LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Some have missing tires. Others have shattered windows. Many have dents and dings. Along most Louisville roadways you'll find them easily: abandoned cars.
As city leaders seek an immediate solution, Tuesday the Metro Council Public Works Committee learned a long-term fix still hasn't been found.
Maj. Dave Allen, with the Louisville Metro Police Department's Vehicle Impound Unit, told a council committee things quickly got out of hand toward the beginning of the year. Then, the towing of abandoned vehicles was paused in mid-March because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but after an "unacceptable" number of abandoned vehicles were left along roads and in neighborhoods, towing was restarted in July.
But the pause left a mark. To this day, Allen estimates that 4,000 abandoned cars remain throughout Louisville. Allen said he and his staff are working as quickly as possible.
However, some on council questioned the future of the current impound lot, which some argued Louisville has outgrown.
Some members expressed a desire for the city to establish a newer, bigger lot somewhere or even an overflow lot using council funding, but so far, solutions haven't panned out for various reasons.
"We continue to look. It's frustrating for us," said Cathy Duncan, the director of Facilities Management & Fleet Operations for Louisville. "It's really frustrating when we think we have a spot. It's ideal. It's in the area we want it. Then, it's shot down."
At the conclusion of the Tuesday meeting, council members tasked the city with helping them more quickly find a short-term or long-term solution.
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- Louisville leaders working to solve backlog of abandoned vehicles
- LMPD searching for a short-term solution for storing abandoned vehicles
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