Frankfort Mayor Layne Wilkerson said a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will allow the city to hire consultants to study how to make U.S. 60 safer for pedestrians.
“On one side of the road, we have several communities that are above average in terms of poverty, and without vehicles. So a lot of those people rely on public transportation, or don't have a car at all. And it's difficult for them to cross this major highway.”
Wilkerson said possible solutions include refuge islands, more visible crosswalks, and better lighting and signage. The last several years have shown such improvements are needed for a portion of the four-lane road with a 55 mile-per-hour speed limit, he said.
“We can then better connect one, really all the neighborhoods on one side of the street to all of the amenities on the other side of the road and save lives. We've had some fatalities in this area in the mid, 2014 to 2017. I think there were three fatalities. And if we save one life, that's worth it.”
According to the Transportation Department, the Frankfort grant is part of the Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program, and is one of 45 projects receiving a total of 185 million dollars.
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