Prioritize Traffic Safety on Highway Avenue in West Covington
The Issue
On the morning of July 30, 2025, our lives in West Covington were shattered when our neighbor, Shaun Ewing, a vibrant 42-year-old, was struck down by a vehicle on Highway Avenue, north of the Spring Street intersection. He later succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind devastated family, friends, and community members. This was a loss that could have been prevented.
Unfortunately, traffic incidents like Shaun's are not isolated. There has been an alarming 11.1% increase in collisions and injuries on Highway Avenue compared to 2024, and that's year-to-date. The current road conditions do not prioritize safety for drivers or pedestrians, leading to a deadly mix of high-speed traffic and inadequate pedestrian protections.
In response to this growing danger, we urgently call for immediate action to enhance traffic safety and prevent future tragedies in our community. Here are three tangible solutions we propose:
1. Install Emergency-Friendly Speed Cushions:
By installing speed cushions on Highway Avenue, we can effectively reduce vehicle speeds, making the area safer for both residents and drivers. Speed cushions are designed to allow emergency vehicles to pass unhindered while slowing down ordinary vehicles.
2. Convert Wright & Spring Intersection to an All-Way Stop:
Implementing an all-way stop with clear “Stop Ahead” warnings at this particularly busy intersection will help regulate and control the flow of traffic, reducing the likelihood of accidents.
3. Build an ADA-Compliant RC Trail Entrance & High-Visibility Crosswalk:
Aligning a high-visibility crosswalk with an ADA-compliant entrance will ensure that pedestrians, including those with disabilities, can safely cross Highway Avenue without fear.
4. TANK Bus Stop Bulb Out (elongated curb extension):
Bulb Outs are curb extensions that are designed to both provide safety to bus passengers and slow drivers down. A Bulb Out provides additional space for bus passengers to board and alight without interfering with sidewalk flow. In NYC, public transit found that after Bulb Outs were installed that four of six surveyed locations saw the overall severity rates for crashes were reduced, and the injury severity rates were also reduced. Bus drivers prefer it because they do not have to get out of traffic then back into traffic when loading and unloading passengers.
These measures will not only serve to honor the memory of Shaun Ewing but will also protect the lives of all residents and visitors using Highway Avenue. We cannot afford to wait until another life is lost. We urge the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to take these proposed measures seriously and act swiftly.
Please join us in this critical mission to safeguard our community. Sign this petition and advocate for a safer West Covington today.
More info & IMPORTANT VIDEOS at www.botanyhills.org/petition
Thank you,
The Botany Hills Neighborhood Association
376
The Issue
On the morning of July 30, 2025, our lives in West Covington were shattered when our neighbor, Shaun Ewing, a vibrant 42-year-old, was struck down by a vehicle on Highway Avenue, north of the Spring Street intersection. He later succumbed to his injuries, leaving behind devastated family, friends, and community members. This was a loss that could have been prevented.
Unfortunately, traffic incidents like Shaun's are not isolated. There has been an alarming 11.1% increase in collisions and injuries on Highway Avenue compared to 2024, and that's year-to-date. The current road conditions do not prioritize safety for drivers or pedestrians, leading to a deadly mix of high-speed traffic and inadequate pedestrian protections.
In response to this growing danger, we urgently call for immediate action to enhance traffic safety and prevent future tragedies in our community. Here are three tangible solutions we propose:
1. Install Emergency-Friendly Speed Cushions:
By installing speed cushions on Highway Avenue, we can effectively reduce vehicle speeds, making the area safer for both residents and drivers. Speed cushions are designed to allow emergency vehicles to pass unhindered while slowing down ordinary vehicles.
2. Convert Wright & Spring Intersection to an All-Way Stop:
Implementing an all-way stop with clear “Stop Ahead” warnings at this particularly busy intersection will help regulate and control the flow of traffic, reducing the likelihood of accidents.
3. Build an ADA-Compliant RC Trail Entrance & High-Visibility Crosswalk:
Aligning a high-visibility crosswalk with an ADA-compliant entrance will ensure that pedestrians, including those with disabilities, can safely cross Highway Avenue without fear.
4. TANK Bus Stop Bulb Out (elongated curb extension):
Bulb Outs are curb extensions that are designed to both provide safety to bus passengers and slow drivers down. A Bulb Out provides additional space for bus passengers to board and alight without interfering with sidewalk flow. In NYC, public transit found that after Bulb Outs were installed that four of six surveyed locations saw the overall severity rates for crashes were reduced, and the injury severity rates were also reduced. Bus drivers prefer it because they do not have to get out of traffic then back into traffic when loading and unloading passengers.
These measures will not only serve to honor the memory of Shaun Ewing but will also protect the lives of all residents and visitors using Highway Avenue. We cannot afford to wait until another life is lost. We urge the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to take these proposed measures seriously and act swiftly.
Please join us in this critical mission to safeguard our community. Sign this petition and advocate for a safer West Covington today.
More info & IMPORTANT VIDEOS at www.botanyhills.org/petition
Thank you,
The Botany Hills Neighborhood Association
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Petition created on September 12, 2025