Louisville Ky metro council to hold Dixie Highway meeting

Louisville – It is a project designed to bring one of the busiest transportation corridors in Metro Louisville into the 21 Century.

On Wednesday, November 18th, several members of the Louisville Metro Council will host a Community Information Meeting to focus on the recent awarding of a $16. 9 million T.I.G.E.R Grant for the purpose of transforming Dixie Highway.

“This meeting will bring together all partners in this project who will coordinate the redesign and specific improvements to Dixie Highway,” says Councilman Rick Blackwell (D-12). “This is a massive project to bring better traffic flow, safer pedestrian crossings, innovative town center designs for economic development, and improved rapid transit for workers.”

Photo from Mayor Fischer's Facebook Page.
Photo from Mayor Fischer’s Facebook Page.

The Transforming Dixie Highway T.I.G.E.R. Grant Community Information Meeting is set for the Southwest Regional Library beginning at 6:00pm. The Library is located at 9725 Dixie Highway.

Dixie Hwy

“This is an opportunity for our constituents and business owners to get a better understanding of how we are progressing the Dixie Highway Master Plan,” says Councilman David Yates (D-25). “Dixie Highway will be seeing major improvements over the coming years because of the partnership between Federal, State and Local levels of government. I hope this meeting will help enlighten residents around the city to the major changes happening here on Dixie!”

Joining Blackwell and Yates in hosting the meeting will be Council Members Cindi Fowler (D-14), Vicki Aubrey Welch (D-13), Mary C. Woolridge (D-3), and David James (D-6).  Representatives from Congressman John Yarmuth’s (D-Kentucky) office and Shively Mayor Sherry Conner will also attend.

“Motorists have already experienced the repaving work currently underway on Dixie Highway around Bethany Lane. This grant allows local and state officials to keep moving forward with more improvements for better traffic flow,” says Fowler. “Dixie Highway is a vital transportation corridor for those of us who live and work in Southwest Jefferson County. It is a top priority for to the Southwest Council Members as well as our state representatives who have worked closely with us on this project.”

“This TIGER Grant is one received by only a few cities in the USA.  We are most fortunate in getting this funding to fast track our Dixie Do-Over project, which should kick-start economic development in the SW corridor of our city.  My hope is that other parts of South Louisville will also benefit from this initiative by having developers look our way,” says Welch.

Also attending the meeting will be Vanessa Burns, Director of Metro Public Works and related agencies of Traffic Design, Barry Barker Executive Director of TARC and related departments, Mary Ellen Wiederwohl, Chair of Louisville Forward and the Design Team of Charles Cash and Mohammad Nouri for the Dixie Highway Project.

“I want to encourage everyone from Broadway to Shively to the Gene Snyder to come out and learn more about how Dixie Highway will become a safer and more efficient way to travel through Metro Louisville,” says Woolridge.

“While motorists and pedestrians will have an easier and safer way to use this key highway, we must not forget that part of the plan is to improve public transportation and get people to and from work who cannot afford a car,” says James.

The Community Information Meeting will cover several areas including; an overview of the project, the intelligent transportation system. street safety, rapid transit, the development of town centers at key intersections and the encouragement of commercial activity.

Those who attend will have a chance to ask questions about the T.I.G.E.R. Grant. The grant will provide $16.9 million in federal funding along with an addition $12 million in state and local funding for the Dixie Do Over.

The meeting will run from 6:00pm to 8:00pm.