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Clifton Residents Vote on Traffic Calming After Weekend Crashes on Pope Street
The Clifton Community Council met Monday to vote on a four-way stop, speed table and other safety measures after two weekend crashes on Pope Street, including a hit-and-run that damaged several parked cars. Neighbors say speeding has been a problem for years and that promised speed bumps have yet to materialize.
LOUISVILLE, Ky. â Clifton residents gathered Monday night to vote on a slate of traffic-calming measures after two crashes on Pope Street over the weekend, including a hit-and-run that left several parked cars damaged and neighbors demanding action.
The Clifton Community Council met to weigh options the city is considering, including a four-way stop and a speed table, along with other changes. Council leaders said the vote tally would likely not be complete until at least Tuesday, and that the timeline for any installation depends on which measures residents choose.
James Williams, who lives in the area, said his reaction to the latest crashes was immediate. "I just said, 'another one?'" he recalled.
Both weekend crashes occurred on Pope Street. One resident, who asked not to be identified, said her car was among several struck Saturday night while she was inside eating dinner. "My car's just sitting here, and I'm in the house trying to eat dinner...and then I come out to a totaled car," she said.
Police said a man, identified as Joseph Diekmann, initially hit one car and then fled. The driver of the other vehicle said they heard him strike additional cars as he drove away. Diekmann has been arrested, but neighbors say enforcement alone will not solve the problem.
"Ever since I've been here, it's been a speeding problem here," Williams said. "I know last month, you know, we okayed them to put speed bumps up here, but it's been a minute and they still haven't done anything to the street."
Pam Vetter, treasurer of the Clifton Community Council, said the city's relatively new Department of Transportation has opened up possibilities that were not available before. "There's more things that are options now that we haven't had to consider," she said.
Residents said they were relieved no one was injured in the weekend crashes, but they worry about worse outcomes as more young families move into the neighborhood.
"I just want things to get safer for everyone, especially children," said the resident whose car was damaged. "Young couples are moving in here, they're having children, and something's got to change."
The vote comes as Clifton neighbors press for follow-through on earlier commitments to install speed bumps, which residents say have not yet been delivered. Community council leaders said the path forward now rests with residents and the measures they select.