’s Market at the Douglass Loop is a summer Saturday special to have a bite for lunch and talk to neighbors from all over.

      What’s the biggest issue facing your district and how would you address it?
      As an urban district, the Eighth District has many issues it faces. Currently, the most prevalent issue I hear about is the increase in development and the sub-issues that accompany that. As Metro Councilwoman, I would work together with each neighborhood to create/update a Neighborhood Plan that would establish, through collaborative and open meetings, what each neighborhood’s priorities are for a five-year planning period. I would also work to put in place the process to revisit these Neighborhood Plans every five years. In addition, I would also expand the Bardstown Road/Baxter Avenue overlay district to encompass more of the corridor, thereby creating a more cohesive environment.

      In three sentences, what does Metro Council do?
      As the only candidate who has served in the Metro Council, I’ll say it in one sentence— as the legislative body of Jefferson County the Louisville Metro Council enacts laws, including the annual Metro Government budget, serves as a mechanism for oversight and works to solve community issues by bringing people together.

      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.
      In my policy platform, I have committed to creating a pedestrian walkability study for District 8. Similar studies in Louisville have led to substantial changes that upgraded the walkability of neighborhoods. I will work with the Center for Neighborhoods to determine what changes are needed and then work with Mayor Fischer and the Metro Council to enact those changes.

      What does responsible development look like in Louisville and in your district? What would you do to promote responsible development in Louisville?
      Responsible development in Louisville and in District 8 is one where the business takes into account the surrounding neighborhood they are entering. In the case of District 8, this includes working with neighbors and government on parking, infrastructure, historical preservation and other elements that matter to the community. As Metro Councilwoman, I would work with each neighborhood to create/update a Neighborhood Plan that would establish, through collaborative and open meetings, what each neighborhood’s priorities are for a five-year planning period. I would also work to put in place the process to revisit these Neighborhood Plans every five years.

      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?
      One of the easiest ways to repair the urban heat island effect is to expand our tree canopy. As Metro Councilwoman, I would do this by working through community-led programs such as Re-Tree Dundee— a program I championed— where Upper Highlands neighbors have come together to plant hundreds of new trees.

      How would you strike a balance between preservation, development, and economic development in Louisville?
      In District 8, we are fortunately to have the Bardstown Road/Baxter Avenue overlay district, which is designed to strike the balance between preservation, development, and economic development while also giving citizens a level of approval over development along the corridor. I would expand that district to include more of the Bardstown Road/Baxter Avenue corridor.

      As Metro Councilwoman, I would work with each neighborhood to create/update a Neighborhood Plan that that would guide business developers towards what their residents want and need.

      Lynnie Meyer

      Bonnycastle

      Have often do you walk to work or for basic errands?
      A few times a month

      Have often do you take transit to commute to work or for basic errands?
      A few times a month

      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?
      Very safe

      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.
      Strongly 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.
      Strongly Agree

      Describe your favorite walk OR your favorite place to hang out in your neighborhood.
      My favorite walk in my neighborhood is out my front door on Speed Avenue into Cherokee Park and the surrounding residential streets. I walk this neighborhood and park on a regular basis in all four seasons.

      What’s the biggest issue facing your district and how would you address it?
      Bardstown Road is a great asset to Metro 8 and provides an opportunity to address many of our districts challenges with infrastructure, smart growth and transportation.

      As your elected official i would work to attract anchor businesses back to Bardstown Road. I would work to promote smart Infill re-development of vacant properties prevent the never-ending sprawl outside of the urban core. Instead of continuing unfettered growth into new areas which require new streets, utilities, water plans and zoning we should be incentivizing the reuse and redevelopment of existing properties in urban areas. Sites on the Bardstown Road corridor are prime examples of infill opportunities for dense housing and mixed use development. I support the current planned development of Mercy Academy and Phoenix Hill for residential housing and retail. Similar sites exist in the surrounding area and I would work to extend the Bardstown Overlay District down Baxter Ave, and work on neighborhood connections to Nulu, Crescent Hill and Broadway. These transportation corridors would create connections across the neighborhoods, improve access to public transportation, and improve walkability in our city. These planning developments combined with two way street redesign, road planning, and the development of more complete streets would improve the quality of life for residents across our city.

      On the Metro Council, I would also work to tighten land use codes and enforce stricter adherence to zoning codes. I would also make sure that site selection of facilities commonly used by area and city residents take into greater account accessibility and availability of public transportation. I have opposed the recent placement of the VA Hospital in Louisville’s East End. This location creates additional urban sprawl, is not easily accessible to all the city’s population particularly the disabled, elderly and those who do not rely on cars as their primary means of transport. Forcing more fragile populations to travel greater distances makes no sense economically, environmentally nor in the interest of public health.

      In three sentences, what does Metro Council do?
      Metro Council represents the residents of Metro Louisville by implementation of short term plans and the development of long term strategies that promote, protect and preserve our community and make it a more vibrant part of the region. The Council provides leadership and direction to manage Metro Louisville operations, and brings neighborhood voice to current and future decisions regarding our city.

      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.
      – Reduce speed limits to 20 mph on some residential streets.
      – open up one way streets for two way traffic
      – Improve and expand bus route selection city wide, work to establish express bus lanes, and double route selection inside the Patterson.
      – add an EBus shuttle on the Bardstown Road Corridor from Baxter to Gardiner Lane in the evening and weekend hours to promote walkability out of the neighborhoods.
      – work on road re-design, pause islands, and more complete street design; capitalize on the current Mercy Academy and Phoenix Hill re-development.

      What does responsible development look like in Louisville and in your district? What would you do to promote responsible development in Louisville?
      Responsible development creates housing opportunities and business attraction in keeping with the historic overlay and current planning and zoning ordinances. I would work to attract local anchor businesses and establish housing near the Bardstown Road corridor while protecting green space, and promoting the development of complete streets and improved access for walkability, cycling, and public transportation. My plan also includes the development and promotion of Energy Project Assessment Districts (EPAD). These districts offer commercial property owners voluntary access to capital for energy efficiency and renewable energy improvements.

