Transportation
UofL supports transportation choices which improve health and community while reducing the amount of cars on campus, fuel consumed, emissions generated, traffic, parking pressures, and road accidents. Explore all your better options!
Save money. Get fit. Build community. Protect the planet. Find a new way!
UofL Car-Free Guide
 Bus |
 Bike |
 Walk |
 Carpool |
 Vanpool |
 Fly Less |
 Shuttles |
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There has never been a better time to break the expensive, unhealthy, polluting habit of driving alone. Consider these fun, low-cost, healthy, eco-friendly ways to get around and help UofL reduce our greenhouse gas emissions (nearly 25% from commuting) and expenses (UofL has been subsidizing parking for decades, at a cost of about $800,000/year in 2016, for example!).
Explore all of your options with our Cardinal Directions trip-planning and carpool-matching service!
Any employee who regularly commutes via bike, bus, carpool, or vanpool can register for the free Emergency Ride Home program covering 100% of the cost of an emergency Lyft/Uber/taxi ride home up to 100 miles, four times per year! You can even stop to pick up your kids on the way home.
Bus
- Anyone with a valid UofL ID can ride the entire TARC bus system for free! Simply swipe your UofL ID as you board. Good on all routes, any time. In 2017 alone, UofL students, faculty & staff took over 1.2 million trips on TARC! Learn how to TARC here.
- TARC can ease your daily commute or relieve the stress of traffic and parking when you have an appointment to get to or an errand to run.
- Don't waste time and money driving! All TARC buses are WiFi hotspots! Study, get work done, text, play games, listen to music, chat with friends and neighbors, or just relax.
- TARC is also extremely safe. Mile-per-mile, riding the bus is 8 times safer than driving.
- Go multimodal! Take your bike on TARC! All TARC buses have front racks for carrying up to three bikes at a time.
- Route 2 (Second St.) - direct service between Belknap campus, the airport, and downtown.
- Route 4 (Fourth St.) - direct, frequent service to Belknap campus from downtown and south Louisville (Beechmont, Kenwood, Glengarry, and Louisville Industrial Center)
- Route 28 (Preston Hwy) - (formerly 18) rapid, frequent shuttle service between Belknap campus and the Health Sciences Center as well as downtown, UPS, Okolona, Preston Hwy, and Jefferson Mall.
- Route 29 (Eastern Pkwy) - direct service to Belknap campus along Eastern Pkwy from Oxmoor Center, the Highlands, and Shively.
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Where's my bus?! The free Transit App provides real-time info about bus locations, schedules, and stops for Louisville and other cities on your mobile device. - Learn where TARC can take you!
What's next for UofL cyclists?
Check out our Bike Master Plan!
UofL Green Scene: Think Outside The Car
Valeryia Kukharskaya, Class of 2023, won the 2021 Cards Commuter Challenge with her carpooling prowess!
UofL program promotes ride sharing (Courier-Journal, Sept. 20, 2016)
Avoid the nightmare of campus parking (The Louisville Cardinal, Oct. 31, 2019)
New vanpool program to start at UofL (UofL Today, Mar. 11, 2014)
Think having kids means you need a car? Think again.
Active Transportation (UofL's Sustain Magazine, Spr/Sum 2012)
Avoid the trip all together! Videoconference, Teleconference, or use Blackboard Collaborate (free to UofL employees)!
Professor Keith Lyle walks .7 miles from his home to campus. Read his UofL Green Scene: This is your brain on driving
Skip the commute! Live on campus!
UofL continues to add more campus housing every year! Percent of beds per full time student:
1999: 15%, 2010: 29%, 2012: 31%, 2014: 34%, 2017: 35%
Green Commuting Superhero! Meet Mary Lu Schooler, a money-saving HSC staffer who lives in Oldham Co. but decided to park her car and take the bus!
Bike
- UofL has been named one of the most bicycle-friendly university in Kentucky, so join the fun, save money & get fit pedaling to campus!
- Learn everything UofL bike commuters need to know.
- Find bike lanes, paths, and safer routes throughout Louisville with the new mobile-friendly Louisville Bike Map. It’s designed to be easy to use while you’re out riding in the city. Just tap the “My Location” button to find the bike routes nearest you
- Register your bike with UofL for free to aid in theft recovery.
- Always lock your bike securely with a solid u-lock. If you don't have one, SGA now offers free bike lock rentals for students!
- Find bike racks, fixit stations, and bikeshare locations with our UofL Bike Facilities Map.
- Keep it rolling with one of our six Bike Fix-It Stations.
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UofL Free Bikeshare
Use your UofL ID to check out a bike, helmet, and lock for free for the day from the front desk at the Student Rec Center.
• Semester-long free bike loans are also available; and employees who wish to use a bike instead of a motorized vehicle to do their jobs on campus are welcome to bike loans of indefinite length.
