Public Works Committee Meeting - August 18, 2026
Public Works Committee Meeting
On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, from 4:00 PM to 4:50 PM, the Louisville Metro Public Works Committee met to receive an update on major capital projects and to consider a resolution declaring surplus property. The meeting was chaired by Jeff Hudson (R-23) with seven other members present, three participating virtually. All pending appointments to the Complete Streets Coalition were held without discussion.
Consent Calendar
- R-101-26: A resolution declaring a portion of real property at 3705 Stone Lakes Drive as surplus and authorizing its transfer. The property was acquired for the Plantside Drive extension but is no longer needed. The committee voted by voice to recommend approval, sending it to the full Council's consent calendar.
Discussion Items
- Major Capital Projects Update (ID 26-1143): Wesley Sydnor, Executive Director of Public Works, presented an overview of more than 60 federally funded projects totaling over $200 million. Key completed projects included safety improvements on East Market Street (construction mid-2024 to February 2026), Main Street and Story Avenue (March to August 2025), River Road corridor enhancements (completed spring 2026), and a TARC transit hub at Muhammad Ali Boulevard and 7th/8th Streets. Upcoming projects highlighted were the Reimagine 9th Street project (a $20 million federal RAISE grant, final design expected by late October 2026), widening River Road (a 30+ year proposal), and the Safe Streets for All program (construction anticipated late 2027). Discussion also covered locally funded projects such as the Aiken Road roundabout ($1.5 million, completion early November 2026), Hall Place connectivity, and sidewalk projects on US 42 and Hubbard's Lane. Challenges noted included lengthy federal/state funding processes, cost volatility, and coordination with KYTC and other agencies.
- Committee Questions: Members raised several topics:
- Kevin Bratcher asked about the Cooper Chapel Phase III project (utility work underway after a 5–8 year right-of-way process) and praised Public Works' responsiveness on weed/mowing issues.
- Ken Herndon advocated for converting all urban streets to two-way, noting piecemeal conversions on 7th and 8th Streets due to the TARC network redesign.
- Jennifer Chappell inquired about the Reimagine 9th Street final design timeline (October 2026) and the status of the Preston Corridor Plan (draft still online with a blank mayor's letter; challenges with federal grant criteria favoring auto-centric projects).
- Josie Raymond asked about the likelihood of additional traffic calming projects, noting that the current Safe Streets for All slate ($21 million) likely requires another major federal grant.
- Ben Reno-Weber commended coordination efforts and asked about inter-agency collaboration; Sydnor highlighted the creation of a utility coordinator position and bi-monthly meetings with KYTC and FHWA.
- Crystal Bast asked about the Greenwood Road project (state road, 2027 timeline; to follow up with KYTC).
- Stuart Benson requested a list of problem intersections in his district to proactively address issues before they worsen.
- Jeff Hudson asked about data to prove completed projects improve safety; Sydnor referenced a Vision Zero dashboard tracking accident reports before and after projects.
Key Outcomes
- Resolution R-101-26 was recommended for approval by voice vote and sent to the consent calendar for the August 27, 2026 Metro Council meeting.
- All 12 appointments and reappointments to the Complete Streets Coalition (items 3–14) were held in committee, with no action taken.
- The committee received the capital projects update as information; no formal vote was taken.
