LEXINGTON, Ky. — The Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a work session on August 20 to discuss major planning initiatives, including an update on a comprehensive study aimed at improving safety along Winchester Road, according to the official LFUCG meeting agenda.

The session will feature a presentation from Elizabeth Farc, a transportation planner with WSP, on the Winchester Road Corridor Study's existing conditions and public input. The study, initiated by LFUCG and the Lexington Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, aims to evaluate land use patterns and transportation conditions along Winchester Road from East 3rd/Midland Avenue to Bahama Road. The study aligns with Lexington's Vision Zero and Complete Streets goals, which aim to reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries to zero by 2050.

The corridor has been a focus of safety concerns. Data from Kentucky State Police shows seven pedestrians have been hit by cars on Winchester Road since January 1 of the previous year, with three of those crashes deadly, and more than 1,000 crashes overall on Winchester Road in the past year and a half, with seven deadly and 170 causing injuries.

The commission also is scheduled to consider two zoning ordinance text amendments. Senior Planner Eve Miller will present a proposed Industrial Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment, while Planning Manager Hal Baillie will discuss a Downtown Zoning Ordinance Text Amendment. The specifics of those proposed changes were not detailed in the agenda.

The work session is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. ET at the Phoenix Building's third-floor conference room. Work sessions typically involve discussion of agenda items with final votes deferred to regular council meetings.