      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?
      – Day one implementation of legislation to establish Energy Project Assessment Districts.
      – Incentives for the use of solar in commercial developments.
      – Coordination and promotion of tree replacement city wide and in coordination with all the neighborhood associations and small cities combined with a canopy lost = canopy replaced policy.
      – Improved street design to promote walkability and connections between our neighborhoods.
      – Improved access to public transportation, route selection, express lanes combined with improved bus stops and enhanced technologies for public transportation.

      How would you strike a balance between preservation, development, and economic development in Louisville?
      i would strike a balance between preservation, development and economic development by being committed to re-development inside the Patterson Expressway. I would work to attract local anchor businesses back to the city, and I would promote and protect development in the city with adherence to Landmarks, historic preservation and planning and zoning as part of that decision making. The Cherokee Triangle neighborhood was recently ranked one of the top ten neighborhoods in America due to its historic significance and unique proximity to the park. The protection of historic buildings and promotion of green space will not only improve our quality of life it will spur economic development.

      Optional open response. Discuss any issue in Louisville relating to land use, development, transportation, preservation, or health.
      Land use, transportation, protection of the environment and the health and safety of our community is all interconnected. All of these issues drive the quality of life in our neighborhoods and of our residents. I understand the interconnectedness of these issues, and as your elected official I will work to promote and protect these core issues at the neighborhood and city level.

      William Corey Nett

      Withdrawn from race.

      Stephen Reily

      Cherokee Triangle

      Have often do you walk to work or for basic errands?
      Every day

      Have often do you take transit to commute to work or for basic errands?
      A couple times a year

      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?
      Not very safe

      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.
      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 love to walk the alley behind my house, either north towards my 24-hour gym and Jack Fry’s or south towards Keith’s Hardware, Heine Bros., Carmichael’s, Lilly’s, and Ramsi’s.

      What’s the biggest issue facing your district and how would you address it?
      Street design and safety – making our neighborhood streets serve the people who live on them and making our commercial corridors (especially Bardstown Road) reflect the needs and voice of the neighborhoods that surround them and give them life.

      In three sentences, what does Metro Council do?
      Metro Council members succeed by:
      • helping constituents build strong and healthy neighborhoods;
      • connecting constituents on shared interests – in District 8 that means working together on Bardstown Road, our backbone; and
      • collaborating, with 25 other Council members and with the mayor, to build a fairer, better and bolder city.

      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.
      I am focused on the issue of pedestrian safety because I hear about it from people all across the Highlands. Recent reports confirm its importance for our entire city. I will address this by:
      • Working with police on enforcement (because drivers are breaking the rules of the road with impunity)
      • Working with Metro Louisville and Public Works by looking at other cities for strategies (including education) to calm traffic, design crosswalks that work, and make pedestrians feel safe on sidewalks again;
      • Building a database that reflects the current state of pedestrian safety in District 8, benchmarks it against similar neighborhoods in Louisville and other cities, and then measures how we are doing in making our streets safer; and
      • Sharing our successes as best practices across districts for city-wide improvements in pedestrian safety.

      What does responsible development look like in Louisville and in your district? What would you do to promote responsible development in Louisville?
      Development never takes place in isolation. Responsible development builds on all of the factors that make it possible (natural resources, infrastructure, and existing neighbors) and sensitive to all of the elements it affects.

      In the fully built-out neighborhoods of District 8, development means redevelopment. And responsible redevelopment needs particular sensitivity to its surroundings. A councilman needs to support citizens who have already invested in these neighborhoods and deserve a strong voice in shaping their own future. And a councilman should be creative and expansive in supporting responsible redevelopment with infrastructure and public services that make it successful.

      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?
      Metro Council needs to support a no-net-loss policy on tree loss and a dramatic increase in trees where our heat islands are the hottest.

      I am co-founder of the non-profit developer of the West Louisville FoodPort, where we will plant hundreds of trees on what is now a barren brownfield; build a 2-acre demonstration farm for Jefferson County Extension to operate; and are looking for partners to develop a nursery to grow native trees for planting in West Louisville, creating job opportunities and cleaner air at the same time. We need to ask other developers to do the same.

      How would you strike a balance between preservation, development, and economic development in Louisville?
      Any question about balance is hard to answer simply. Rather than use the sometimes-polarizing words in the question I will emphasize community and authenticity. Moving Louisville forward should be done wherever possible in a way that also strengthens our greatest assets – our sense of community and our distinctive identity.

      Authentic engagement (supported by technology) can give people a chance to shape a future that they want to own, one that incorporates boldness and growth. The right strategy for Louisville will be one that is different from other cities, because it uses our existing resources (historic, natural and cultural) and because we execute it in a way that always aims to strengthen (rather than weaken or divide) our sense of community.

      At the West Louisville FoodPort we did that when we removed plans to include an anaerobic biodigester in the project; we strengthened the project by listening to our neighbors.

      Josh White

      Did not respond.

      Charles Terry Wooden

      Highlands

      Have often do you walk to work or for basic errands?
      A few times a month

      Have often do you take transit to commute to work or for basic errands?
      A few times a month

      How often do you ride a bike to get to work or for errands?
      Never

      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?
      Somewhat safe

      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.
      Agree

      Walkable and transit-oriented development should be promoted over auto-oriented development.
      Strongly Agree

      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.
      Bardstown Road Business corridor and Cherokee Park are amoung my favorite places. The Highlands has some very unique shops and art galleries including; Edenside, Clay and Cotton, Leather Heads, Doo Wop and Guitar Emporium. In addition we have fine dinning like Bristol, Jack Fry’s, Uptown and more. One of the best locations in Kentucky for food and fun.

