LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lexington officials with the office of Mayor Linda Gorton said there are no plans to cover up the rainbow design on a crosswalk downtown after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy issued a report that he says showed a lack of safety due to the design.
Officials added, "When we put it in we were careful to use a design that did not cause traffic concerns. We feel it meets the federal requirements regarding crosswalks."
On July 1, the U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy issued an open letter asking Governor Andy Beshear to join the SAFE ROADS program, which the department said is aimed at improving safety of roadways.
Duffy issued the following statement highlighting what he says is a distracting crosswalk in the city:
“Roads are for safety, not political messages or artwork. Today I am calling on governors in every state to ensure that roadways, intersections, and crosswalks are kept free of distractions,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Far too many Americans die each year to traffic fatalities to take our eye off the ball. USDOT stands ready to help communities across the country make their roads safer and easier to navigate.”
A July release from the department listed the goals of the SAFE ROAD program:
- Get back to basics – use data-driven decisions and target safety and mobility investments.
- Empower states and local governments to simplify and improve roadway environments.
- Make roads safer and easier to navigate for pedestrians, vehicle operators, and automated vehicles alike.
The release said that according to data compiled by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over half of roadway fatalities in the U.S. occurred on non-freeway/expressway arterials in 2023..
On Friday, Aug. 22, Communications Director for Governor Beshear released a statement:
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is not aware of any such crosswalks on state roads. If any city or town created crosswalks like these to support or lift up their residents, Gov. Andy Beshear supports their locally controlled decision.
