By William Croyle
Enquirer contributor

FORT WRIGHT - Should parts of Dixie Highway be reduced from four lanes to three? Can Buttermilk Pike be aligned with Orphanage Road? Should some business entrances along the highway be closed?

These are some questions the Dixie Highway Corridor Advisory Committee is pondering as it tries to improve traffic flow and safety along the nine-city, eight-mile stretch of the road in Kenton County.

The committee was formed in December as part of an 18-month, $450,000 study started by the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments (OKI).

The study is about 35 percent complete.

An inventory of traffic counts, accident records, travel time, bus stop locations, speed limits and traffic signals is finished. All those data are being analyzed.

"By September, the analysis will be done and we will begin the phase of formulating ideas," said Dory Montazemi, deputy executive director of OKI.

From Jan. 1, 2001 to Dec. 31, 2003, there were 336 accidents on Dixie at intersections and 358 away from intersections.

One idea presented to the committee was to change parts of the highway from two lanes in each direction to one in each direction with a center turn lane.

Brent Sweger of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said this "road diet," as it is called, was implemented on Euclid Avenue in Lexington three years ago and has worked.

"I think it's definitely worth exploring," said Sweger. "You remove your left-turners instead of having to stop until they get out of the way."

Left turns are a big problem on Dixie in Erlanger and Elsmere, where there are numerous businesses, churches and schools on or just off the road. The lanes are also very narrow, which would change if the road were restriped from four lanes to three.

"It's something I really want to look at," said Bob Yoder, renaissance coordinator for Erlanger and Elsmere.

"You basically have only one through lane already in each direction."

"It's a tried and proven issue, so I think it's worth the effort to see if it would work," added Elsmere Mayor Billy Bradford.

Anyone who wants to provide ideas about reducing lanes and other issues concerning the highway can attend an open house Aug. 9 from 4:30-7 p.m. at the Northern Kentucky Area Planning Commission at 2332 Royal Drive in Fort Mitchell.

Opinions also can be provided at www.dixie-highway.com.

E-mail williamcroyle@yahoo.com