West St. Catherine Neighborhood Association

Action Against Semi Trucks Now!

Mar 06, 2007

Councilman Unseld's Legislative Aid, Donna Burke Sanders,

I spoke with you last Tuesday about the truck problem that we face in Old Louisville, especially on West St Catherine Street (WSC). I want to thank you for taking down my concerns and appreciate the work that Councilman Unseld's office does for our district. However, I am writing you again to urge further action, whether through prohibiting trucks on the WSC exit or changing the timing of the lights on WSC to reduce the speed of traffic and thus making it less advantageous for large turcks to drive down our street. I am writing you again because the last few days have been particularly taxing. I am a researcher that telecommutes from home, thus I am around this traffic problem at all times. I have kept a tally the last 4 days how many times semi trucks braking outside my home at the corner of WSC and 4th have shaken my building. The average is 30 times a day, from 6 AM to 6 PM. Sometimes the shaking is so bad that I can feel it while I'm running on my treadmill on the third floor! What do you think this shaking is doing to the foundation of my home (which was built in 1895) and other homes on West Saint Catherine? Even as I write this message, I can hear the semi trucks outside over NPR and my pups playing and feel my floors shake occassionally.

But the worst incident came yesterday when I was walking my dogs around noon. As I was trying to cross WSC at the crosswalk on 3rd street, a semi truck almost ran over both of my dogs and me. The driver was running a red light (this is common because running a red light means that the driver will get green lights all the way until 7th street). I was able to pull my dogs back quickly and the driver veered into the other lane, all the while blowing his horn at me. I had the right of way and the walk sign. This is not the first time that a semi truck has nearly hit me as I am walking, with my pets or my husband, and I am sure it will not be the last unless action is taken to preserve the Old Louisville Historic Neighborhood, and West Saint Catherine, as a RESIDENTIAL area - not a cut through for trucks hauling cars, chemicals, toxic waste, and other large cargo. Please pass my concerns onto Councilman Unseld. Thank you.

Jessica

-By Jessica McCarty