tion of facilities from sidewalks to bridge replacements . They perform plan review , right-of-way permitting , traffic engineering , bicycle and pedestrian planning , project engineering , and other functions related to facilities within the public right-of-way . At the regional level , KIPDA is the federally designated Metropolitan Planning Organization and is responsible for coordinating all regional planning functions and serves as the funding clearinghouse ( from State and Federal sources ) for the Metro Louisville area .
Bike Network Connection
In recent years , Louisville has made continued efforts and commitment to making itself a great cycling city . Investments in bicycle facilities , including the Louisville Loop , along with the development of programs aimed to educate and engage the community cycling has served to increase ridership and overall awareness of this mode of transportation . In 2007 , Louisville reached the bronze level “ bicyclefriendly community ” as defined by the League of American Bicyclists ( LAB ) judging a community ’ s effort to address the five “ e ’ s ” of Engineering , Education , Encouragement , Enforcement , and Evaluation & Planning . The goal established in Louisville ’ s first bike summit in 2005 was to achieve gold by 2015 . In order to achieve this , Louisville ’ s bicycling program , Bike Louisville , intends to focus efforts around the criteria established by the LAB , in addition to expanding its bicycle network . The Louisville Bicycle Master Plan has two primary goals : increase bicycle ridership and decrease injuries and fatalities . The plan outlines a number of recommendations to achieve these goals as well as a guide to expand the network for the next 20 years .
Louisville ’ s current bicycle network is 195 miles ( Table X ). These facilities range from bike lanes to multi‐use trails . Table X describes each bicycle facility and its respective extent of length in the community . The bicycle network currently reaches a number of areas , but there are many more areas without bicycle facilities , particularly within two-miles of central Louisville and the University of Louisville . Understanding these areas will better help Bike Louisville continue to plan where to close the gaps in the cycling network and what type of bicycle facilities should be installed . The next step in understanding where and how the bicycle network is expanded will focus on the bicycle system network with a defensible , data-driven prioritization process that incorporates cyclist demand , socio-economic measures , and land use in order to make the most of limited funds and to ensure that improvements best meet needs .
Table 4 : Miles of Facilities Existing for Louisville Loop and Bicycle Facility Network
Facility Type Bicycle Lanes 1 , 3 48 Shared lane pavement markings ( Sharrows ) 2.6 Other on-road bicycle facilities 0
Existing
Signed local street connections2 89.83 Shared-use trails 3 28.7 Other off-road bicycle facilities 26 Total Network 195
1 . For on-road bicycle facilities , total miles represent bicycle lanes on each side of the roadway 2 . Signed local street connections include shared roadways with bicycle route signs but no other designated bicycle facilities . 3 . Approximately 25 miles consists of the Louisville Loop , including 3.5 miles of marked bicycled lanes .
Connections to Other Trails
The Louisville Loop will connect to significant pedestrian , bicycling , and equestrian facilities throughout the county . Currently , within Metro Parks , there are over 40 miles of paved paths in 24 parks . Many of these trails will be incorporated as part of the Louisville Loop or become part of a community-wide greenway network that connects neighborhoods . These should include the potential for future greenways , mountain bike trails , hiking , and equestrian trails .
Louisville has 20 miles of mountain bike trails . Several miles are within urban areas of Louisville such as the Cherokee Park trail and Waverly Park . The trails have been revamped in partnership with the Kentucky Mountain Bike Association . There will be opportunities to increase off-road soft trail mileage for mountain biking along the Louisville Loop route and provide a unique recreational amenity .
Another form of trail cycling that has grown in popularity in recent years is cyclocross . Cyclo-cross bicycling is a form of cycling using a course featuring pavement , wooded trails , grass , steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount , carry the bike while navigating the obstruction and remounting . Recently Louisville has made a name for itself by hosting a national cyclo-cross race . The race is known as the USGP and has attracted international talent . Louisville hosted the Cyclo-Cross World Championships event in February 2013 at Eva Bandman
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