3rd District Councilwoman Praises $16.9 Million Dixie Highway Grant

Effort will invigorate District 3 for residents and businesses

The announcement of a $16.9 million federal TIGER Grant to Metro Louisville for the revamping and revitalization of Dixie Highway is drawing praise from Councilwoman Mary C. Woolridge (D-3).

The TIGER Grant along with $11 million from the Commonwealth of Kentucky will allow for the vital funding needed to implement the Dixie Highway Master Plan.

“Those of us who use Dixie Highway every day, welcome this news because it is long overdue,” says Woolridge. “The time has come to address the needs of motorists, pedestrians and the economic drivers of our area.”

The primary goals of the Transforming Dixie Highway Project are to enhance safety and aesthetics throughout the corridor. Safety improvements will include the addition of new multi-use traffic lanes, enhanced pedestrian crossings, median treatments, and state of the art traffic signalization designed to minimize commuter delays. Aesthetic improvements include the addition of landscaping, signage, and streetscape elements to enhance existing business entrances.

“Anyone who lives or works in District 3 and has had to navigate the traffic congestion at Crum Lane or the on off ramps of the Watterson Expressway know how important these traffic flow improvements are,” says Woolridge.

The TIGER Grant also focuses attention on putting new buses on the road with enhanced stops to accommodate TARC and the development of rapid transit, with lanes designated for buses only.

“While some have managed to recover from the economic downturn of 2008 and 2009, the working poor still must rely on affordable public transit to get to work,” says Woolridge. “And if we are truly concerned about sustainability, we must focus more attention on a rapid transit system that encourages us to leave our cars at home and hop on the bus.”