LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A local business owner in Louisville is glad to hear the plans announced Friday to get a handle on abandoned vehicles.
Dealing with abandoned vehicles has been a struggle in Louisville for the last several years.
On Friday, Mayor Greg Fischer announced that people can easily submit photos and locations of abandoned cars through the Metro 311 app. Once a vehicle is reported, LMPD will tag the car, then tow it if it isn't picked up within a certain amount of time.
The mayor also laid out a series of actions the city is taking to reduce the number of vehicles on city streets and in the existing, overcrowded impound lot.
After a pandemic pause, Fischer said the city has resumed auctioning off unclaimed cars currently housed in the lot.
Links to the auction site are available on the LMPD website.
Fischer also announced another storage location and the use of barcodes as a more efficient way to keep track of inventory.
Owner of Fante's Coffee Shop in Louisville, Leo Fante, said these changes needed to happen.
I'm thrilled because it's just not right to leave old wreck cars, abandoned cars," he said.
He recently pushed back on the issue when several abandoned cars were placed outside of his store on Grinstead Drive.
"They were just right outside the front door and one of our customers mentioned to us, 'Are you opening up a junkyard?' And I tell you what - that was just all I need to hear at that point,” Fante recalled. “I was really upset."
He decided to have them towed to City Hall - placing the problem at Metro Government's doorstep.
Fante said he received an outpouring of support from community members fed up with abandoned cars in Louisville.
He said he hopes he made even a small difference in getting Metro Government to make the changes announced Friday.
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