LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Lexington running group is advocating for improved road safety for pedestrians after conducting a survey about drivers running red lights across the city.
Dozens of volunteers came together with Frontrunners Lexington, an LGBTQ+ running group, to count the number of drivers running red lights during the morning commute hours last week.
The survey focused on 24 major intersections across the city and yielded results the group describes as “shocking, but not surprising.”
Three intersections saw an average of more than 100 red light runners per hour. They included Alumni Dr. & Man O’ War Blvd., Nicholasville Rd. & Cooper Dr., and Leestown Rd. & Opportunity Way.
Alumni Dr. & Man O’ War Blvd. yielded the highest average in the city, with 142 red light runners per hour.
Five additional intersections saw an average higher than 50 red light runners per hour.
In a statement following the results, Frontrunners Lexington wrote:
“We are shocked, but not surprised, at the number of red light runners our volunteers counted last week. This is a public safety issue that affects all residents - whether they are a pedestrian or a driver. We also acknowledge that solving this issue will take more than just our efforts. We plan to collaborate with local and state leaders to tackle this issue from all possible fronts. We are committed to continuing to put a spotlight on this issue, advocating for ways to change the behavior of drivers, and improving pedestrian safety in Lexington.”
Jason Schubert, board chair of Frontrunners, shared more about the survey as he counted red light runners last Thursday at High St. & Euclid Ave.
"It is a citywide issue, but also a statewide issue. So, we worked collaboratively with city council on a few ideas, and then this kind of came out organically," Schubert said.
The survey comes nearly one year after a member of Frontrunners was killed following a collision with a driver running a red light.
33-year-old music teacher Mia Ibrahim was jogging on Nicholasville Road last December when she was fatally struck.
"Mia was in the crosswalk; they had the right of way. The driver ran the red light and killed them,” Schubert said.
Ibrahim’s story inspired the push for change.
Frontrunners Lexington hopes the survey will be used to improve awareness among drivers and improve enforcement efforts of traffic laws, and in turn, potentially save lives on the road.
