FORT MITCHELL, Ky. — Fort Mitchell is working on a new traffic study to work toward a goal of reducing traffic congestion in certain areas and improve pedestrian safety.
Highland Avenue and Dixie Highway are both focal points of the study.
Residents in the area say morning and evening rush hours can cause traffic backup that makes a two and a half mile drive take more than 20 minutes at times.
"In the time that I've lived here, it's gotten worse, but it's always been an issue since my daughter started school," said Kristi Nader, a resident living off of Highland Avenue. She's lived in the area for 12 years.
With two schools in the area and roughly 20,000 vehicles traveling through Dixie Highway every day, traffic and safety in the area has grown into a larger concern.
Fort Mitchell city administrator Sharmili Reddy said this is exactly why the city is working on a traffic study. The study focuses on relieving congestion in the area, improving visibility along street curbs and working to reduce the impact of on-street parking in some areas.
"We're two days into that study, so we haven't had any major observations yet, but it seems like traffic flowed pretty well the last two days," said Reddy.
Pedestrian safety is also a major point of concern for the study, especially in the area of the busy Highland and Dixie intersections.
"In the mornings, because of the congestion on Dixie Highway and the backup on Highland and people coming across the street, there's just a ton of traffic and it just doesn't feel safe for people to cross," said Reddy. "Dixie Highway has a huge impact on how Highland functions, so even if we're able to get the cars off of Highland, Dixie Highway should be able to accommodate them."
Nader says another issue along the area are the stop lights -- which can stay red up to three minutes.
"So if it takes 2-3 light cycles for you to get through, which isn't unusual, it can take an extra 8-9 minutes," she said.