• All who check out bikes must sign a waiver form and are responsible for any theft, loss, or damage, so be sure to use the u-lock to securely lock the bike (frame and wheel!) any time you park it.
Walk
- Why not live close enough to campus to walk? You'll arrive refreshed and smiling instead of fuming over traffic, construction, and parking hassles.
- Learn how walking can benefit the brain, as well as the heart and pocketbook.
- Consider Walking Meetings to stay active and engaged in the community and check out the HSC Medical Mile!
- According to reporting by the Courier-Journal, "Walk Score," a Redfin subsidiary, ranks the neighborhoods adjacent to UofL's main Belknap Campus (University and Old Louisville) and downtown Health Sciences Center (Phoenix Hill and the Central Business District) as among Louisville's top five most walkable, bikeable, and transit-oriented neighborhoods. The ease of getting around these neighborhoods without a car helps make it easy for students, faculty, and staff who choose to live close to campus to save money, stay fit, and reduce their carbon emissions. Here are the full scores:
Neighborhood Walk Score Transit Score Bike Score Phoenix Hill 83 54 77 Central Business District 82 63 81 Old Louisville 77 50 87 University 73 50 76 Louisville Average 34.3 27.3 43.3
Carpool
Live too far away to walk, bike or take the bus? Don't drive alone! Many people near you are also headed to UofL, so consider sharing the ride with your neighbors. You'll save money, build community, reduce pollution, ease traffic congestion, and reduce parking problems for everyone! Discover all of your options with our free Cardinal Directions trip-planning and carpool-matching service!
- In summer 2016, UofL launched a new online platform for trip-planning and carpool-matching. Cardinal Directions displays ALL of your transportation options in one map-based platform.
- Whether you want to carpool for your daily commute, a few times a week, or just for a one-time trip, Cardinal Directions is the easiest way to connect.
- You can also use Cardinal Directions to coordinate carpools to events such as conferences, concerts, parties, sporting events, etc.
- Quickly set-up a profile for free by Registering here. Then you can post your ride offers or needs and Cardinal Directions will help connect you.
- Log Your Trips on the Cardinal Directions Dashboard to be eligible for incentive programs throughout the year and to keep track of your miles, money saved, calories burned, and carbon dioxide emissions avoided!
- Check out the UofL Carpooling webpage for details about getting special carpool parking permits (applicable to any color permit at no extra cost) and preferential, designated carpool parking spaces. Just contact us with your interest at Carpool@louisville.edu.
- Not only can the permit cost be easily split by the members of the carpool via payroll deduction, but since we know there may be occasions when members of the carpool will have to drive in separately, UofL's carpool permits come with 8 daily parking passes per semester for all members of the carpool.
- Even if you and three other potential carpoolers don't have access to your own reliable vehicle, you can still share the ride through Commute by Enterprise.
- Every Commute Counts is a regional service for setting-up Vanpools, Carpools, and even Bikepools with your neighbors throughout Kentuckiana. They also administer the free Emergency Ride Home program for anyone who regularly bikes, buses, carpools, or vanpools and registers with Every Commute Counts.
- All carpool drivers are asked to please abide by UofL's No Idling Policy.
Vanpool
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Commute by Enterprise is a service for forming smaller vanpools of just 4 or more people who commute 20+ miles to UofL.
- The program requires at least a 3 month commitment, but offers a wide variety of vehicle options, insurance, maintenance, weekend vehicle access, a guaranteed ride home program, roadside assistance & loaner vehicles.
- Find a vanpool already in existence or start your own.
- Questions? Contact Sara Gooch (sara.k.gooch@ehi.com or 502-479-4764).
- Every Commute Counts (KIPDA) also organizes vanpools for larger groups of 7‐15 people that commute to and from work (at least 30 miles total each day) in a van provided and maintained by the program.
- Questions? Contact info@everycommutecounts.org, or 502-267-5400.
- In October 2018, UofL launched its very first vanpool! A daily 52-mile commute from Hodgenville, KY to Belknap Campus.
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UofL is actively seeking to form Vanpools from:
- LaGrange / I-71
- Shelbyville / I-64
- Bardstown Rd & Gene Snyder Freeway
- Elizabethtown / I-65
- Jeffersonville / 1-65
- New Albany / 1-64 - Eligible vanpoolers include anyone who is willing to share a ride, works fairly regular hours and drives at least 30 miles roundtrip to their worksite.
- Vanpool drivers are volunteers who are part of the commute. In exchange for driving, they receive credit for the days they drive. If a driver drives 75% or more of the commuting days per month, they receive their commute for free. Drivers are responsible for completing and submitting monthly paperwork to Ticket To Ride, making sure the vehicle is maintained and coordinating with Ticket To Ride staff, as needed. Drivers must be at least 25 years old and approved by the vanpool insurance provider.