      What’s the biggest issue facing your district and how would you address it?
      Lingering effects of the slow economy mixed with inequality of the one percent wealthy and struggling middle class top the list of biggest issues. This effects our planning for the future in developing reduced energy transportation like electrical mass transit. I will focus on improving the infrastructure of the 8th district by bringing in higher paying jobs to Louisville. Improving opportunities for youth to get quality educations and work on large scale projects that improve transportation within the city and between local larger cities.

      In three sentences, what does Metro Council do?
      Metro Council works at the most direct level with Neighborhood groups, business associations and individuals to formulate goals for their district. Representatives take that information to the city council working with all communities to develop the best plan for the city. Representatives work with individuals to solve problems for citizens in their district, using Neighborhood Funds in the best possible way for the betterment of all.

      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.
      Putting up flashing lights at crosswalks like the one near Highland Cleaners, and Krispy Kreme. These flashing lights would be initiated by the user to cross so cars will know in advance of someone wanting to cross.

      What does responsible development look like in Louisville and in your district? What would you do to promote responsible development in Louisville?
      Responsible development in the 8th district includes developing transportation systems that take cars off streets and makes getting from locations easy for travelers. Making the infrastructure better for future generations. I would improve public transportation and bring in high paying jobs for our citizens.

      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?
      Reduce reliance on automobiles by improving public transportation and creating more green spaces. Protecting from urban sprawl by making resources available and giving incentives for people to live in exsiting population centers.

      How would you strike a balance between preservation, development, and economic development in Louisville?
      Decisions on determining our future have to be made on serving the people. We must make decisions that benefit the 8th district and can be sustainable with the effort of protecting and improving the environment.

      Optional open response. Discuss any issue in Louisville relating to land use, development, transportation, preservation, or health.
      I believe all of these issues come under the heading of improving public transportation by creating a light rail system to transport citizens quickly and effectively through out the city. If Transportation is excellent people will be able to reduce their reliance on automobiles helping the environment and improving their personal health by walking.

      Sixteen priority transportation projects aim to remake Louisville into a multimodal city

      By Broken Sidewalk -
      4

      The newly released Move Louisville 20-year transportation plan is full of ambitious ideas for the future of the city. Among its recommendations are 16 priority projects that the city hopes to see built in the next two decades.

      Some are already underway, like planning for a makeover to Dixie Highway or a road diet on Lexington Road, but others are new ideas, like making Broadway a complete street or redesigning the intersection of Story Avenue and Main Street.

      Each of these projects hopes to push Move Louisville’s goals of fixing current infrastructure first rather than building new roads and reducing the astronomical number of miles Louisvillians drive each day by improving mode choice and reducing the number of short trips made by car. Also, don’t miss Broken Sidewalk’s critical analysis of the Move Louisville plan over here.

      We like most of what we see here, with three notable exceptions: plans to build new roads with the intention of spurring development in rural parts of Jefferson County. No more sprawl, please! But the other 13 ideas make a lot of sense.

      We’ve listed all 16 of Move Louisville’s priority projects below, using the language from the pages of the Move Louisville report (Click an image to make it larger). Take some time to peruse the projects and let us know which ones you’re looking forward to in the comments below.

      And while you’re at it, please take time to drop a note to Metro Louisville during the plan’s public comment period to let them know that you support boosting transit and walkability and don’t want to see any more sprawl. The public input form is at the bottom of this page.

      PrevNext

      1. East/West Transit Corridors

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      A clear east-west/cross-town transit connection was a top request during the Move Louisville process and a top need for citizens and employers. A cross-town route connecting Dixie Highway to Westport Road has the potential to connect major work places around the city – from Riverport to UPS and from the Renaissance South Business Park to the Bluegrass Commerce Center – allowing easier and faster access from residential neighborhoods to job centers. Two major routes are proposed, one just inside the Watterson Expressway and one just inside the Snyder Freeway. Improved roadway connections, stop improvements and perhaps even new rights-of-way will be needed to implement clear and functional transit routes. Additional funds will be needed to cover the operational costs of these new and improved routes.

      2. Transforming Dixie Highway / Bus Rapid Transit

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      Dixie Highway is one of Louisville’s major economic corridors and one of the most densely traveled, carrying the highest number of transit users in the system (when the Dixie- Preston route is considered as a whole). The corridor also is one of Louisville’s most dysfunctional and dangerous, with a fatal crash rate that is over 3 times the rate of similar roadways nation-wide. A redesign and rebuild is necessary

      to create a safe, efficient and economically successful multi- modal corridor. The state has funded the first 2 phases of improvements to the corridors, and Metro received a US Department of Transportation TIGER grant for assistance in the installation of a BRT line. Additional funds will be needed to cover the operational costs of these new and improved routes.

      3. Broadway Complete Street / Bus Rapid Transit

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      Move Louisville recommends a complete street retrofit of Broadway from Shawnee Park to Baxter Avenue to include fixed guide-way BRT, two-way cycle track and pedestrian safety improvements. The project scope should include the following:

      +Changed roadway design to increase transit speed, reliability and efficiency
      +Enhanced stations and rider amenities to improve the transit user experience
      +Enhanced bicycle and pedestrian access to frequent high- capacity transit services
      +Operational plan including extension of BRT line southeast on Bardstown Road

      Given that Broadway is the location of the Kentucky Derby Parade, future plans should coordinate with the Kentucky Derby Festival.

      4. Preston Corridor Premium Transit

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      While the land uses along Preston are not yet fully supportive of premium transit, much of the Preston corridor has the fundamentals for infill development that could allow it to transform over time into a true premium transit corridor.

      In the short term, improving frequency and running times through approaches such as limited peak hour bus lanes and consolidated stops will help to maximize transit ridership and improve choice along the corridor.

      5. Oxmoor Farm Bridges and Access

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      Transportation infrastructure is the key to unlocking this ideally situated undeveloped parcel of land. With multi-modal streets and a planned mixed-use, multi-generational dense development, this site – the largest of its kind in the city – could be transformed into a district of superior urban quality, livability and accessibility. New bridges and roads also have the potential to ease congestion in the area and provide new connectivity points. A mixed-use development plan has been approved for the site. Public investment in the infrastructure for this opportunity should be linked to significant density and a mix of uses.

