LOUISVILLE, Ky. — More than $21 million is heading to Kentucky to improve safety on Louisville's roadways.
The money comes from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act passed in 2021, which will give Kentucky billions of dollars over five years to improve the state's roads, bridges, railroads, riverports, airports and broadband.
"Kentucky has seen a rise in roadway fatalities over the past couple of years, creating a worrying trend," Senator Mitch McConnell said.
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg said more than 900 people have died on the city's roadways since 2014.
Greenberg said the funding will be used to launch road safety projects to "rightsize" ten areas of the Metro, which officials hope reduces the danger of roadway fatalities.
These corridors will benefit from the project:
- Wilson Avenue
- West Oak Street
- East Oak Street
- Berry Boulevard (US 60A)
- Crums Lane (KY 2049)
- River Road
- Zorn Avenue
- South 22nd Street (US 31W)
- Southern Parkway
- Louis Coleman Jr. Dr.
Design work on these projects will begin this summer. Construction is scheduled to take place in 2024 and continue through 2027.
What is "rightsizing"?
"Rightsizing," formerly known as road reconfiguration or road diets, reduces vehicle speeds so, if a crash occurs, it's less likely to result in fatal or serious injury.
According to the mayor's office, these improvements "reduce dangerous speed, reduce the number of travel lanes pedestrians must cross, create traffic calming improvements and reallocate space for refuge islands, bicycle lanes, on-street parking and transit stops."
Officials say the concept can reduce crashes between 19% and 47%.
'Game changer'
Louisville Mayor Craig Greenberg says the new grant will save lives, calling it "a game changer."
"It will no doubt save lives and prevent serious injuries and that's one of the best investments we can ever make," he said. "Public safety takes different forms and with this funding families will be able to drive, bike and walk more securely in neighborhoods across Louisville."
The federal funding will be matched with nearly $4 million in local funds and approximately $1.5 million in state funding, for a total of nearly $27 million, according to Greenberg's office.
Rightsizing Louisville For Safe Streets project looks to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries. It implements elements of the Vision Zero Louisville program.
Reimagining Ninth Street and revitalizing Broadway are two major Louisville road projects already being funded with help from the federal government.
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