LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Small businesses are asking city officials to pump the owners brakes on a plan to reconfigure traffic on parts of Frankfort Avenue because it would hurt their bottom line.
Small business owners gathered at Hillcrest Tavern Thursday evening to discuss the plan and voice their opposition.
It’s another major Louisville street where the city is trying to make changes because of safety concerns, trying to reduce the number of crashes and reduce speeding.
It would impact the section of Frankfort Avenue between Stilz Avenue and Lexington Road in Crescent Hill. The plan is to restrip the sections, reducing the number of lanes from four to three with a center turn lane.
Bike lanes would also be added, and all parking would be removed from the south side of the street.
Small business owners said the plan would hurt their foot traffic and hurt sales.
“It’s going to have a detrimental impact on numerous small businesses in this corridor and I think we can do better,” Dan Borsch, co-owner of Hillcrest Tavern, said. “I think that what we’ve seen tonight with the turnout is that there are a lot of people really upset with the current plan.”
They’re now pleading with city officials to consider the plan.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is set to repave and strip the same section of Frankfort Avenue sometime this year.
The city has made similar changes, often called a “road diet,” along other major streets like Grinstead Drive, Brownsboro Road and 3rd Street. It points to success in doing so from the decreasing number of crashes and injuries on those roads.
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