      6. Urton Lane Corridor Improvements

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      Completing the planned extension of Urton Lane from Middletown to Taylorsville Road, will provide a long-needed local thoroughfare expediting the movement of goods and services and facilitating shorter and more efficient commutes for residents working and doing business in the area.

      7. East Louisville Connectivity

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      The rapidly-developing area around the newly opened Parklands of Floyds Fork will bring network connectivity issues. Transportation should be addressed holistically to accommodate new development and all modes of travel where appropriate. It is anticipated that many of the larger projects will be focused on Interstate improvements. For example, a new interchange and connector road from KY 148 to US 60 (Shelbyville Road) on I-64, will greatly increase accessibility. Strategically improving existing rights of way and building a limited number of new connector roads will accommodate access to the Parklands of Floyds Fork and adjacent areas.

      8. West Louisville Connectivity

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      Conversion of one-way streets to two-way streets and improved maintenance of the street, bicycle and pedestrian networks will support reinvestment throughout West Louisville. Investments along Muhammad Ali Boulevard and Market Street near the West Louisville Food Port provide an example of how transportation infrastructure can support private development.

      9. Downtown / Edge Neighborhood Two-Way Streets

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      Louisville’s downtown street network should be converted from one-way to two-way to increase the livability of the affected neighborhoods for both residents and visitors. Studies show that regardless of the size of the city, a one- way to two-way street conversion increases the efficiency of downtown networks, enhances economic activity and creates more walkable neighborhoods. The related conversion to two-way movement of Mellwood Avenue/Story Avenue and of 15th Street/16th Street – each made one way decades ago during construction of I-64 – will further support revitalization in the edge neighborhoods of Butchertown, Smoketown, Portland and Russell.

      10. River Road Complete Street / Extension

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      Extending River Road westward from its current terminus at 7th Street will provide connections between east Louisville/ downtown and the Portland and Russell neighborhoods, and the future Waterfront Park Phase IV. Improvements to the existing portion of River Road need to make the road safer for all modes of travel.

      11. Reimagine Ninth Street

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      The Ninth Street and the I-64/Ninth Street Interchange create a wall between downtown and the Russell and Portland neighborhoods. Reimagining the Ninth Street corridor as a true urban boulevard will preserve access to downtown Louisville and West Louisville while potentially creating nearly 10 blocks of development opportunities within and near the over-dimensioned footprint of the existing interchange and redevelop opportunities throughout the corridor.

      12. Main Street / Story Avenue Intersection Redesign

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      The eastern terminus of Main Street is oddly designed, difficult to understand and unsafe for pedestrians. The reconstruction of the intersection at Story Avenue, Main Street and Baxter Avenue will improve safety and support the two-way operation of downtown streets. The project also supports economic development in the Butchertown, Phoenix Hill and NuLu areas.

      13. Improved Sidewalk Connectivity

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      Sidewalks are the building blocks of an effective pedestrian network. There are currently more than 2,000 miles of sidewalks in Louisville Metro, yet many areas in the city do not have sidewalks at all. Metro is committed to increasing the connectivity of sidewalks by adding 150 miles of new sidewalks along corridors with high pedestrian demand. Examples of corridors include Dixie Highway, Preston Highway and Newburg Road

      14. Central Bicycle Network

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      Reducing VMT, increasing the use of alternative transportation modes and acheiving the corresponding health improvements requires providing more options for short trips. Added to the goal of reduced VMT, Louisville residents expressed a desire to get around the city by bike. A network of extensive, yet inexpensive and relatively easy- to-implement bike facilities – connected to transit – in the downtown and the central neighborhoods is a logical first step. A strong, connected core network will also support the success of the city’s bike share program.

      15. Louisville Loop

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      The Louisville Loop is a shared-use path system of more than 100 miles around Louisville Metro that will connect residents and visitors to parks, jobs, transit, schools and other destinations. The Loop network will also include connections via the Olmsted Parkways and other connecting trails. By early 2016, approximately 50 miles of the Loop has been completed. However, additional funding is needed to design and build approximately 65 more miles.

      16. Lexington Road Complete Street

      (Courtesy Move Louisville / Montage by Broken Sidewalk)

      Reconfiguring Lexington Road as a complete street to address safety issues will improve efficiency and enhances future redevelopment opportunities.

      Does Move Louisville have legs? A critical analysis of Louisville’s 20-year transportation plan

      By Branden Klayko -
      3

      On Thursday morning, Mayor Greg Fischer and officials from Metro Louisville unveiled the year-and-a-half late transportation plan, Move Louisville. In the report, the city issued two major priorities to guide transportation spending and policy in Louisville in coming decades: to maintain existing infrastructure ahead of building new and to significantly reduce the vehicle miles traveled by Louisville motorists.

      “Move Louisville takes a holistic approach to our transportation system,” Mayor Fischer said at the plan’s unveiling. He said the city’s existing transportation system is valued at $5 billion, making it an asset worth maintaining—one of the city’s main talking points. “We have two top priorities,” the Mayor continued. “The first we call ‘Fix it First.’ That is fixing our existing infrastructure so we can maintain what works best. The second is reducing the number of miles that Louisvillians drive. We’ll do that by increasing the number of mobility options.”

      And the mayor plans to reduce the vehicle miles travelled (VMT) in Louisville by a significant number. In Jefferson County in 2014, motorists travelled over 7 billion miles—that’s enough miles to travel to the moon and back 15,211 times. The equals out to more than 19,178,082 miles each day (42 trips to the moon and back). Move Louisville suggests a reduction in VMT by roughly one trip to the moon and back—500,000 miles—or 2.6 percent or the daily miles driven in Louisville. But over a year those miles add up: a daily 500,000 mile reduction equates to 182,500,000 miles (397 trips to the moon and back). That’s not pocket change.

