Florence Mayor Julie Metzger Aubuchon is calling on the state to overhaul how Kentucky funds and manages roads that run through cities, arguing that Florence bears the brunt of congestion and safety problems on corridors it has no power to fix.
In an op-ed published Aug. 19 in the Cincinnati Enquirer, Aubuchon pointed to six major transportation corridors in Florence that are state-maintained: U.S. 42, Dixie Highway/U.S. 25, Burlington Pike/KY 18, Turfway Road/KY 1017, Weaver Road/KY 842 and Interstate 75.
"Cities are increasingly responsible for the consequences of transportation decisions on roads over which they have limited control," Aubuchon wrote.
The op-ed uses the Dixie Highway "road diet" dispute as its central example. Earlier this year, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet proposed narrowing a stretch of Dixie Highway from Turfway Road to Commonwealth Avenue from four lanes to two, with a center turn lane. Florence officials said they were blindsided by the plan. Because the project did not involve federal funds, no notice to the city was required.
"What they're proposing is not in the best interest for our residents or our business community," Aubuchon told WCPO 9 in June, when the city formally opposed the plan. She cited concerns about emergency response times, traffic diverting through neighborhoods and business access.
KYTC ultimately backed off.
By the June 9 council meeting, city officials confirmed the state was not proceeding with the road diet, and Florence was repaving Dixie Highway with its original lane configuration. The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet had not publicly commented on Aubuchon's op-ed as of Aug. 20.
Broader push for reform
Aubuchon's op-ed goes beyond the road diet fight. She argues Kentucky's Municipal Road Aid formula, which distributes money primarily by population, does not reflect where traffic growth and infrastructure demands are concentrated. She called for a statewide discussion about updating those formulas without taking funding from rural communities.
The mayor also disclosed that she recently joined other Northern Kentucky mayors and city administrators for a roundtable with Congressman James Comer, hosted by Covington Mayor Ron Washington. The conversation moved beyond the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor to state-maintained roads in growing cities.
Florence has already taken steps on its own. On Feb. 25, 2025, the city council voted 4-2 to create a Transportation Improvement District, the first in Kentucky under KRS 184.350-184.395. Public Services Director Eric Hall told the council the city receives the most complaints about state-controlled roads like KY 18 and U.S. 42, where it has no authority.
In March 2026, the council unanimously approved up to $2,704,272 in federal funds for signal improvements on U.S. 42 at Mall Road and Ewing Boulevard. Councilmember Whalen called the project "long awaited" due to increasing congestion from growth in the Union area.
What's next
State Rep. Steve Doan has introduced a bill that would require KYTC to give municipalities 60 days' notice before making major changes to roads in their communities. The bill's current status is unclear.
The Kentucky General Assembly's next regular session begins in January 2027, the earliest formal venue for legislative action on road funding reform.