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Vanpool passengers pay a monthly fare based on three operating costs (maintenance, insurance and fuel) which are then divided by the number of passengers. Insurance is $150/month/vehicle, maintenance is $0.21/mile/month and fuel costs are charged to a fleet credit card provided to the driver. Sample Vanpool Fares:
Origin Destination Average Daily
Roundtrip MileageAverage
Daily FareBardstown Road
& I‐265UofL 35 $3.02 Blankenbaker Pkwy
& I‐64UofL 35 $3.02 Mt. Washington UofL 50 $3.94 Shelbyville UofL 70 $5.15 Elizabethtown UofL 80 $5.76
*Fare estimates based on 8 paying passengers, 21 commuting days and fuel priced at $3.60/gallon. - All vanpool drivers are asked to please abide by UofL's No Idling Policy.
Fly Less
Headed to a conference, meeting, or other trip for university business? Flying is the most polluting, carbon-intensive option. It's also the least comfortable with the most security hassles. On a per-passenger-mile basis, flying causes five to ten times more pollution compared to ground-based means of travel. Explore pollution levels from airports with Airport Tracker, and take the pledge to be Flight-Free (or an Infrequent Flier). make the Consider these lower-impact, less sardine-like options and make a plan to use your travel time productively:
- Avoid the trip all together with virtual learning and meetings using Microsoft Teams, Blackboard Collaborate, or Teleconference! With these virtual meeting tools that are free to everyone at UofL, you can easily communicate with colleagues within or outside of the university through web conferencing, share video, audio, and applications, give web tours, or use the electronic whiteboard.
- Carpool! It's free and easy to find or offer rides to events through Cardinal Directions - UofL's trip-finding and carpool-matching system!
- Take the Bus!
- Greyhound / FlixBus offers connections from Louisville (1211 W Broadway) to over 3,000 cities throughout North America with wi-fi and at-seat plug ins. Book here.
- Baron's Bus will have you riding like royalty, with direct daily departures on wifi enabled coaches providing friendly service from downtown Louisville (1211 W Broadway) to Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland, and other regional destinations. Book here. - Take the Train!
Efficient, comfortable Amtrak trains depart from Indianapolis (north/west-bound) and Cincinnati (east-bound), and you can book bus connector service to/from Louisville directly through Amtrak. According to the 2019 U.S. Department of Energy Data Book, Amtrak travel is 47% more efficient than car travel, and 33% more efficient than domestic airline travel on a per-passenger, per-mile basis. A typical US intercity passenger train emits 177 grams of carbon dioxide per passenger-mile vs. 243 grams for commercial flights. Employees can easily book Amtrak trips for work through Anthony Travel, just click on the train tab in the Concur booking portal. -
Offset your Emissions!
If you must travel, consider offsetting your carbon emissions through a service such as Climate Vault, which uses your donation to buy carbon pollution permits on government regulated cap & trade markets and then use them to fund highly vetted, government regulated projects that remove carbon from the atmosphere. Other options include Patch (official partner of the Carbon Commitment/Second Nature), Carbon Footprint Ltd, Native Energy, CarbonFund, TerraPass, or for free (through commissions) with UCapture. -
If you must Fly, choose wisely!
Not all flights and itineraries produce the same carbon emissions per passenger-mile! It's complicated, but Google Flights has simplified the decision, allowing for easy comparison of the relative environmental impact of each option in your search results. You can sort itineraries by carbon emissions to choose the option that will be least destructive and still get you where you need to go.
How Cards Get Around
- While UofL students tend to commute more by foot, bike, carpool, and bus, the transportation mode share for UofL employees generally mirrors that of the broader, heavily car-dependent Louisville community in which: 82% drive alone, 9% carpool, 4% use other means, 3% use transit, and 2% walk.
- Results of our most recent 2022-2023 UofL Commuter Survey show that 72% of students and 87% of employees are still choosing to drive alone to campus.
- Explore the results of our 2010-2019 UofL Commuter Surveys, produced as a Campus As A Living Lab thesis project by Sustainability Masters student, Tom Sommers.
- Check out the results of our 2015 UofL Transportation Alternatives survey.
- Compare these to the benchmark results of our 2010 UofL Transportation Alternatives survey.
Free Campus Shuttles
- Anyone can ride these and all TARC routes FREE by swiping a valid UofL ID as you board.
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Belknap-HSC Shuttle: TARC Route 28 provides frequent shuttle service between UofL's two main campuses with just 20 minutes between buses (M-F 5am-11pm; 30-minutes on Saturdays, 60-minutes on Sundays/Holidays). Route 28 also provides direct, frequent service to both UofL campuses from downtown, UPS, Jefferson Mall, and Okolona/Preston Hwy.
