LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lexington's newly formed Street Safety Task Force is working to address immediate road safety issues through quick, cost-effective solutions while the city's longer-term Complete Streets Policy takes shape.
The task force, led by Vice Mayor Dan Wu was created in January. It focuses on three main areas: engineering, education and enforcement.
The group is set to release its first report this fall.
"This task force is really tasked to come up with some short term solutions," Wu said.
The initiative represents a shift from waiting for major infrastructure overhauls to implementing immediate fixes that can be tested and modified as needed.
"When it comes to engineering we're thinking about things like quick builds, short term fixes," Wu said.
One example of this approach wrapped up in June on East High Street between Woodland Avenue and Rose Street. The pilot project added a bike lane by reducing two lanes of car traffic to one and creating 36 parking spots.
"We didn't have to repave any roads," Wu said."Essentially, we painted a bunch of lines here and put in those little plastic stanchions."
The low-cost approach allows for flexibility in testing solutions before committing to permanent changes. If successful, the changes can remain in place without significant taxpayer expense.
"We leave it up and we haven't cost the taxpayer a whole lot of money to do it," Wu said.
The proactive approach aims to prevent safety problems from escalating.
Community input plays a crucial role in identifying problem areas. The city has created an interactive map on the Street Safety Task Force webpage where residents can drop pins to mark locations of concern.
"To make sure we're asking the public, the community what it is that they need," Wu said.
The platform addresses safety concerns across all modes of transportation, from pedestrians and cyclists to drivers and Wu adds that the task force is hoping to release recommendations in October.
The Complete Streets Policy, adopted by Urban County Council in 2022, was designed to address newly engineered projects as part of a long-term strategy for improving street safety throughout Lexington.
