Louisville Loop Master Plan loopmasterplan_draft_041813sm_0 | Page 13

a continuous publicly accessible strip of land along the entire 37-mile riverfront that allows for
pedestrian and bicycle circulation along the River’s Edge” (3). In 1995, then Governor Brereton
Jones granted Jefferson County funding to begin constructing the first segment of the path, start-
ing at the Water Tower at Zorn Avenue and heading north and terminating at Indian Hills Trail.
In 2000, the Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) and Jefferson County Public Works partnered to
build a 3.5 mile segment of the Levee Trail connecting Farnsley-Moremen Landing to Riverview
Park at Greenwood Road. In 2002, the project continued with Phase II of the path opening
a 3-mile segment between Greenwood Road and the juncture at Cane Run Road and Lower
Hunter’s Trace. In 2005, under the newly-merged government, Louisville Metro began planning
and implementing the Louisville Loop alignment from the Levee Trail north to Shawnee Park. The
2008 dedication of the Mill Creek Bridge in southwest Louisville marked the opening of a contigu-
ous 23-mile section of the Louisville Loop. In 2012 a private developer, the Poe Company, built a
nearly mile long section of the Loop that links Waterfront Park to Eva Bandman Park.
Segments of the Loop have been built by the Metropolitan Sewer District in the southwest and by
KYTC in the east. These efforts are documented in the Partner section of this document.
Louisville Loop planners and their partners have achieved key milestones for the Loop’s future.
Future path segment planning has been included in plans such as The Floyds Fork Greenway
Master Plan (2009) developed by 21st Century Parks, the Olmsted Parkway Shared-Use Pathway
System Master Plan (2009) and the Northeast Loop Corridor Plan (2010), among others.
In 2010, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) awarded Louisville Metro
funds through the “Communities Putting Prevention to Work” grant that would accelerate planning
efforts for the Loop. This funding opportunity led to the development of the South and Southwest
Greenway Master Plan, the Northwest Parkway Livability Plan, and the Louisville Loop Signage
and Wayfinding Plan. Other segments of the Loop are being incorporated into the planning of
other road projects including Cooper Chapel Road and Shelbyville Road/I-265 interchange includ-
ing the Middletown-Eastwood Trail (MET). Design, safety, and construction standards, among
other items, have been included in such documents as Louisville Loop Design Guidelines (2009).
A summary of each of these documents will be discussed in the Existing Conditions chapter of
this document.
The progress of the Louisville Loop is ongoing and one that will require frequent updating to
capture the story. Methodology for updating progress in the Louisville Loop Master Plan will be
addressed in the Implementation chapter.
Partners
The Louisville Loop is a complex multi-year project that requires strong partner-
ships to succeed. The early success for planning and implementing parts of the
project can be attributed to a wide spectrum of partners that embrace the Loop
as more than a path. Because of its broad focus and reach in the community,
partnerships have evolved to meet mutual needs and maximize opportunities. This
partnering includes planning the alignment, safety, maintaining various segments,
and programming uses along its route. For example, the Levee Trail in southwest
Jefferson County began as a project of MSD along the Ohio River Levee. From
there, Jefferson County Public Works partnered with Jefferson County Parks of-
ficials to complete sections further north, working in partnership with MSD. The
RiverWalk Trail established the partnership between the City of Louisv ille’s Public
Works and the Waterfront Development Corporation. In the post-merger era of
Louisville Metro Government, Waterfront Development Corporation continues to be
a key partner as they incorporate the Loop into various phases of the Waterfront
Park expansion, including the landmark project and mile 0 of the Louisville Loop
at the Big Four Bridge. The Poe Company commitment to build demonstrates the
value of private partners to complete the Loop.
In recent years, strong partnerships have formed with external entities that sustain
the project and enrich its scope. The Olmsted Conservancy has been a key partner
due to the Olmsted Parks and Parkways being a centerpiece of the Loop project
and its connection to the city. In 2005, a strong partnership formed between the
non-profit organization 21st Century Parks and Louisville Metro Government and
Future Fund to develop the Parklands of Floyds Fork. This system of parks along
the Floyds Fork stream will incorporate approximately 19 miles of the Loop through
4,000 acres of new parks between Bardstown Road and Shelbyville Road. Louis-
ville Metro Parks has partnered with the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers to develop
watershed planning for the Pond Creek corridor including the Louisville Loop con-
nection between Dixie Highway and Bardstown Road.
Several sections of the path go beyond parks and require the use of public right-
of-way. A key partnership has been established with the Kentucky Transportation
Cabinet. In areas of northeast Louisville, KYTC has incorporated portions of the
Loop in segments along Shelbyville Road and U.S. 42 in the Prospect area. KYTC
has included key connections to the Loop in their planning projects, such as Green-
wood Road in Southwest Louisville.
A strategic partner in recent years has been the partnership with the Louisville
Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness. Under the grant awarded to Lou-
Lousville Loop Master Plan
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