8664: For it or against it? (Lexington, Louisville: movers, high crime, construction)

[censusdata]

Do you support the 8664 proposal to replacing I-64 from I-65 to Shawnee Expressway with a 4 lane Olmsted styled parkway?

I have spent lots of time in Downtown Louisville, and after biking around Downtown Lexington today I was struck by the contrast. Downtown Lou is filled with surface parking lots and abandoned buildings, Downtown Lex has ZERO abandoned buildings and only a couple of surface parking lots that front its major streets. I also didn't notice as many bums or homeless people.

Downtown Lou defiantly has its perks (4th Street Live, Levy Building/ Museum Row, Waterfront) but it is no where near as vibrant, and I feel that it is because of those giant car gutters call I-65 & I-64 which go through and over Downtown Lou

[crawdad]

The organizers of 8664 really have a well thought out plan, but it would never work. There is already too much congestion and I really wouldn't want to be at surface level in the West End anyways. Trust me, I work downtown at night and the bums will be there whether 64 is raised or it's at surface level. I like 64 the way it hugs the river .

[censusdata]

If the I-64 and I-65 hadn't been built through downtown, it might have never became a high crime area

Oklahoma City swaps highway for park - USATODAY.com

[stx12499]

Originally Posted by censusdata

Do you support the 8664 proposal to replacing I-64 from I-65 to Shawnee Expressway with a 4 lane Olmsted styled parkway?

I have spent lots of time in Downtown Louisville, and after biking around Downtown Lexington today I was struck by the contrast. Downtown Lou is filled with surface parking lots and abandoned buildings, Downtown Lex has ZERO abandoned buildings and only a couple of surface parking lots that front its major streets. I also didn't notice as many bums or homeless people.

Downtown Lou defiantly has its perks (4th Street Live, Levy Building/ Museum Row, Waterfront) but it is no where near as vibrant, and I feel that it is because of those giant car gutters call I-65 & I-64 which go through and over Downtown Lou

There is no way downtown Lexington is more vibrant than downtown Louisville. Rupp Arena alone has a surface lot as large or larger than anything in downtown Louisville. The fact is, Lexington's downtown is so much smaller, it is impossible to compare. Downtown Louisville has VERY few bums for a major city. Try traveling to Cincy to see lots of bums in a downtown. Again, it is the size and scope difference here you are noticing. Who knows, maybe it was a busy day in Lexington today and it seemed more vibrant than normal? With that said, downtown Louisville and many downtowns have waaaay too many parking lots.

[kentuckydad95]

Maybe I am wrong, but (according to the article) they want to replace interstates in the city with smaller local traffic streets??? How is this going to be good for tourism? Are the interstates not packed already and they want to make access smaller? Now I am not sure about how L'ville would work, but if they replace the interstate in Nashville that was mentioned with nothing, they will have some MAJOR problems on their hands. They have no real true interstate bypass (440 is a joke) and will become a massive logjam. People like having easy access.

[censusdata]

The issue in Louisville is that reconstruction if the Spaghetti Junction will simply force more cars through downtown - a better and cheaper solution is to reroute these interstates along existing beltlines which are underused. I-264 west of I-65 and the Sherman Minton Bridge has little traffic.

I was sold on 8664 during 2007 when I-64 was closed Downtown for a month for construction. There were NO significant traffic problems caused by this closure. I-65 from Downtown to I-264 was also closed on weekends for construction and there were NO significant traffic problems

Please note that resigning I-65 along this route would only add 8 MILES to a trip along I-65. A rerouted I-64 along a new East End bridge would only add 4 MILES to a trip along I-64.

Here is a picture of the existing I-64 bridge over Waterfront Park - about 100 more width of bridge would be added under the approved federal plans

[stx12499]

Census. 8664 is nice in theory. I would love to see it done. Is it feasible? No. How can you support that kind of initiative when we do not even have light raill? I would rather see the money spent on public transit and rail. If you look at Europe and even the growing Asian cities, mass transit is KEY to competing for talented wrokers in the 21st century global economy. I am a strong believer in the job growth created for all in "hip" cities by the movers and shakers, the creative class.

[missymomof3]

I would love to see that ugly thing go but I just don't think it is do-able Maybe someday, though.