If you’ve been singing the lyrics “I walk a lonely road” a lot lately, you’re not… alone (well, in a sense). Louisville roads are actually even lonelier than many, but we’ll get to that in a minute.
If national averages indicate anything, it’s that roads overall may have been more lonely during the past few years. According to a recent data report by Streetlight, annual average daily walking trips dropped 36% in the US between 2019 and 2022.
How does that national average shake out in the Louisville metro area, and where are the best spots to raise those national trend (and step count) numbers? Let’s take a look.
By the numbers
- -41% | Percent change in walking trips in Kentucky, -43% in Indiana
- -48% | Percent change in walking trips in Louisville/Jefferson County
- 96 | Louisville Central Business District’s score out of 100 on Walk Score’s walkability meter
What does a percent change in walking trips mean? Say a metro area sees a -50% change in walking trips. This means, on average, walking trips declined by 50% in that area. (For the record, none of the top 100 metros in the study saw that much of a decline — the biggest dip was 49% in Akron, OH.)
Where to walk the walk
Wondering where you can get your steps in? Check out these pedestrian-friendly spots around town, from local parks to protected streets.
- Cherokee Park, 745 Cochran Hill Rd. | Make the 3.2-mile lap around the scenic loop of this Olmsted park.
- Crescent Hill Reservoir, 3018 Frankfort Ave. | The reservoirs 0.9-mile path is open from dawn to dusk + you can see the historic gatehouse’s ornate Gothic architecture on your walk.
- Big Four Bridge, 1101 River Rd. | This pedestrian bridge was built with walkers in mind. Traverse the mile-long bridge that connects Louisville to Jeffersonville, IN.
