Lexington, Ky. — A new initiative aimed at enhancing community engagement launched Saturday with the kickoff of the Transportation Expo. This event brings residents, council members, and community partners together to discuss crucial transportation issues.
The Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council spearheaded the event, which is designed to foster more effective two-way communication between city officials and the public. According to Vice Mayor Dan Wu, the Expo serves as a platform for broader dialogue. “We started thinking about ideas and one of the ideas we had was an issues Expo,” Wu stated. “We don’t have to ask folks to come downtown, park, and go to different places in the community to talk about one specific issue at a time.”
Taking place at the Marksbury Family Branch of the Lexington Public Library on Versailles Road, the Expo runs from 9:00 to 11:30 a.m. It will cover a range of topics, including pedestrian and cyclist safety, traffic concerns, and public transit issues.
This transportation-focused discussion comes at a time when mobility is a central concern for many residents. “Be more inclusive of pedestrians, of cyclists, of mobility issues, people in wheelchairs, of public transit, because not everybody has a car, not everybody wants to use a car,” Wu emphasized. This perspective aims to address various community transportation needs.
Wu also shared his vision for future road and sidewalk developments, suggesting the implementation of protected bike lanes. He described features such as stanchions to create a physical barrier between bike lanes and vehicular traffic, enhancing safety for cyclists. “If you are a car, and you kind of swerve in, you know that you’ve swerved into the bike lane, and before you hit somebody, you can correct,” Wu explained.
The Expo represents a significant step towards making Lexington a more multi-modal city, enhancing not only transportation options but also promoting equity within the community. By creating accessible transportation alternatives, the city aims to foster inclusivity for all residents.
Overall, the Transportation Expo marks an important milestone in Lexington’s efforts to engage the community in discussions about local transportation challenges and opportunities.