"I work on HSC and have taken the #28 to get to classes or meetings on Belknap, and it has been a breeze in both directions. I really appreciate having this option available, as previously I had been driving. Since the bus comes so often, I don't even check the schedule anymore." - Diana Pantalos, UofL Metabolic NutritionistCardinal Campus Connector: From October 2023 - March 2024, Parking & Transportation Services is operating a pilot program to provide hourly express shuttle service between the HSC and Belknap Campuses (Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.). Shuttle stops are on Preston Street by the Medical School and the Floyd St. Garage on Belknap Campus. The shuttle departs HSC at the top of the hour (i.e., 1 p.m.) and returns from Belknap Campus at 15 minutes past each hour (i.e., 1:15 p.m.). The bus stages for five minutes prior to departure. Please note that during the above times there will be no additional shuttle service on the Health Sciences Center Campus. For more information, contact Parking & Transportation Services , 852-7275.
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Belknap Shuttle Service (#94 Cardinal Shuttle): TARC Route 94 (Cardinal Shuttle)operated by TARC with funds from University Parking & Transportation Services operates during the following hours of the Spring and Fall semesters:
Monday - Friday: Begins at 6:40am at Cardinal Stadium and operates approximately every 6-9 minutes with the last trip leaving the SAC at 9:30pm (7:30pm Fridays).
HSC Shuttle: The Health Sciences Center is served Monday to Saturday by TARC Route 52 - Medical Center Circulator. Catch it on Chestnut, Jackson, or Muhammad Ali Blvd.
- Belknap-Yum Center Shuttle: Take TARC to the game! TARC operates a shuttle service from Belknap Campus to the KFC Yum! Center for men's and women's basketball games. Like all TARC routes, the shuttle is free to UofL students and employees with UofL ID. The Route 4 (Fourth St.) shuttle will pick up passengers at the bus shelter at Fourth & Brandeis streets by Louisville Hall and drop them off near the corner of 2nd & Market streets. The return shuttle will pick up passengers at the corner of 5th & Jefferson streets until 11:30pm.
- Airport Shuttle - TARC Route 2 (Second St.) provides direct service between Belknap campus (3rd Street and Eastern Pkwy), the Louisville International Airport (SDF), and downtown. The shuttle is free to UofL students and employees with UofL ID.
Recent Developments
2025
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January 2025: TARC service changes
Due to insufficient funding from a low 0.2% employer occupancy tax rate, combined with a desire to improve service reliability system-wide, the Transit Authority of River City (TARC) is being forced to make changes to its services beginning January 26, 2025. There will be several changes, but three that directly impact the University of Louisville are:
1. Discontinuation of Route 52 - Medical Center Circulator, which had very low ridership, but served the Health Sciences Center Monday to Saturday;
2. Frequency reductions on Route 4 - 4th Street, dropping from every 15 minutes to every 20 minutes; and
3. Increase in frequency on Route 29 - Eastern Parkway, increasing from every 60 minutes to every 50 minutes.
A complete list of the changes is available here.
2024
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August 2024: UofL Bikeshare Program more than doubles its inventory with donation of 150 surplus LouVelo Bikes
150 LouVelo Bikes Donated to UofL Bikeshare! (UofL Sustainability News, Aug. 30, 2024)
Louisville’s citywide bike share program, LouVelo, unfortunately shut down in October 2023. Since that time, Bike Louisville and Louisville Metro Government worked hard to find a new home for the LouVelo equipment. Simply scrapping the bikes or letting them rust away in storage was not an option. Because of this, we are happy to report that 150 LouVelo bikes were donated to the University of Louisville’s bike share program, where they will be rebranded and lent to students, faculty, and staff in need of active, reliable, and sustainable transportation! Thanks to the team at Public Works for their help loading and delivering the bikes and all of the volunteers who came out to help. To see a video of the 150-bike delivery click here: Check Out the Bike Delivery!
Pedal power: 150 LouVelo bikes donated to the University of Louisville (Spectrum News 1, Sept. 23, 2024)
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LOUMED Commons to feature new green spaces & pedestrian-friendly areas near UofL’s Health Sciences Center (UofL News, Aug. 2, 2024)
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July 2024: UofL installs raised table crossing on Floyd St. near Denny Crum Hall
During the week of July 15-19th, UofL constructed of a new speed table with crosswalk on Floyd Street, just south of Eastern Pkwy in order to facilitate traffic calming and to create a safer pedestrian crossing for students living in Denny Crum Hall to access the rest of campus.
