LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new proposal aims to reshape streets in downtown Louisville and the NuLu neighborhood to make them safer and more inviting for pedestrians.
The plan, presented to community members Tuesday night, covers a large area—from 10th Street to Baxter Avenue and from Broadway to the Ohio River. The goal is to improve walkability by redesigning streets, not rebuilding them.
At the meeting, officials used Jefferson Street downtown as an example. Experts said the wide road makes it easier for drivers to speed. Turning it into a two-way street, they said, would slow people down and make pedestrians feel safer.
A Boston-based firm that specializes in walkability created the initial concepts. Rather than a full-scale rebuild, the firm is proposing a cost-effective approach focused on re-striping existing roadways. If approved, the changes would be rolled out over five years, with an estimated cost of about $2 million per year.
One of the proposed changes includes converting Jefferson Street from a four-lane, one-way road to a two-lane, two-way street with parking on both sides and a center turn lane.
Residents who live downtown said the idea is a welcome step forward.
“We’re out and about all the time,” said Daniel Hillary, who lives downtown. “Anything that lets me take the kids in the wagon and go basically anywhere downtown without needing to involve the car is such an improvement to our ability to enjoy the outside.”
The project is expected to start in NuLu, though no timeline has been finalized, and there’s no word yet on whether more public input sessions will be held.
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