      To achieve that reduction, Move Louisville is focusing on the shortest trips that can easily be converted to walking, biking, or taking transit. According to the document, 50 percent of all automobile trips made are three miles or less, with 28 percent of trips being a mile or less. Those trips, especially in the latter category, should not involve driving an automobile.

      04-move-louisville-planMove Louisville also delves into more systematic ways to reduce driving, including meaningful investments in transit, promoting mixed-use, walkable nodes of development, and building complete streets to make walking and biking easy and safe. But those projects, while the most likely to affect change, are also among the most difficult to actually get built.

      08-move-louisville-planTo meet these goals and others, Move Louisville lists 16 priority transportation projects valued at $762 million and eight policy priorities to guide the city through 2035. The report lists a number of recommendations, from increasing street safety to finding alternative funding mechanisms for increased transportation spending.

      But one of the biggest benefits of Move Louisville is that it exists at all—many transportation grants require such a plan as a base requirement. A plan of this scope is a major achievement—one that Louisville Forward Chief Mary Ellen Wiederwohl said was worth taking extra time to get right. “It is a very complicated and expensive plan,” Wiederwohl said at a press conference Thursday. “So before we rolled it out, we wanted to be really sure we understood how much it would cost, what the various options would be.”

      Move Louisville is filled with ambition for a multi-modal city that can bring about a healthier Louisville with more and better options for residents. It calls for significant increases in transportation spending to maintain the city’s crumbling infrastructure and to build new projects. The plan is certainly no small undertaking. But does it go far enough and call for the change we really need in Louisville right now? Let’s dig in.

      Is Move Louisville strong enough?

      05-move-louisville-planReading through the Move Louisville plan, it’s easy to become enamored with the 16 priority projects. Were they to be implemented overnight, Louisville would be a very different place. One where walking, biking, and transit, while still not equal with automobile transport, would at least be more convenient, more respected mode choices. And Louisville would be a healthier place with fewer people driving, especially for short trips.

      The report details proposals like highway removal at Ninth Street, Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) along major arterials, expanding Louisville’s bike and pedestrian networks, and pushing complete street principles to the fore of roadway design.

      But as I read and re-read the Move Louisville report, I’m left wondering how much of this is actually achievable. There are a lot of unanswered questions, questionable proposals, and few teeth behind much of what is being offered.

      Now don’t take this as a dismissal of the plan outright, I would certainly love to see Move Louisville’s vision take shape and be implemented. But it’s going to be very difficult for Louisville to live up to the lofty aspirations of a dozen prized transportation projects. Louisville has some major challenges when it comes to transportation, and any significant improvement will be tough, will require fearless leadership, and will require taking on the status quo head on.

      The reality is that Louisville is already a decade behind other cities in realizing these priorities. We’re trailing peer cities in metric after metric when it comes to livable streets, transit and bike ridership, and healthy lifestyle, and Louisville needs strong leadership and a heavy dose of reality to quicken our pace and catch up. We can’t wait until 2035 to be where the competition already is today.

      Facing a stark reality

      02-move-louisville-planTo get a better picture, it’s important to know the situation on the ground, and Move Louisville does a terrific job documenting what we’re up against. Let’s take a look.

      Move Louisville puts data behind what we already know: Louisvillians drive—a lot. “In comparison to our regional peer cities and the nation, Louisville’s percentage of residents driving to work alone is high,” Move Louisville reads. Almost 82 percent of Louisville’s 344,000 workers drive to work alone each day. “For example, 72% of Cincinnati’s residents drive alone, while Nashville’s and the nation’s rates stand at 80% and 76%, respectively.” Some 89 percent of Louisville households have one or more automobiles.

      10-move-louisville-planAnd that’s impacting the city’s air pollution. “In Jefferson County, on road sources—cars, trucks, buses, etc.—are responsible for up to 35% of the emissions of NOx and roughly 20% of the emissions of VOCs (the two compounds that combine to produce ground-level ozone),” Move Louisville reads. “Poor air quality in our urban areas is linked to increases in asthma and other illnesses. Yet if each resident in a community of 100,000 replaced one car trip with one bike trip just once a month, it would cut carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 3,764 tons per year in the community.”

      At the other end of the spectrum, only three percent of people in Louisville take transit to work. That’s only 10,320 people out of Metro Louisville’s pool of 344,000 workers. Locally, ten percent of households do not own a car, making them reliant on transit, biking, or walking.

      But worse, owning a car is causing economic hardship for the majority of Louisville households. Move Louisville reports that 66 percent of Louisville households that own cars are paying more than 45 percent of their income to housing and transportation. That places “a significant cost burden on low and moderate income households.”

      These are serious obstacles that impact the health and quality of life of Louisville citizens and the environment in which they live. They’re going to require leadership to recognize the problems, explain the grim situation to the population, and push for change in a timely manner.

      A road-building binge

      Move Louisville continues with more cold facts. Louisville, with the help of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, has been on a spending spree of new roads for over half a century as the city sprawls ever outward. Other cities have long been curtailing that expensive and destructive trend. According to Move Louisville, “in 2012, pavement and bridge preservation allocations accounted for 43% of the total funds administered by Indianapolis. By comparison, 15% of the funds programmed in Louisville’s TIP are devoted to system preservation.”

      11-move-louisville-plan“The majority of the regional transportation funding continues to be applied to new roadway construction or capacity projects with $37.4 million (61%) programmed for these projects in the 2015-2018 TIP,” Move Louisville reads. “These programmed funds include federal, state and local transportation appropriations. Prioritizing capacity and expansion projects over system preservation compounds the maintenance problem.”

