LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Olmsted Parks Conservancy and Louisville Parks and Recreation will be closing the Scenic Loop in Cherokee Park to vehicle traffic one Sunday a month between 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. so park visitors can walk, run, and bike through the park car-free.
“Frederick Law Olmsted designed Cherokee Park in 1891 as way for people to escape from the city,” said Layla George, President and CEO of Olmsted Parks Conservancy. “Cars driving around Scenic Loop bring more of the city into our parks. By closing the Scenic Loop to vehicle traffic for a few hours on one Sunday a month, we’re giving the 1.6 million visitors a more relaxing and worry-free experience in Cherokee Park.”
Olmsted Parks Conservancy met with local neighborhood groups around Cherokee Park to evaluate their feelings on any impact closing the Scenic Loop may have. Cherokee Park’s Scenic Loop closes its entrances to vehicle traffic a few times a year for athletic and community events, like Olmsted Parks Conservancy’s Hayride on the Hill and the Urban Bourbon Mini-Marathon.
“Experimenting with monthly car-free Sundays on the Scenic Loop is a simple and inexpensive way to encourage greater use of Cherokee Park, physical exercise and the use of non-motorized transportation, so I hope and expect it will be a success," Councilman Brandon Coan said.
The Scenic Loop will be car-free on the last Sunday of the month from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for the rest of 2019, continuing into 2020.
The inaugural Scenic Loop Car-Free Sunday will be this Sunday, Nov. 24.
►Make it easy to keep up-to-date with more stories like this. Download the WHAS11 News app now. For Apple or Android users.
Have a news tip? Email assign@whas11.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter feed.