Meeting Transcript
Amazing, great teams. When we visited the Fern Creek 8U softball all stars as they prepared for last weekend's Babe Ruth World Series in Alabama. And we are here to celebrate because today they brought home the hardware. The Fern Creek team won the Babe Ruth World Series last weekend. Winning a world championship at any age at any level is an incredible feat. And so it's just only fitting that we're here in Fern Creek today to celebrate this library and celebrate this team, their accomplishments, their players, the coaches, and all of the families who supported them during this season that led to this world championship. What you bring, tell them. Hey! Woo! From the Department of Transportation, we're really excited about this new partnership with Lyme and TARC, and we really encourage any Louisvilleans who who haven't tried these vehicles to go out and give them a try and take a ride and see how you like them. We recently partnered with Citywide Software to launch a new rental housing website that brings local listings into one easily searchable place. And different from national listing sites, this platform is designed around our community's needs and our goals here in Louisville. It elevates small and mid-sized landlord lords who often rely on word of mouth for renters so that they can filter by price by number of bedrooms in the neighborhood to compare what's easily available. Small landlords, those with under 20 listings, will be able to post on this website for free to get the word out about their apartments. You can check it out at our website, apartments. Looking to get away, want to go nonstop. Louisville Mohammed Ali International Airport can take you to Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, Newark, New York, Orlando, and a lot more. Visit Fly Louisville.com for all the details. Some people see that as a really, really good thing, of course, like I do. Some people, you know, they uh wake up in the morning, they uh they get dressed, ready for work, and they get in their car and they go out on the road and they see a barrel, and they're systolic over the distolic immediately just goes goes up. And I get that too. But behind every one of those barrels uh is an investment, is a plan, is a set of engineers, is uh governmental agency elected officials that have really spent a lot of time trying to do the right thing. And as Wes said, Mary Allen said, and the theme of what we're gonna talk about a lot today is you know, safety. When I first started uh 20 years ago in this job, it seemed like it was more about how many cars can we get through, how fast can we get them through? Let's push everybody through. And that is important. We want reliable networks, of course, but we also want safe travel for everybody, and that's all users, not just trucks, not cars, but pedestrians and cyclists. Hi, I'm Althea Jackson, the director of Louisville Metros Boards and Commissions. Today we're gonna learn about one of our many boards and commissions. The Louisville Hotel Partnership exists to drive incremental room nights into the hotel community as well as to drive workforce and to drive tourism infrastructure throughout Jefferson County. We support 20 million annual visitors that come into our community that we're all so passionate about, providing jobs for over 65,000 people in the hospitality industry, which is one of the largest industries in the state of Kentucky, and certainly in Jefferson County. So please, when you see a visitor, understand the economic impact that everyone brings to Louisville, Louisville's, which is going to help our city as a destination, but also help the community at large by supporting small businesses, supporting our bars, supporting our restaurants, supporting our great attractions, the Kentucky Derby, University of Louisville, all of our great universities and schools. There's so many great things when tourism grows, it's an extremely competitive landscape, and the Louisville Hotel Partnership enables us to be more competitive to try to steer more jobs, more support for small businesses, as well as more roommates into the hotel community. So thank you very much. A suburban form district usually is made up of single family houses with garages that face the street and stores or offices that are built in separate areas away from the homes. In contrast, a traditional form district puts homes, shops, and public places close together so people can easily walk from one to another, making the neighborhood more friendly for pedestrians. Like long held public records, many have been maintained, some are intact, but most never really examined. As we begin to better understand the scope and historical significance of these materials, it became clear they deserve careful professional review and long-term proper preservation. Some of these records reflect difficult and painful chapters of our past, including the era of enslavement. These aren't just historical artifacts. They represent real people, real families, and real experiences that have shaped our community, our city, our state, and even our nation. Over the next few months, a Philson project team will locate an inventory the wills, deeds, and other records in the possession of the county clerk's office. We'll work with preservation and digitization partners to ensure that both the original books are safe and stable and that people with roots in Jefferson County can access these materials wherever they are now. We'll build on the work of community archivists in the past to index these records and work to cross-reference them and build deeper context about the individuals and families caught in these legal if your electricity has been off for 12 minutes. This meeting is being held pursuant to KRS 61.826 in Council Rule 5A. I am joined in chamber by my Vice Chair Kin Herndon, Councilwoman Josie Raymond, Councilwoman Crystal Bast. I'm joined online by Councilman Benson, Councilman Ben Reno Weber, and Councilman Kevin Bratcher. And I think that's everybody. All right, thank you. So uh as far as the agenda goes, items three through 14 will be held.
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