Neighbors push for speed bumps after teen hit near Seneca High School in Louisville

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Neighbors near Seneca High School in Louisville are pushing for major changes on their road after a teen was hit Friday.

Speeding off, slow rolls and ignored stop signs are a massive problem at the intersection of Del Rio Place and Goldsmith Lane. Mason Wilburn lives nearby and said he sees all of that constantly.

"I wish I could say I'm surprised, but I'm not," Wilburn said.

He's been advocating for change in his neighborhood for about a year. He said the neighborhood association has pushed for speed bumps for at least the past three years.

There are several churches and schools down the road. WDRB drove around and found areas without sidewalks, blocked bike lanes and abrupt endings.

Wilburn watches as kids walk to class alongside cars in front of his house.

"If someone's not paying attention, they're able to clip them right there on the edge of the road," he said.

Cars have hit several people in Louisville this year. A car hit a teen Friday about half a mile up the road near Seneca High School.

The victim ended up in the hospital. That crash amplifies Wilburn's message that the area needs more safety precautions, like speed bumps.

"How much more severe can it get before there's a fatality and that's when we take it serious," Wilburn asked.

He said one side of Goldsmith Lane is under Councilman Brent Ackerson's district. The other is under Councilman Ben Reno-Weber.

Wilburn said he's reached out to them and other leaders, but got shut down.

"They keep telling us what they can't do for us," he said. "I think it's time for them to tell us what they can do."

This issue stretches far beyond Goldsmith Lane. Over the past month, WDRB has covered stories of pedestrians getting hit on Gardiner Lane, Bardstown Road and near the airport.

Louisville Metro Police is also trying to find the driver who hit an 18-year-old riding his bike home from work Friday night.

Kingston Maestas was leaving his shift at 7 Brew when he was hit around midnight at the intersection of Dixie Highway and Valley Station Road. The driver did not stop.

While there are clear city funds for road repavement and sidewalk projects, Louisville Metro Public Works does not have a dedicated central budget for speed bumps. Funding is up to the neighborhood or its council member.

Streets for People is a nonprofit that advocates for safer roads across Louisville. It's been around for 20 years. It's president, Chris Glasser, hopes the recent tragedies will change how Louisville tackles traffic safety issues.

"Addressing it neighborhood-by-neighborhood is not the way to approach it," Glasser said. "We need to have a holistic, systematic approach at the city level."

Requests for comment from Reno-Weber and Ackerson have not been returned.