LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Two busy roads in an iconic Old Louisville neighborhood could be getting a new look in an effort to improve safety for drivers, bikers and walkers.
Councilman Phillip Baker (D-6) says about 800 people have died on Louisville roads since 2016. The initiative Vision Zero looks to eventually bring the number of deaths to zero.
One of the goals is to convert part of Second Street back into a two-way street -- and Daniel Fitzgerald, the owner of MagBar, hopes that stops his corner from being a magnet for careening cars.
An SUV plowed through MagBar in Old Louisville. (Courtesy: Daniel Fitzgerald, owner of MagBar)
Light poles are not safe on either side of the road and sometimes the barriers that have been set up still aren't enough to protect walls.
"When they crash into a building, they crash hard!" said Fitzgerald. "We've had seven, eight, different times that people have actually crashed into the front of the bar."
One car even plowed into the bar inside MagBar, forcing a quick rebuild at the eclectic business.
Louisville Metro Councilman Phillip Baker lives just blocks away from the intersection of South Second Street and East Hill Street -- a busy cross-section between downtown and UofL's campus.
"When people are catching these lights, it shows a disregard for pedestrians, a disregard for traffic, for all kinds of vehicle incidents," said Baker.
He said converting Second and Third streets back into their original two-lane traffic patterns is a priority and the city is applying for a federal grant that could help pay for that extensive project. The grant would focus on Second and Third Streets between W. Broadway and W. Cardinal.
According to Vision Zero, 3rd Street had 568 total crashes between 2017-2021, while 2nd Street had 671 during that same stretch.
"You see better community, you see an accessibility and walkability to businesses. You see it better for our cyclists community," said Baker. "The intent is to make this a better neighborhood and also help with public safety."
It's a conversion that is supported by the Old Louisville Neighborhood Association, and especially Fitzgerald.
"It will bring the neighborhood back to its intended purpose," said Fitzgerald. "You know, people live on these streets, people shop on these streets."
And he wants them to feel safe on the streets and inside his bar.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said awards for the grant won't be announced until late 2023, so even if approved, it will take a while for shovels to go in the ground, and for some, that can't come soon enough.
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