A Safe and Quiet Houston Acres

Houston Acres, Kentucky · Updated August 3, 2026 · Not affiliated with or operated by the City of Houston Acres.

Resident-led request to the City Commission

Same goal. Safer streets. A solution that doesn't add noise.

The City is reviewing options for Houston Boulevard. Residents support the safety goal and want the review to include the noise, vibration, and disruptions experienced by the homes beside the strips.

If you only have a minute:

01 Latest update See the progress reported at the July 30 public meeting. 02 Our position Read the three things residents are asking the City to do. 03 Share an observation Tell the resident group what you have heard, felt, or noticed.

Background and supporting record

Two raised rumble strips were installed in April

In April 2026, the City of Houston Acres installed two rumble strips on the first block of Houston Boulevard. The goal was to slow speeders cutting through the neighborhood — a goal the residents beside the strips genuinely share.

Residents were not notified beforehand and report that the repeated noise and vibration began when the strips were installed.

The City has since identified an engineer to review the installation and possible options.

Approximate locations of the two rumble strips and the homes closest to each installation. Red roofs mark 3004, 3005, 3010 and 3011 Houston Boulevard.

What residents are experiencing

Noise and vibration inside nearby homes

Nearby residents describe three recurring effects since the strips were installed.

Heard inside nearby homes

Vehicle crossings can be heard indoors, including with windows closed.

Noise and vibration from larger vehicles

Box trucks, trailers, and other large vehicles can produce a stronger impact felt through parts of the homes.

Effects extend outdoors

The repeated sound affects the normal use of porches, front yards, and backyards.

City acknowledgments and public commitments Review the steps the Commission has taken and the process it described

Public record

What the City has acknowledged and committed to

The noise and vibration were “completely unforeseen.”

— City Commission, May meeting

“We could have done a better job communicating to the residents around where that was going to happen. We can own that.”

— City Commission, June 25 meeting

The City identified an engineer to review Houston Boulevard and contacted Louisville Metro Public Works to consider options.

— Reported at the July 30 meeting

The mayor agreed to residents' request that the engineer attend a meeting to explain the report and answer questions. He also said the information would be available to residents and the decision would be made in public.

— Commitments described at the July 30 meeting

Resident observations can be passed along for the engineer to consider.

— Agreed at the July 30 meeting

Our position

Safer streets and a quieter solution

Ten households asked the City to complete the engineer review, include affected residents, and replace the strips with a quieter traffic-safety solution.

Complete the engineer review

Evaluate the installation, the resident impact, and the available ways to manage speed on Houston Boulevard.

Include affected residents

Make sure the noise, vibration, and disruptions residents have been living with are part of the review.

Choose a quieter solution

Keep the goal of slowing traffic while selecting an option that does not place repeated noise beside homes.

What we are not saying: Residents are not asking the City to stop slowing traffic, and are not suggesting that the Commission acted in bad faith.

Read our full position → View the redacted petition

What happened at the July 30 meeting

The review process is underway

The City has identified an engineer to look at Houston Boulevard and has also contacted Louisville Metro Public Works to consider possible options. There is meaningful progress - and still no firm timeline.

What moved forward

The City has identified an engineer who has already begun looking at Houston Boulevard, even though the contract was not yet signed at the meeting.
The review will consider ways to slow traffic and what each option would mean, including noise. The mayor said the report would be brought to the board, agreed to residents' request that the engineer attend a meeting to explain it and answer questions, and said the information would be available to residents.
The City has also contacted someone at Louisville Metro Public Works to look at the road and consider possible options. A Metro partnership may help broaden what the City is able to do.
The petition representing ten Houston Boulevard households was formally submitted to the city clerk and is now part of the record.

What is still pending

No timeline has been set for the engineer's findings or a final decision.
The strips remain in place while the City evaluates whether to modify, remove, or replace them.
Residents still need a clear opportunity to make sure the engineer understands the noise, vibration, and disruptions that residents have been living with.

The mayor said the engineer's report would be brought to the board, agreed to residents' request that the engineer attend a meeting to explain it and answer questions, and said the information would be available. Any decision about the strips will be made in an open meeting.

Read the residents' handout to the Commission Download the residents' original PDF View the redacted petition

Help document what residents have been living with

When the strips get your attention, jot down the approximate time, the kind of vehicle if you could tell, where you were in your home, and what it interrupted. A few notes in your phone are enough.

Email an observation to the resident group →

Earlier update: June 25 Commission meeting Open the progress report that preceded the latest update

June 25, 2026

Progress — and more work to do

On June 25, 2026, Houston Boulevard residents spoke to the City Commission. Here is what came out of that meeting.

Progress made

The Commission committed to hiring a road engineer to evaluate the strips and make a recommendation. This is the first formal engineering review of the installation reflected in the records available to residents.
The board acknowledged during the public meeting that communication with nearby residents before installation could have been handled better. That exchange is preserved in the meeting recording and automatic transcript.
Warning signs reading “Slow Down — Rumble Strips Ahead” were approved and ordered for installation before each set of strips.

Still unresolved

No timeline was given for when the engineer will be contracted or when findings will be delivered.
The strips have not been removed. No vote was taken.
At the May 28 meeting, the installation was described as “a one year test,” and a commissioner said nothing had been decided about “the rest of the city yet.” The mayor addressed that question publicly on July 30.

That commitment led to the engineer engagement announced at the July 30 meeting. The latest information is in the update above.

Why the process matters

A public review can lead to a solution that works for everyone

At the May 28 meeting, the installation was described as “a one year test,” and a commissioner said nothing had been decided about “the rest of the city yet.” On July 30, the mayor clarified that whatever is decided for Houston Boulevard will not be applied throughout Houston Acres. He also said the engineer's report would be brought to the board, the information would be available to residents, and any decision would be made in public.

Public meeting

Commission meetings are open to residents

The Commission meets on the last Thursday of each month. The mayor agreed to residents' request that the engineer attend a meeting to explain the report and answer questions, and said any decision about the strips will be made in public.

Anyone may attend to hear updates, ask questions, or learn more about the process.

Thursday, August 27th · 7:00 PM

McMahan Firehouse · 4318 Taylorsville Road

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We will share the engineer's findings and important meeting information when they become available.