LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- As Ciaran Brown wrapped up an afternoon bike ride Tuesday, he reflected on the scenery around him in Cherokee Park.
"Having a park like this is invaluable to me," Brown said. "It is the single best part about living in Louisville, Kentucky."
Nowadays, he says his rides through the park are even better, since even some of the park's roads are open to vehicle traffic, many others are not.
"The system that is in place now is fine," Brown said. "It makes the park a lot more enjoyable to not have to think about vehicles moving from 25 to 35 to 45 miles an hour."
Last year, to stop the spread of COVID-19 by limiting gatherings, the city closed roads in the park. As cases initially improved in mid-2021, roads remained closed until June when the city announced a "trial" solution. The city re-opened some of the roads in the park to vehicle traffic. Others, however, remained closed, as cyclists like Brown raised safety concerns about having traffic so close to cyclists and pedestrians.
Tuesday night, some of them gathered near Hogan's Fountain for a public hearing hosted by Louisville officials.
The current "trial" traffic plan at Cherokee Park. (WDRB Photo)
While some voiced support of the current traffic plan, others — some with disabilities — showed up to speak against it.
"If this is Louisville's idea of leaning forward, they are leaning in the wrong direction. They are," said one speaker, who lobbied for the roads to be re-opened.
Ultimately, city leaders will use the feedback from the public hearing along with the results of a soon-to-be-released study to decide what happens next.
In late July, Metro Council passed an ordinance requiring Parks and Recreation to obtain their approval before closing a road "within a city park for longer than 60 days."
"We're in a trial phase right now, and so Metro Council will have the final decision about whether or not that trial phase continues or whether or not we go back to the pre-pandemic traffic pattern," said Councilwoman Cassie Chambers Armstrong, D-8.
Chambers Armstrong says Metro Council's parks and recreation committee will receive the survey results on Thursday.
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