Parks and Recreation System Master Plan Update (2016) parks_and_recreation_system_master_plan_update_oct | Page 118

were identified which should be considered in the development of a long-term recreational
system.
Walking /Shared use Paths - Paved
As part of the current societal
emphasis on physical fitness and healthy
living, paved paths used primarily for
walking, jogging or cycling are increasingly
popular facilities in the Louisville parks
system. Examples include the “scenic loop”
paths 2.4-miles at Cherokee Park, 1.3 miles
at Shawnee, 5.35 miles at Iroquois, 1.2
miles at Seneca Park, and many more
paved paths at numerous parks including
Klondike, Chickasaw, Des Pres and Creason
Walking Path at Joe Creason Park
Parks as well as the Louisville Loop. The
Parklands at Floyds Fork has 2.6 miles of paved fitness paths (in addition to 19 miles of the
Louisville Loop).
Given the popularity of the existing walking/shared-use paths, the LMPRD should
continue to provide these facilities in appropriate locations throughout the park system.
Development of future parks should incorporate walking/jogging /cycling paths as a basic
recreational feature. As with all recreation facilities, proper maintenance of existing paths is at
least as important as development of new ones.
These paths are located within parks, along greenways, and often provide connections
to streets and sidewalks in adjacent developed areas, and the system of bike lanes and other
bicycle facilities as proposed by the Bicycle Master Plan and Pedestrian Master Plan prepared by
Metro Public Works in 2010.
Conflicts between different groups using walking/shared-use paths should be monitored
on a case by case basis. As a general rule, a ten-foot wide paved path will be sufficient to
accommodate all users if levels of use are low to moderate. However, in heavier use situations,
pedestrians may need to be separated from bicyclists and/or skaters, either by widening and/or
marking the path or providing separate parallel paths for the two groups, to reduce potential
conflicts.
As of early 2016, there are 105.5 miles of paved walking and shared use paths within the
LMPRD system or related to the Louisville Loop:
•
•
Walking paths: 30 miles
Louisville Loop: 48.5 miles
Parks and Recreation System Master Plan | IV. PARK AND RECREATIONAL FACILITY NEEDS
ANALYSIS
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