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Public Meeting: 3rd Street Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Project
Thursday, May 9th, 5:30-7:30pm, SAC W118
The University of Louisville, in coordination with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Louisville Metro, and with financial assistance from the Federal Highway Administration, is designing a project that would improve vehicular safety and traffic operations and improve pedestrian and cyclist safety and connectivity on the northwest side of Belknap Campus, primarily along 3rd Street (and the connector to 2nd Street) from Eastern Parkway to W. Cardinal Boulevard. The current road design is a four-lane highway that encourages speeding and offers no accommodations for bicyclists, transit users, or pedestrians wishing to cross this busy road. A public meeting about the project will take place Thursday, May 9, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Student Activities Center, room W118. See the project website for details and to ask questions. -
Cardinal Campus Connector extended through March 8th
Parking & Transportation Services is extending this pilot program from Fall 2023 to provide hourly express shuttle service between the HSC and Belknap Campuses (Monday-Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.). Shuttle stops are on Preston Street by the Medical School and the Floyd St. Garage on Belknap Campus. The shuttle will depart HSC at the top of the hour (i.e., 1 p.m.) and return from Belknap Campus at 10 minutes past each hour (i.e., 1:10 p.m.). The bus will stage for five minutes prior to departure. Please note that during the above times there will be no additional shuttle service on the Health Sciences Center Campus. For more information, contact Parking & Transportation Services, 852-7270
2023
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December 2023: Transportation Grants Launch 2-Way Street Conversions of 2nd & 3rd Streets
In mid-December 2023, local leaders announced the award of a $7.5 million grant from the Department of Transportation Safe Streets For All (SS4A) for 2-way street conversions of two vital routes to UofL's Belknap campus, 2nd and 3rd Streets from Cardinal Boulevard to Broadway. 3rd Street will become the primary route for traffic, and will see enhancements like: curb extensions near intersections, retroreflective backplates on traffic lights, sidewalk ramps, and ladder-style striping at crosswalks. Meanwhile, 2nd Street will see its intersections converted to four-way stops, including three that will swap traffic lights for stop signs. The project aims to lower driving speeds and improve overall safety in the area, particularly for pedestrians and bicyclists. The overall funding will be $12.5 million, which includes a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet grant of $2.5 million and Louisville Metro Government funds of $2.5 million. This initiative has been discussed for years. Engineering studies have been completed. Mayor Craig Greenberg noted," This project will transform 2nd and 3rd Streets, converting one-ways to two-way streets, adding bike and turn lanes, making significant safety improvements at intersections from UofL to Broadway." He thanked Senator Mitch McConnell and Congressman Morgan McGarvey for their help in securing this federal funding. The SS4A funding was established through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2021. Kentucky Secretary of Transportation Jim Gray, said "We proudly support the project's goal to enhance safety for all road users while advancing equity, sustainability and job creation in our state's most populated city." Public Works Director, Jennifer Caummisar-Kern, said " This project is critical to the success of our Vision Zero Louisville safety initiative." It will help reduce fatal and serious injury crashes and improve safety for all modes of transportation. Design work will begin in the summer of 2024 with construction work scheduled for early 2027.
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December 2023: Four Intersections near campus converted to 4-Way Stops
On December 18, 2023, Metro Public Works converted four intersections just north of Belknap Campus on the bike route to HSC into 4-Way Stops as a traffic calming measure. They are:
1) Brook Street at Burnett Avenue (near Burger Boy Restaurant)
2) Brook Street at Magnolia Avenue ( near 1401 S Brook)
3) First Street at Magnolia Avenue (near 1400 S First)
4) First Street at Burnett Avenue (near Soul Unalome Collective)
As with previous 4-way stop conversions along 7th Street, the traffic signals will be set to blink, once the 4-say Stop Signs are in place, just as a way to acclimate drivers to the change. This will improve the safety and calm traffic along a key bicycle and pedestrian corridor between UofL's campuses.
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Neighborhoods around UofL achieve highest scores in Louisville for walkability, bikeability, and transit access (Courier-Journal, Dec. 19, 2023)
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October-December 2023: Direct Express Belknap-HSC Shuttle Service
During October-December 2023, Parking & Transportation Services operated a pilot program to provide hourly express shuttle service between the HSC and Belknap Campuses (7 a.m.-7 p.m.). Shuttle stops will be on Preston Street by the Medical School and the Floyd St Garage on Belknap Campus. The shuttle will depart HSC at the top of the hour (i.e., 1 p.m.) and return from Belknap Campus at 15 minutes past each hour (i.e., 1:15 p.m.). The bus will stage for five minutes prior to departure. Please note that during the above times there will be no additional shuttle service on the Health Sciences Center Campus. For more information, contact Parking & Transportation Services, 852-7275.
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October 2023: Louisville’s bike share program, LouVelo, will shut down at end of October (WAVE, Oct. 4, 2023)
LouVelo, the city-wide bikeshare system that UofL helped launch and has always hosted stations for since its inception in 2017, shut down in October 2023. UofL remains a proponent of bikeshare and is in conversation with the city about what will replace LouVelo, as well as the future of the systems' city-owned equipment. UofL has offered to take on and maintain some of the bike fleet so as to continue loaning LouVelo bikes out to the campus community through the free UofL Bikeshare program. UofL remains hopeful that a new dock-less bikeshare system will come to Louisville and serve the campus population.
