LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Business owners in Schnitzelburg are once again calling for additional safety measures along Goss Ave. after multiple cars crash into their properties.
Late on a Saturday evening, Chris Williams had just gotten home and was about to head to bed. The owner of the Four Pegs restaurant then got a call from one of his employees. A car had crashed into his building on the corner of Goss Ave. and Spratt St.
Williams explained a car going fast on Goss hit another car that was turning onto the street. He adds thankfully no one was seriously hurt. Still, the crash rocked Willams’ building so hard they had to shave down some of the bricks to open the front door that’s about ten feet from where the crash happened.
“We have had somebody come out and kind of start looking to try to assess how bad the damage is, but we do have a structural engineer coming out,” Williams said.
The other car involved ended up in the front yard of a neighboring hair salon, taking a metal sign and mailbox with it.
“This could have been avoided. Many of the accidents I have seen here could have been avoided. It is time now to protect not only drivers but also pedestrians and the surrounding businesses. Goss Ave has turned into a through way and needs to be addressed immediately,” the owner of the Hali B & Co hair salon wrote in an Instagram post after the crash.
Four days before this crash, another car crashed into a restaurant along Goss. Co-owner of The Post Laura Neely says it hit one of their bollards, a metal post designed to stop vehicles. Neely adds the crash happened when their patio was full of people.
“Thankfully, we have the space and the car came at that angle and that’s what it hit, you know, unfortunately like Four Pegs over here, Like they don’t really have an option to do that. They’re on that corner,” Neely said.
Williams says crashes and people speeding down Goss happens all the time.
“The city really needs to put something here, like a three-way stop or crosswalk speed humps on grass or something because somebody is going to get really hurt. And it’s really just a matter of time,” Williams said.
As for a solution to speeding cars? The area’s neighborhood council and Metro Councilperson Jennifer Chappell confirm plans are in the works to add a pedestrian crossing and possibly other traffic calming measures to the intersection of Goss and Spratt.
Still, Chappell tells Spectrum News 1 there is not an exact day for when these are set to be installed. Chappell adds she’s hopeful for it to be done by the end of fall.
“I know that the Metro Council is looking at some options. I’ve heard they’ve talked about bump outs, they’re talking about a cross walk, maybe some flashing lights,” Mary Inman, president of the Schnitzelburg Area Community Council said. “(We) get a lot of info. It’s a lot to digest but there are many reasons why nothing’s happened yet, but I’m optimistic something is happening soon.”
Data provided by the city of Louisville found that in 2022, 115 pedestrians or bicyclists were killed or seriously injured in car crashes. Nearly all of which happened on surface streets. The city hopes to eliminate all traffic deaths by 2050 through its Vision Zero Louisville program.
Correction: A previous version of this story said 115 pedestrians or bicyclist were killed in car crashes. That number also includes those injured in crashes. The error has been corrected. (Aug. 28, 2023)