Leaders and residents in three Northern Kentucky cities are raising concerns about a state proposal to reduce Dixie Highway to one lane in each direction with a center turn lane.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) has been meeting with officials from Erlanger, Florence, and Elsmere as part of a listening tour following the announcement of the proposed “road diet,” which officials say is designed to improve safety along the busy corridor. The first of three public engagement sessions took place Tuesday in Elsmere.
Elsmere Mayor Marty Lenhof expressed concern that narrowing the highway could push traffic into nearby neighborhoods.
“My concern is with the backups on the expressway … everybody comes down Dixie Highway,” Lenhof said. “Once you turn it into a one lane north and one lane south, a lot of those people will probably cut through our neighborhoods.”
Erlanger Mayor Jessica Fette said the city’s analysis shows longer wait times for drivers turning from side streets onto Dixie Highway, increasing by as much as 50% at certain intersections.
“The most egregious in our mind was turning from Commonwealth or Stevenson onto Dixie Highway,” Fette said. “It’s going to negatively impact our residents severely.”
While KYTC says the plan aims to improve safety and maintain business access, some residents remain unconvinced.
“They’re not listening at all,” resident Eric Bunzo said after attending the Elsmere meeting. “The three cities have already said, absolutely not. If they’re going to do it, they need to widen the road. But they don’t have the means to do that.”
The proposal would affect Dixie Highway from Turfway Road to Commonwealth Avenue, converting it into a single lane in each direction with a center turn lane.
Bob Yeager, chief district engineer for KYTC District 6, said the design could help reduce crashes. He noted that 640 crashes have been reported along the corridor over the past five years.
“We are moving the travel lanes four feet away from the sidewalk and four feet away from utility poles, which have also been struck because they sit between the sidewalk and the pavement,” Yeager said.
Local business owner Nancy Holian, whose company has operated along Dixie Highway for about 40 years, acknowledged the safety concerns.
“Where we are, there’s accidents nearly every week,” Holian said. “It’s frightening.”
However, she and others worry that reducing lanes could slow traffic and discourage customers.
“We were surprised with no notification that they’re considering one lane each way with a center turn lane,” Holian said. “I can’t imagine what that will look like, and I worry people will avoid the area.”
KYTC plans to hold its next public meeting in Florence on April 23.
Yeager said the community wants to better understand the project and its potential impact.
Fette added that the transportation cabinet has paused the proposal to gather feedback from city engineers, school districts, transit agencies, and drivers.
“When I say they pumped the brakes, they actually did,” Fette said. “This is not a finalized project. People need to stay involved, because their voices truly matter.”
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