      Demonstrating just how overbuilt the city’s automotive infrastructure is today, Louisville’s motorists generally have half the commute time of a Louisville transit rider. “Average commute times in Louisville are fairly low, with nearly 67% of the workforce taking less than 25 minutes to travel to work,” Move Louisville reports. “For those who use public transportation, commute times are longer; with over half of the workforce taking public transportation reporting that their travel times to work took 45 minutes or longer and nearly 36% reporting commute times of over one hour.”

      For transit to be a viable solution, it’s got to be the most convenient one. You’re not going to convince someone to get out of his or her car and stand by a pole on the side of Shelbyville Road on an unsheltered patch of dirt to make an hour long commute to work—or to run a short errand. They’re going to continue using their cars because that’s the system we’ve invested in for more than 60 years at the expense of all others.

      More subsidy for sprawl

      The mayor’s “Fix-it-First” priority is certainly a welcome policy. “Meeting the Move Louisville goals requires a substantial investment in maintaining the operational functions and physical infrastructure of the system,” the report reads.

      Move Louisville estimates that the region’s current maintenance deficit is $288 million. According to the city, it will cost $112 to repair the 30 percent of city streets rated as deficient, with another $27 million required to rehab bridges and culverts. To fix Louisville’s sidewalk network, it will cost far more: $86 million is required to repair ten percent of the city’s existing 2,200 miles of sidewalks and another $112 million to fill in gaps in the sidewalk network—many of which create extremely dangerous situations for Louisville pedestrians.

      Annually, Louisville faces an on-going maintenance cost of $17.75 million, with $17.5 million going to repaving, bridge/culvert rehab, and signage, striping, and traffic signals. Only $250,000 annually—1.4 percent—goes toward sidewalks, which will require $198 million to bring into good repair.

      The plan recommends reallocating our current funding model to tackle maintenance and build the priority projects at a cost of $69.7 million annually over the next 20 years. “These recommendations represent a significant shift away from road capacity projects and seek to enhance system preservation, improve road operations, implement complete streets and enhance transit and active transportation modes,” the report said.

      One of Move Louisville's priority projects is building roads to assist in developing this rural part of Jefferson County.
      One of Move Louisville’s priority projects is building roads to assist in developing this rural part of Jefferson County.

      But that doesn’t mean Louisville won’t continue to build sprawl. Move Louisville states that it would allow “for enhancement and expansion projects to be brought on board as funding allows.” That’s the standard road building practice we’ve been stuck with for decades. Further, three of Move Louisville’s 16 priority transportation projects—comprising a full third of the cost for all 16 priorities—call for new road building on the edges of Jefferson County to promote more development in the hinterlands.

      Those three projects are the $160 million “East Louisville Connectivity” proposal that would expand an interstate highway and build new roads to accommodate development in one of the last rural parts of the county:

      The rapidly-developing area around the newly opened Parklands of Floyds Fork will bring network connectivity issues. Transportation should be addressed holistically to accommodate new development and all modes of travel where appropriate. It is anticipated that many of the larger projects will be focused on Interstate improvements. For example, a new interchange and connector road from KY 148 to US 60 (Shelbyville Road) on I-64, will greatly increase accessibility. Strategically improving existing rights of way and building a limited number of new connector roads will accommodate access to the Parklands of Floyds Fork and adjacent areas.

      The $40 million “Urton Lane Corridor Improvements” proposal that would build a new road through farmland near the Gene Snyder / Interstate 265 to speed up automobile travel times:

      Completing the planned extension of Urton Lane from Middletown to Taylorsville Road, will provide a long-needed local thoroughfare expediting the movement of goods and services and facilitating shorter and more efficient commutes for residents working and doing business in the area.

      And the $54 million “Oxmoor Farm Bridges and Access” proposal that would seek to develop a large farm behind Oxmoor Mall by paying for new roads and bridges into the area:

      Transportation infrastructure is the key to unlocking this ideally situated undeveloped parcel of land. With multi-modal streets and a planned mixed-use, multi-generational dense development, this site – the largest of its kind in the city – could be transformed into a district of superior urban quality, livability and accessibility. New bridges and roads also have the potential to ease congestion in the area and provide new connectivity points. A mixed-use development plan has been approved for the site. Public investment in the infrastructure for this opportunity should be linked to significant density and a mix of uses.

      With 20 percent of Move Louisville’s priority projects certain to create more sprawl and dependence on the automobile, something isn’t right.

      I put the question to Louisville Forward Chief Mary Ellen Wiederwohl on Thursday: “We’ve got to do it all to remain economically competitive and provide that high quality of life for the talent we want to attract,” she said. “We’ve got to protect this $5 billion asset we have and then plan for the areas where we can grow intelligently.”

      In his introduction to Move Louisville, Mayor Fischer wrote, “Balancing the needs of the system over our nearly 400 square miles means that difficult choices must be made.” The number one difficult choice must be to stop spending public money to help develop greenfields out in the suburbs.

      Will Frankfort buy in?

      One of the biggest uncertainties in the Move Louisville plan is whether any of its lofty ideals will be able to take root along the city’s state-controlled arterial network.

      To start out, the Move Louisville plan gets the language right:

      In Louisville the mix of higher speeds and pedestrian activity is most prevalent along the larger arterial streets that lead from the suburban communities into downtown (Dixie Highway, Preston Highway, etc.). These arterial thoroughfares have been designed for high speeds and traffic volumes. As the context of these thoroughfares change (sic) over time, such as to walkable, compact mixed-use areas, the speed encouraged by the design becomes a matter of concern. Higher speeds result in a higher percentage of injury and fatality crashes. By reducing speeds through enforcement, design and technology, and adding enhancements for the comfort and safety of all users, a balance can be achieved between moving cars and moving people.

      But the KYTC has repeatedly stymied efforts in Louisville to slow down traffic, redesign streets for people, add bike facilities, or make even the slightest change to its network of high-speed arterials through our local neighborhoods.The state agency is concerned, first and foremost, with engineering streets for the efficiency of moving cars quickly. Everything else has taken a back seat.

