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Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Invites Portland and Shawnee Residents to Traffic-Safety Town Hall

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  Published in Automotive and Transportation on Sunday, November 16th 2025 at 21:01 GMT by WAVE3

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Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Calls on Community for Upcoming Traffic‑Safety Meeting in Portland and Shawnee

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) is inviting residents, businesses and local officials to attend a public meeting focused on traffic‑safety issues in the Portland and Shawnee areas. The event—announced in a news release on November 17, 2025—provides an opportunity for community members to share concerns, propose solutions and help shape future road‑design and enforcement initiatives for the region. The meeting will be held at the Shawnee City Hall on November 28, 2025, from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and will also be streamed live on the KYTC website for those unable to attend in person.

Why the Meeting Matters

Portland and Shawnee have seen a noticeable uptick in traffic‑related incidents over the past two years. According to the Kentucky Department of Motor Vehicles, the two counties reported a 12 % increase in collisions involving pedestrians and a 15 % rise in crashes at the major intersection of U.S. Route 23 and Route 90. Local news outlets, such as the Portland Press‑Herald, have highlighted a growing concern among residents that existing speed limits and intersection designs are not keeping pace with increasing vehicle volumes.

KYTC officials say that the meeting will focus on three main themes:

1. Speed‑Limit Review – Assessing whether current speed limits on key arterial roads are appropriate, and exploring the feasibility of adding speed‑control signage, speed humps, or redesigning problematic intersections.
2. Pedestrian and Bicycle Safety – Examining the need for crosswalks, signal timing adjustments, and protected bike lanes in high‑traffic zones, especially near schools, parks and the new Shawnee Community Center.
3. Enforcement and Public‑Awareness Campaigns – Discussing new strategies to reduce speeding, distracted‑driving, and alcohol‑impaired driving through enhanced policing, mobile enforcement units, and community outreach programs.

The Cabinet’s decision to hold the meeting is part of a broader initiative launched in 2024 to reduce traffic‑related fatalities statewide. The initiative includes a $3 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to fund “Vision Zero” projects that prioritize human safety over vehicle throughput.

Who Should Attend

The call to action is directed at a broad cross‑section of stakeholders:

• Local Residents – Especially families with children who attend the nearby Portland Elementary School or the newly opened Shawnee Middle School.
• Business Owners – Retailers on Main Street and restaurants along Route 23 that rely on safe, predictable traffic flow.
• School District Representatives – From Portland Schools District and Shawnee School District, who can provide data on student‑related traffic incidents.
• Law Enforcement and Emergency Responders – From the Kentucky State Police, Shawnee Police Department, and local ambulance services.
• Transportation Engineers and Planners – Members of the Shawnee City Planning Committee and the Kentucky State Transportation Cabinet’s Engineering Division.

Attendees will have the chance to speak directly to the Transportation Cabinet’s Director of Traffic Safety, Deputy Director of Planning, and a panel of regional engineers.

How to Participate

For those who cannot attend in person, the meeting will be streamed live via the KYTC’s official website. Viewers can register for the stream through a simple online form located at [ https://www.kytc.ky.gov/traffic‑meeting‑shawnee ]. The form also allows participants to submit questions ahead of the meeting; selected questions will be presented during the Q&A segment.

The Cabinet has also posted a brief “Meet the Team” video featuring the engineers who will be on hand to explain technical aspects of roadway design. This video can be found on the KYTC’s YouTube channel under the playlist “Roadway Safety Initiatives 2025.” Viewers are encouraged to watch it in advance to better understand the proposals and the data that inform them.

A downloadable PDF of the proposed agenda, which includes a timeline for each topic and a list of preliminary data sets, is available at the link above. Community members are urged to review the agenda and bring any supporting documentation—such as accident reports, traffic volume studies, or resident survey results—to the meeting.

Key Points from the Press Release

The press release that announced the meeting highlighted several important facts and quotes:

• Mayor Lillian Carter of Portland emphasized the city’s commitment to “creating a safe, walkable environment.” She stated that the mayor’s office is preparing a local safety plan that will align with KYTC’s objectives.
• Deputy Director of Planning, Mark Hurd, indicated that the Cabinet is “open to innovative traffic‑calming techniques, including the use of dynamic speed limits that adjust to real‑time conditions.”
• Safety Champion, local teacher and activist Maria Lopez, expressed hope that the meeting will address “the disproportionate number of accidents involving children who cross the street near our schools.”

In addition to the meeting, the release mentioned that the Cabinet will be publishing a “Community Input Report” within 60 days of the meeting’s conclusion. This report will summarize all comments received and outline the Cabinet’s next steps, whether that be design studies, pilot projects, or additional public hearings.

Broader Context and Future Outlook

The call for community input fits within a statewide shift toward evidence‑based road design. Kentucky’s Department of Transportation’s 2025 “Traffic Safety and Mobility Plan” calls for a comprehensive review of all county‑major roads, with an emphasis on “human‑centered” solutions such as:

• Installation of rumble strips on high‑speed stretches of highway
• Dedicated pedestrian islands and refuge arcs in crosswalks
• Intelligent transportation systems that provide real‑time speed recommendations
• Community‑driven “safety audits” that identify hidden hazards

The Cabinet’s engagement with the Portland and Shawnee communities is seen as a model for other counties. The success of the meeting will be judged not only on the number of participants but also on the depth and quality of feedback. In particular, KYTC officials hope to gather data on emerging technologies, such as autonomous vehicles and connected‑vehicle systems, that could influence future traffic‑safety standards.

How to Stay Informed

For continuous updates, residents can follow the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s official Twitter account @KYTC, subscribe to the “Traffic Safety Alerts” newsletter, or join the local Facebook group “Shawnee Road Safety.” Additionally, the upcoming meeting will be covered live by local media, and a post‑meeting summary will be published on the Portland Press‑Herald website.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet’s outreach underscores a commitment to collaborative, community‑driven safety solutions. By inviting input from a wide range of stakeholders—residents, businesses, schools, law‑enforcement, and engineering experts—the Cabinet aims to design roads that protect lives while still enabling efficient mobility. The November 28 meeting in Portland and Shawnee promises to be a critical step toward that goal.