LEXINGTON, Ky. — Traffic improvements are underway in a neighborhood near Rupp Arena.

Neighbors are vocal about traffic safety along with measures to control fast cars speeding through the area.

What You Need To Know

  • Lexington to add speed humps and crosswalks at West High Street by Rupp Arena

  • LFUCG commissioned a traffic study to mitigate the numbers or accidents that include fatalities

  • One neighbor says she’s seen many accidents

  • Construction is expected to start late spring or summer

Fran Taylor with the Neighborhood Association said it’s easy to spot the trail of debris alongside West High Street.

“The person was going too fast [and] lost control of their car,” Taylor said. “You can see on the tree there, where the bark’s missing, but they ended up hitting that house and the man was passed out. He was unconscious.”

Taylor lives near Rupp Arena and where the new Town Branch Park will become reality.

“And there was a toddler standing in the seat, luckily was not injured,” Taylor said. “That’s one of many accidents.”

In her downtime, Taylor and another neighbor often collect car part trash left behind from the many accidents.

“I picked up a trash bag full of car parts last week that were just from accumulation of different accidents along the stretch,” Taylor said.

Because of the many accidents, the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Government commissioned a traffic study between 2017 to 2021 to solve the issues.

Strand Associates noted that eight of the 12 crashes, including the fatal crashes, took place between 11 p.m. and 3:30 a.m. when the traffic patterns are the lowest. In 2021, from May to September, three people died in separate accidents.

“As you can see, they’ve put in large poles to help protect the side. That’s their own solution and their front porch has yet to be rebuilt from the last major accident,” Taylor said.

In 2018, LFUCG reduced the speed from 35 to 25 miles per hour and in 2020, they added a driver feedback sign that flashes the speed and reminds drivers to slow down.

“They’re spending so many millions of dollars on the park that needs to have a safe way to get there,” Taylor said.

The City of Lexington said they will install raised crosswalks and speed humps along this strip of West High Street to reduce even more accidents. Construction is planned for late spring or early summer.