      Still, Mayor Fischer remained optimistic when asked about this concern at Thursday’s press conference: “We are somewhat unique compared to the needs of rural areas of the state,” Fischer said. “Having a state transportation department that thinks about the unique needs of the city is critical. We’ve seen progress in that in the last couple years, but that will be another area of emphasis.”

      Fischer said that the Move Louisville plan would go a long way toward convincing state engineers of the efficacy of Louisville’s multi-modal goals. “For us now to have a plan that we can go and talk to them about specific projects is important,” Fischer continued. “As they become more specific we anticipate we’ll have good teamwork along the way.”

      But Move Louisville is a local plan crafted at the municipal level. No state officials were present at its unveiling and none were on the Move Louisville Project Team (although three KYTC representatives were on its advisory committee). We’re rooting for Metro Louisville to reform KYTC’s views of urban roadways, but the evidence to support such a change is simply not there.

      Beyond shifting the paradigm on street design, Metro Louisville must also convince KYTC to change its long-standing protocol for funding transportation projects. “It might be radical for what we’ve done in this state, but it’s certainly not radical for what’s going on in other cities and other states,” Fischer said. “It’s about talking about each of the projects and the principles we have in place. They know we’re a different kettle of fish here in Louisville. It’s a stage that we have to move through.”

      Fischer cited pending changes to the Dixie Highway corridor as a success story for working with the state to achieve local safety goals. “You can see how we’ve had success in that area when we take on projects like the Dixie Highway Do-Over—a big project, broken down into three parts, the state involved in each of those parts, the federal government involved in the TIGER grant,” Fischer said. “That’s how we’re going to have to approach all these different projects.”

      Louisville would do well to establish some kind of local control from the state of all surface roads in the city. We shouldn’t have to go to the state to explain the nuances of each little project or change we want to make to get an out-of-towners blessing on making our neighborhood streets safer. Creating a protocol where Louisville can make changes to its own streets on its own terms should be a priority if we’re to take street safety seriously.

      Complete Streets

      06-move-louisville-plan
      Diagram of a redesigned intersection of Story, Main, Mellwood, and Baxter.

      Among the goals of Move Louisville is to make complete street principles the norm as we recreate our transportation network. Another great proposal from the plan. But that’s easier said than done.

      Louisville published a detailed, 156-page report titled the “Metro Louisville Complete Streets Manual” in 2007 and has had a complete streets ordinance on the books since 2008 that requires new streets and street retrofits to incorporate complete street principles. But in the past decade, Louisville has fallen short on delivering meaningful complete street coverage, as detailed in a recent op-ed by Bicycling for Louisville President Chris Glasser.

      “The impact of the ordinance has not been robust both because the Louisville Land Development Code was not updated to include complete streets requirements for private development and new innovations in bicycle facility design have occurred since the ordinance’s passage,” Move Louisville wrote. But given the ease of acquiring sidewalk waivers and the “flexibility” with which we treat the land development code, it’s unclear whether that would have actually made a difference.

      Still, it’s better that complete streets are codified in the most efficient way to bring about their implementation. “The next steps are to update the street design standards and the Louisville Development Code to implement the desired complete streets outcomes,” Move Louisville continued. “These steps should be part of a formal Complete Streets Implementation Strategy.”

      With Louisville’s complete streets strategy clearly not working today, I asked city officials what needed to change to make it “the norm” as Move Louisville hopes to do. “We as Metro Government need to put a working group together,” Jeff O’Brien, deputy director of advanced planning at Develop Louisville, said. “We are looking at the way we currently accomplish road infrastructure projects. It’s really taking our existing resources and looking at them holistically and making sure that when we make these decisions on where bicycle facilities and sidewalks and road paving projects go, that we are looking at the range of users and the range of options we have for reallocating our rights of way.”

      Will there be citizen demand?

      07-move-louisville-planWith everything Louisville is up against when it comes to transportation, strong leadership is needed to guide the city through these shifts in practice and policy. The potential backlash against some of these proposals is real, and our leaders must keep the city on course.

      Luckily, Mayor Fischer did just that at Move Louisville press conference when asked how he would respond to motorists upset that an emphasis on pedestrians and cyclists would slow down their commute. “Our data shows that’s not the case,” said plainly, dismissing the criticism. “You’ll recall all of the consternation over the diet of Lower Brownsboro Road… The data that we have now shows it’s a safer road and the commute hasn’t changed in any kind of material way. People will have to adapt, there’s no doubt about that.” It’s this kind of leadership we hope shines through as Move Louisville progresses.

      But during the present 60-day comment period, it’s citizen demand that will be responsible for determining what parts of Move Louisville are prioritized. And given the way some developments have recently played out in this city, perhaps politicians need this type of hands-off period to fend off the notion that Metro Louisville is forcing people out of their cars and onto the bus. “This plan is not anti-automobile,” Fischer said. “It’s a forward-looking plan for the 21st century.”

      But that adds a new level of uncertainty to some of Move Louisville’s most forward-thinking ideas. Will the public in a city so set it its ways about driving rally to fund transit and make streets safer for everyone? Even if it means they themselves might need to drive less or pay more for parking?

      We certainly hope Louisvillians will see the overwhelming benefits of the ideas presented in Move Louisville and how they can benefit everyone in the community—whether you’re on foot or behind the wheel. And to that end, we hope that you will take the time to submit a comment in favor of reshaping Louisville’s transportation system in many of the ways Move Louisville suggests.

      “What we really need to hear right now from citizens is, ‘hey, we need this stuff’,” Fischer said. “The kind of demand we get from citizens, or lack of it, will encourage or discourage Metro Council from seeking additional forms of revenue.”

      Conclusion

      09-move-louisville-planSo you made it through all of that—well done. We’ve spent so much time analyzing the Move Louisville report only because it’s such an important document for the future of the city. And like Louisville Forward, we want to see it done right as well. Move Louisville is not a perfect plan, but it is a good start—and a major leap forward in terms of visualizing what a progressive set of priorities Louisville needs to be competitive in its future and healthy and safe for its citizens at home.

