COVINGTON, Ky. — Currently, Fourth Street in Covington has three lanes for drivers heading west through the city's downtown, but that could change after the conclusion of a traffic study, according to a press release.
The state of Kentucky has hired Qk4 Inc., an engineering and planning company, to conduct a study to determine whether safety or traffic will be significantly impacted if Covington converts one of the traffic lanes into a bike lane. The study is expected to conclude this summer, the city said.
At the same time, a plan for the reconfiguration is being evaluated by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and the City of Covington; the plan includes not just the addition of a bike lane, but also "wider, more pedestrian-friendly sidewalks," according to the press release.
The first stage of the project could start as early as the next two or three years, as long as the project is included in KYTC's yearly resurfacing budget, the city said.
However, city officials are angling for the Fourth Street revision for the near future because there are already massive development projects slated to begin in the area.
Changes are planned for the Eleventh Street Bridge, which is already set to be given its own dedicated bike lane following a deadly hit-and-run crash that killed Gloria San Miguel as she biked across the bridge.
The region will also need to adapt to the construction of a new companion bridge next to the existing Brent Spence Bridge as traffic patterns are reimagined between the two. The Clay Wade Bailey Bridge will also undergo changes and could get a bike lane of its own too.
Finally, the 23-acre development where an IRS building once stood in Covington will change the city's riverfront, which runs between Fourth Street and the Ohio River.
The street also carries Kentucky Route 8 from the Licking River to the Brent Spence Bridge, a route often relied on by commuters when traffic is impeded on the highways. With a reconfiguration of Fourth Street, Route 8 would "likely end at the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge or Main Street," according to the press release.
“Fourth Street is a state route that cuts through the heart of downtown, but it’s perceived as a physical and mental barrier for pedestrians, bicyclists, and others, essentially walling off part of Covington from itself,” said Ken Smith, Covington's city manager, in a press release. “As we reintegrate the 23-acre former IRS site back into the neighborhoods and business districts that surround it, it’s critical that we redesign the look, feel, and function of Fourth Street in order to make that happen.”
Now, it's up to city officials and officials with KYTC to determine the ideal reconfigurations for Fourth Street while the Qk4 Inc. completes its survey on traffic in the area. The press release states KYTC will determine next steps with city officials once the study's data has been gathered and analyzed.
If the study finds that changes to Fourth Street are feasible and can be funded, KYTC officials said the project would take two stages. The first would be the lane reconfiguration, dropping one lane of traffic in favor of a bike lane that would be temporary at first; KYTC officials estimated it could happen in the next two to three years during the state's next resurfacing project. The second stage would be permanent bike infrastructure, wider sidewalks and benches, set to happen later from a different funding source, the city said.
According to the press release, there is also a design team working on final looks for the Brent Spence Bridge corridor project, searching for options to make that area more bike-friendly too.
"The project areas for the Brent Spence Corridor and for the replacement of the Fourth Street Bridge across the Licking River are self-contained areas, but it's all intertwined," said Gary Valentine, advisor on the Brent Spence Bridge corridor project. "We want the flow to be seamless."
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