2022
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September 2022:Car-Free Trips help Team UofL win big in Cycle September and the Cards Commuter Challenge! (UofL Sustainability News, Sept. 20, 2022) - September 2022: SGA now offers free bike lock rentals for students! Students will be allowed to rent the locks for the entirety of both the fall and spring semesters. If a student is living on campus during the summer and requires an extended rental, please inform the SGA Services Vice President. If you have any questions about the rental form or the bike locks please reach out to SGA Services Vice President at svp@uoflsga.org.
- August 2022: UofL’s New Residence Hall opens in the heart of Belknap campus, with car-free, sustainable living (UofL News, Aug. 16, 2022). Another 452 beds on the south side of the SAC Ramp were opened to UofL students in the fall of 2022, offering convenient car-free living within a short walk or bike ride to classes, dining, recreation, entertainment, libraries, shops, and just about everything else students might need. The new dorm features bike parking on three sides, including covered bike parking on the west side to keep your ride out of the elements!
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August 2022: Official Re-Launch of the HSC Medical Mile, which represents an opportunity to get away from our desks, labs, and books to enjoy the surroundings of our beautiful campus. The School of Medicine hopes that people will take to the trail, unwind, walk & talk with their friends/colleagues, increase their physical wellbeing, and make new social connections.The School of Medicine is working with UPDC to get the Medical Mile added onto campus maps for HSC and to eventually have signage markers around the path. To complete the Medical Mile takes less than 20 minutes. -
March 2022:
UofL certified as Silver-level Bicycle Friendly University 2021-2025 (UofL Sustainability News, March 16, 2022)
For the third time since 2013, the League of American Bicyclists has certified that the University of Louisville is a Bicycle Friendly University at the Silver level. The rating covers the period 2021-2025.
2021
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September 2021:Rightsizing project on Winkler Ave. / Taylor Blvd
The most recent road diet on an over-built four-lane road serving UofL's Belknap Campus has been implemented on Winkler Avenue, a key east-west connection feeding into the western edge of campus, where speeding has been the norm and, as a result, 3 deaths and 299 injuries have occurred in the previous five years. Four traffic lanes were reduced to two travel lanes with a center turn lane and bike lanes on both sides of Winkler from Algonquin Pkwy to 3rd Street. This traffic calming will make it safer for all road users to get to campus from the west. Full details here.
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August 2021: UofL begins a new era of on-campus housing
UofL is building over 900 beds of affordable, car-free traditional student housing in the heart of campus on both sides of the SAC Ramp. The first new residence hall opened to students in August 2021. This LEED Gold facility features bike parking at the entrances, including some covered parking to keep bikes out of the elements.
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January 2021: LouVelo Bike Share now available at BAB with new connections to Bardstown Road and Logan Street Market
Bikeshare at UofL just got even more convenient for students, faculty, staff, and guests looking to minimize their environmental impact and maximize the health impact of their transportation choices!
To kick off the new year, in early 2021, in consultation with UofL authorities, Louisville's city-wide public bikeshare service, LouVelo, relocated one of our Belknap Campus bikeshare stations out of the way of the Threlkeld Hall demolition and replacement project that has snarled movement around the SAC Clocktower.The new location is just a short walk away along the new Brook Street pedestrian and bikeway that runs between Houchens and the Belknap Academic Building (BAB). It serves as a convenient destination for people pedaling into the heart of campus, with entrances to the SAC, BAB, Houchens, and Shumaker Research Building just a few steps away. It is also the closest bikeshare station to the central Humanities Quad. If you've never given LouVelo a spin, this is the year to do it! The system has expanded into the Highlands with stations at Logan Street Market (Kentucky St at Logan) and Bardstown Road (at Hepburn Ave).
2020
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August 2020: TARC Transit Service Improvements Launch August 9th
On August 9, 2020, TARC implemented significant changesto our transit system that are intended to reduce wait times and delays! Resources that used to serve very few people on long express routes to the suburbs and local circulators are being redeployed to improve service for the vast majority of riders in our urban core. This will not only mean improved service for UofL, but it represents an antiracist reorientation of our transit system with a strong focus on minority and low income passengers. While this means the elimination of the 01 & 77 LouLift and 96 circulators, you can expect improved service on all other routes serving UofL's Belknap and HSC campuses, including:
- Route 2 (Airport),
- Route 4 (4th Street),
- Route 19 (Muhammad Ali Blvd),
- Route 21 (Chestnut Street),
- Route 23 (Broadway),
- Route 28 (Preston Hwy),
- Route 29 (Eastern Pkwy), and
- Route 52 (Medical Center Circulator).
All TARC routes are always free for UofL students, faculty, and staff. Simply swipe your valid UofL ID as you board. Find all your options for getting around on one map with UofL's trip-planning and carpool-matching service, Cardinal Directions.