      I support the Move Louisville plan, and I hope we accomplish most of what’s laid out in its 110 pages (but please not those three sprawl-building projects!). I hope that the city can work with the state to figure out how to redesign Louisville streets to be safe for everyone. It’s important to understand, after all, that arterials run through neighborhoods just like any other street. They should add to the neighborhoods they pass through rather than be treated as open sewers for vehicle traffic.

      It’s clear that Mayor Fischer and his team at Metro Louisville understand that change is needed. And they know how to put it in terms of economic development to create multiple stories about why infrastructure is important. “We’re competing for talent and business with other cities,” Fischer said. “And as you travel around the country, you see all types of investment in the types of proposals we’re putting forth in this plan. If we want to keep our economic momentum going, we have to do likewise.”

      But those cities currently building the proposals just made public in Move Louisville have a significant head start, and it’s time Louisville catches up. It won’t be easy, cheap, or sometimes politically palatable, but it’s imperative for the future of the city.

      Don’t get distracted by Move Louisville’s hints at streetcars or the plans shunning of light rail. Louisville has a long way to go and those conversations will inevitably resurface as progress is made. Bus Rapid Transit, when implemented correctly, can be a transformational project for a city. But even before that, we need to have some serious discussions about fully funding TARC and investing in transit infrastructure—from shelters to sidewalks to service frequency—that will make the option attractive enough to get people out of their cars. That, in itself, could easily stretch on for 20 years. But Move Louisville looks much further, and I hope it succeeds.

      This analysis covered some of the highlights of Move Louisville and some of its potential pitfalls, but there’s much more to the plan that we didn’t have time to discuss, from parking to transit policy to logistics and activity nodes. Those are just as important to get right as reducing the number of miles Louisvillians drive, and we’ll get to them in time. But for now, please take time to offer your feedback to the city on the Move Louisville plan.

      Study: Higher speed limits killed 33,000 people from 1993 to 2013

      By Branden Klayko -
      0

      Increasing speed limits led to 33,000 traffic deaths from 1993 to 2013, including 1,900 deaths in 2013, “essentially canceling out the number of lives saved by frontal airbags that year,” says a report by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Charles Farmer, IIHS vice president for research & statistical services and lead author of the report, said “Although fatality rates fell during the study period, they would have been much lower if not for states’ decisions to raise speed limits.”

      (Courtesy IIHS)
      (Courtesy IIHS)

      The researchers said 33,000 deaths is a low estimate. They “considered only increases in the maximum speed limit, which often applies only to rural interstates, but many states also increased speed limits on urban interstates. Other states increased speed limits on one section of road and later extended the higher limit to other sections. Those subsequent changes weren’t factored in.” Since 2013, several states have increased speed limits.

      Maximum speed limits as of January 2013. (Courtesy IIHS)
      Maximum speed limits as of January 2013. (Courtesy IIHS)

      The study looked at 41 states and Washington D.C., with nine states omitted “because they had relatively few vehicle miles traveled each year, leading to wide fluctuations in their annual fatality rates,” reports IIHS. Researchers “looked at deaths per billion miles traveled by state and roadway type. Taking into account other factors that affected the fatality rate—including changes in unemployment, the number of potential young drivers (ages 16-24) and per capita alcohol consumption—researchers found that each 5 mph increase in the maximum speed limit resulted in a 4 percent increase in fatalities. The increase on interstates and freeways, the roads most affected by state maximums, was 8 percent.”

      [Editor’s Note: This article has been cross-posted from the Rural Blog. Top image by Doug Kerr / Flickr.]

      Old Louisville gets a boost with new offices at the Edison Center

      By Branden Klayko -
      2
      (J. L. Jordan Photography)

      We recently took a deep dive into the issue of Oak Street in Old Louisville and what it will take to revive that commercial thoroughfare. One of the critical components of creating a strong Old Louisville is creating a neighborhood that’s more than a bedroom community. And that means jobs. Luckily, some 300 city workers have recently moved into a large warehouse on Old Louisville’s western edge.

      (J. L. Jordan Photography)
      (J. L. Jordan Photography)

      The so-called Edison Center at 701 West Ormsby Avenue is the work of City Properties Group and is beginning to see new life after a lengthy renovation. The structure previously was used by LG&E as a service building. Situated in the center of a flat, partially contaminated site, the Edison Center has plenty of room to add new buildings. And City Properties Group plans to do just that in an effort to create an Innovation District in the neighborhood.

      1 of 9
      (J. L. Jordan Photography)
      (J. L. Jordan Photography)
      (J. L. Jordan Photography)
      (J. L. Jordan Photography)
      (J. L. Jordan Photography)
      (J. L. Jordan Photography)
      (J. L. Jordan Photography)
      (J. L. Jordan Photography)
      (J. L. Jordan Photography)

      The nearly completed first phase office building began with strong bones, which shine through in new photos of the building’s second and third floors by J. L. Jordan Photography shared by the developers today. An open floor plan allows natural light from the structure’s enormous windows to flood the deep floor plates. White paint, a generally modern aesthetic, and punches of bright color add to the vibrancy.

      According to City Properties Group, the complete building will include private meeting rooms, a media room, and a cafe on the first floor. The building is scheduled to be completely finished in late May. Besides the 300 Metro Louisville employees calling the building home, additional office space is also available for lease.

      Those 300 city workers were relocated from structures at 810 and 850 Barret Avenue where mold was discovered to be creating unsafe working conditions. The city departments located in the Edison Center include the Air Pollution Control District, Community Services, Community Action Partnership, Jefferson County Clerk, LMPD Narcotics Division, and the Jefferson County Coroner, according to a February 2015 city press release. The city signed a 15-year lease with City Properties Group for the space.

      The fate of that large complex in the Paristown Pointe neighborhood remains uncertain.

       

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