Jody Robinson: Why the Devou Good Foundation says ‘no’ to a 4-lane bridge for the KY 8 Licking River


The KY 8 Licking River Bridge Project is currently in the planning stage, and the Devou Good Foundation’s Vision Zero NKY Program is urging constituents to submit their input on this important community project.

Situated between Covington and Newport, the historic KY 8 Licking River Crossing is a truss bridge and an integral piece of the Covington and Newport communities. In November 2016, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) began a redesign of this bridge after determining that the existing bridge must be replaced to hold the weight of heavy trucks safely. KYTC’s preliminary design reimagined the Licking River Crossing as a larger, four-vehicle lane bridge.

According to Vision Zero, the four-lane bridge will have detrimental effects on Covington and Newport: there will be more thru-traffic in quiet neighborhoods, more too-fast cars speeding across the bridge, and the state will have to tear down the iconic tree on the corner of Garrard St. and 4th St. Vision Zero is requesting meaningful public input and advocacy to the Transportation Cabinet before they move forward with building their proposed four-lane bridge.

Compromise with the KYTC and our community is key to having a safe and useful bridge for all. Having a bike and pedestrian pathway that KYTC is proposing would be a major improvement from the too-narrow sidewalks on the current bridge. But Vision Zero feels that the KYTC needs to know community members’ opinions on the potential redesign of the Licking River Bridge.

The Devou Good Foundation felt this issue deserved attention after many residents of Covington and Newport reached out with worries about the bridge’s impact on their community and safety concerns. Studies indicate that over 700 people a day cross the bridge by foot or bike. Four-lane roads allow for cars to reach much faster speeds, and also create an increased risk of collisions between cars and pedestrians trying to cross the street. Already, the bridge crossing is viewed as unsafe because of drivers’ reckless speeding.

A recent speed study by the Newport police confirms this worry: police recorded drivers routinely going between 50 and 75 MPH on the bridge. There have been many community accounts of residents nearly being hit while crossing at 4th and Greenup. Tragically, a jogger was killed trying to cross 4th and Scott last year. A two-lane bridge would slow vehicle speeds and allow for safer pedestrian crossings at 4th and Greenup in Covington.

Already, traffic counts on the bridge have decreased since the pandemic. With more people working hybrid or fully remote — not to mention skyrocketing gas prices — the need for a giant four-lane bridge accommodating car traffic grows less and less necessary. A two-lane bridge is also much less expensive than the four-lane bridge design proposed by KYTC, which has high up-front construction costs and significant long-term maintenance expenses.

Vision Zero also claims that their proposed design for the bridge will enhance the quality of life for residents and improve pedestrian experiences. Along with reducing car traffic throughout the neighborhoods on either side of the bridge, Vision Zero’s design will attract recreational walkers, joggers, and cyclists who patronize our small businesses. It will also improve community connectivity and safety.
 
To learn more about the Licking River Design campaign from Vision Zero NKY, visit https://visionzeronky.org/reimagine-fourth-street-bridge.

Jody Robinson is a senior advistor to the Devou Good Foundation. She lives in Bellevue. 


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