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Spring 2020: Campus Pathway Improvements: Crossings, Lighting & Ramps
In an effort to improve the safety and ease of navigating campus pathways on foot, in a wheelchair, or on bicycle, UofL is using a matching federal pedestrian transportation improvement grant to improve the quality and efficiency of outdoor lighting with LEDs (including in the railroad underpasses around campus), to standardize curb-cut ramps installed along Belknap campus pathways and sidewalks, and to improve crossings on campus such as W. Brandeis Ave. and University Blvd. -
January 2020: Belknap Campus - Health Sciences Center Shuttle becomes TARC Route 28
TARC changed Route 18, splitting it into two routes (18 and 28), both originating at 6th and Jefferson downtown. For a free, convenient, fast ride between Belknap Campus and the Health Sciences Center Campus simply hop on the new Route 28 (see schedule/map). Route 28 provides frequent shuttle service between UofL's two main campuses with just 15 minutes between buses M-F 5am-11pm (30-minutes on Saturdays, 60-minutes on Sundays/Holidays). Route 28 also provides direct service to both UofL campuses from downtown, UPS, Jefferson Mall, and Okolona/Preston Hwy.
2019
- August 2019: 4th Street Viaduct Safety Improvements. The 4th Street viaduct bike and pedestrian safety improvement project involved replacement of the sidewalks and shallow drainage installations beneath the railroad overpass between Industry and Greek Way that separates Belknap Campus from student housing just south of campus. The month-long project began on Monday August 5th.
- Summer 2019: With the closure of the Get Healthy Now Wellness Center and changing priorities in Campus Housing, UofL's Free Bikeshare Program shifted from decentralized daily bike check-outs to longer-term bike loans. Details here.
- June 2019: Due to under-utilization, Enterprise cancels the UofL Carshare program and pulls the vehicles from campus. Enterprise told us that they could only keep the program on campus if UofL was willing to subsidize them with a $1200/month/car revenue guarantee (as other schools provide). Given that the two remaining cars in the program were only used about 10% of the time, that meant UofL would have to pay Enterprise about $2000/month to keep the two cars on campus. Given how little they were getting used and the budget cuts the university has faced, the administration decided not to offer such a subsidy. The UofL Sustainability Council reached out to other companies that offer carshare, but none were willing to provide vehicles without a revenue guarantee. We suspect that the increasing popularity of ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft has contributed greatly to the decline of carshare usage. Unfortunately, these apps do not serve all the needs that carshare did.
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May 2019: UofL Police & SGA replace the Card Cab after dark escort service through Gotcha with an in-house "Cardinal Cruiser" in operation from dusk to dawn, 7 days a week. UofL students and employees may request a ride through the RAVE Guardian smartphone app or by calling 852-6111.
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March 2019: LouVelo expands across UofL's Belknap campus
The city of Louisville’s LouVelo bike sharing program is about to expand across Belknap Campus. Crews will install four new stations March 11-12 at the J.B. Speed School of Engineering, between the SAC and Threlkeld Hall, Freedom Park, and at the Floyd Street Parking Garage entrance to the SAC. A station will also be installed at The Bellamy affiliated student housing northwest of campus. The stations, which can hold a total of 12 bikes each, are in addition to off-campus LouVelo stations installed at other city locations. LouVelo debuted in the city in 2017 and the short-trip bicycles have become popular as quick, thrifty, fun and environmentally responsible ways to get around. Justin Mog, assistant to the provost for sustainability initiatives, said of the expansion, “We are always thrilled to see more people getting to and around campus on bikes — it means one fewer car we have to park, less traffic, less danger, cleaner air and less carbon emissions, and healthier people using their muscles rather than fossil fuels to get around.” With the new stations, more than 320 bikes at 37 stations will be available to riders across the cities of Louisville and Jeffersonville, Indiana. LouVelo’s student pricing plan is $7.50 per month for unlimited, 60-minute rides. Bikes are checked out by membership card or app, and a student plan can be purchased at louvelo.com/additional-price-plans.
See also: LouVelo set to expand to UofL campus (Insider Louisville, Mar. 5, 2019)
4 bike sharing service docks installed at UofL (WAVE3, March 11, 2019)
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February 2019: UofL's Sustainability Council joins the Complete Streets Louisville coalition to advocate for safer, saner streets for all roadway users throughout our city.
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Jan.-Aug. 2019: UofL replaces Brook Street on campus north of University Blvd with Bike & Pedestrian Plaza
The Belknap Academic Building Pedestrian Plaza project got underway in January 2019. The creation of a drive that replaces Brook Street and maintains service access to the Northwest portion of the main campus has long been desired. The transformation of this portion of Brook Street from vehicle to pedestrian traffic is a major improvement to campus. The conflicts between service and other vehicles and bike and pedestrian traffic in this area has long been dangerous and inconvenient. The creation of a pedestrian plaza to replace Brook Street will be an amenity to the campus, allowing for new greenspace, storm water infiltration in one of the most flood-prone areas of campus, and a safe, convenient corridor for those on foot or bicycle. There will be two phases of this project:
1. Phase 1 (1/1/19 - 3/15/19 $1,250,345) will create a new service drive along the railroad after demolition of the abandoned campus post office in the Houchens Building;
2. Phase 2 (3/1/19 - 8/15/19 $1,800,000) will close and depave this portion of Brook Street, install a bike path, pedestrian plaza and storm water infiltration, and plant trees and landscaping
More details are outlined on page 3 here.
