Louisville Loop Master Plan loopmasterplan_draft_041813sm_0 | Page 50

provide approximately a 140-foot cross-section with distinctive 40-foot green verges to each side with double rows of trees. Many of these tree rows contain historic pin and red oaks, providing a majestic tree canopy. These characteristics along with a relatively level topography make the western Parkways a very suitable environment to bicycle and walk. Portions of the western Parkways pass through some of Louis- ville’s most intensive industrial areas, but the majority of the route is residential with a mix of single-family and medium-density multi-family housing. As Algonquin Parkway approaches the University of Louisville, the trail system will enter what the “Olmsted Parkway Shared-Use Path System Master Plan” termed “The Hub.” Due to years of infrastructure fragmentation mainly from railroad crossings near the University of Lou- isville, the juncture of the Eastern, Southern, and Algonquin Parkways never connected as was intended under the original Olmsted design. The “Hub” as conceptualized in the Master Plan outlines multiple op- tions for creating non-motorized connections. Southern Parkway was the earliest constructed parkway. It was built the closest to the Olmsted ideal with model sections showcasing a broad central drive, flanking sidewalks, bicycle/bridle trails, service drives and pedestrian walks to the outer perimeter and a broad expanse of green turf planted with rows of trees throughout. It is a 2.6-mile corridor extending from Wayside Park and Harlan Avenue to Iroquois Park and New Cut Road and will provide a key connection to the Loop and other parts of central Louisville as well as to points south. The campus of the University of Louisville is the nexus between west- ern Louisville and the eastern neighborhoods along Eastern Parkway. The Parkway is approximately 3.2 miles. As with Southern Parkway, Eastern Parkway has a central vehicular drive and two flanking green turf areas. However, Eastern Parkway has two significant differences - a narrower 120-foot cross section and an absence of service drives. Despite these differences, the feel and character of Eastern Parkway is very similar to Southern Parkway in many sections. Eastern Parkway’s topography is the most varied amongst the parkways with gradual changes, especially as the route approaches Cherokee Park in the Highlands neighborhood. 50 Destinations: The Olmsted Parkway shared-use trail system will become an essential alternative transportation corridor. Due to its central location, the system provides key links to many of the city’s most important cultural, economic, and social destina- tions. The population and employment densities along the corridors are among the highest in the city with direct connec- tions to worksites, residential areas, recreational areas, high- frequency transit routes, retail services, and educational sites. These conditions make it one of the key transportation facilities of Louisville’s alternative transportation network. The western parkways of Northwestern, Southwestern and Algonquin provide direct access to the Olmsted Parks of Shawnee, Chickasaw, and Algonquin. In addition, several important industrial areas such as Rubbertown and Park Hill Industrial Corridor are directly adjacent to the western Park- ways. Algonquin Parkway connects directly to the Park Duvalle neighborhood and its various schools, parks, open spaces, and retail services. Park DuValle was one of the early models of the HOPE VI program, completely redeveloping the site of former low-income apartments into a mixed-use, mixed income neigh- borhood following New Urbanism design principles. At the core of the Olmsted Parkway system is the University of Louisville. As previously mentioned, the “Hub” will provide ac- cess to other destinations such as Old Louisville and Downtown to the north and the southern neighborhoods along Southern Parkway. Churchill Downs, Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium and other University athletic venues, the Kentucky Fairgrounds and Exposition Center lies a short distance to the south. Southern Parkway meets the 700 acre Iroquois Park and provides access to the Manslick and St. Andrews Church Road areas. Farther south along New Cut Road it links to Fairdale and the Jefferson Memorial Forest. Eastern Parkway provides key connections to many destinations in the eastern neighborhoods such as Germantown/Schnitzel- burg and the Highlands area. Approximately two miles from the University of Louisville lay Bardstown Road, one of the Lou- isville’s iconic retail corridors. This node serves as a juncture