Phase One of Pedestrian Plaza underway (The Louisville Cardinal, March 7, 2019)
Pedestrian plaza coming to Belknap Academic Building (The Louisville Cardinal, Jan. 25, 2019)
2018
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Dec. 2018:TARC lauches a short- and long-term planning process to reinvision transit in Louisville with UofL representatives serving on the Community Advisory Committee. The Committee will meet quarterly until the new long-range plan is released in August 2020. Students, faculty, staff, and the public are encouraged to also provide their input during the planning process, whether you are a current transit user or a potential future user.
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Nov. 2018: UofL Installs new Covered Bike Parking in high demand locations!
In line with UofL's Bike Master Plan, we continued to expand and improve bike parking on campus, with the installation of two new covered bike parking areas providing out-of-the-elements parking for up to 26 bikes in two prime locations adjacent to the main entrances of the new LEED-designed Belknap Academic Building (10 bikes) and Student Activities Center west expansion (16 bikes). New racks for up to 26 bikes were also installed in an exposed location within 50' of the south entrance to the Belknap Academic Building.
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October 2018: UofL launched its very first vanpool! A daily 52-mile commute from Hodgenville, KY to Belknap Campus.
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Sept. 2018: UofL and SGA launch
Card Cab - a free after-hours door-to-door shuttle service for Belknap campus students and employees using all-electric vehicles. Operates Monday-Saturday 10pm-4am. Simply register with an @louisville.edu email address. Request a ride via the Gotcha Ride app or by calling 502-653-2396. This replaces a less-efficient and less inviting escort service using large, gas-powered vans that would frequently be seen idling on campus and that required hiring security staff to be on-call. This service was in operation for the 2018-19 academic year only. -
Aug. 2018: Bike & Pedestrian Lane Markings & Symbols refreshed and reinstalled on Belknap Campus pathways after some weathering and destruction by snow removal and concrete replacement.
- A new, secure, covered bike rack was installed for residents in the courtyard of Bettie Johnson Hall. -
June 2018: New free, electric LouLift shuttle between Belknap Campus and downtown
TARC’s free, all-electric ZeroBus has been renamed LouLift with extended service stretching from Central Ave to the Galt House downtown. LouLift shuttles now run daily every 20 minutes (30 minutes on weekends) along 3rd St. from the Patterson baseball stadium to the Speed Museum, connecting Belknap campus directly to Old Louisville & downtown destinations such as Central Park, Simmons College, Spalding University, LFPL Main Library, the Convention Center, and the KFC Yum! Center. -
Summer 2018: Pavement & curb-cut improvements north of Belknap Campus
Anyone rolling off Belknap Campus (on bicycle, skateboard, roller skates, wheelchairs, scooters, etc.) to the north, including those traveling between Belknap and the Health Sciences Center, got a smoother ride over the summer of 2018, when significant improvements were made to key streets and sidewalks that provide access for bicyclists and pedestrians. Repaving (including bike lanes) and complete rebuilding of intersection curb-cuts for ADA compliance was implemented on portions of Cardinal Blvd/Brandeis Ave, Brook Street, 1st Street, and 4th Street through Old Louisville. -
Winter 2018: 4th Street Bus Shelter Improvements
The old, poorly maintained bus shelters on 4th Street at Louisville Hall and University Pointe were replaced with clean, modern, glass TARC shelters serving north-bound routes.
2017
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November 2017: UofL received official designation from the League of American Bicyclists as a Silver-level Bicycle Friendly University. The designation is valid for four years 2017-2021. See feedback report for what UofL needs to do to increase our Bike-Friendliness. This marked the second time UofL achieved such designation. The first was in 2013. -
August 2017: Posts installed to keep cars from parking in 4th Street bike lanes
At the request of the UofL Sustainability Council, Louisville Metro installed flexible posts along 4th Street at University Pointe to address a perpetual problem of cars illegally parking in the bike lanes on both sides of the street where the roadway narrows.
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June 21, 2017: Megabus Moves Closer to HSC for Convenient Intercity Connections
Megabus offers low-cost express service from downtown Louisville to over 120 cities across North America for as low as $1/trip with free wi-fi, at-seat plug ins, and panoramic windows. The carrier has relocated its pick-up and drop-off point to be closer to UofL's Health Sciences Center, on the south side of E. Broadway at Brook St. (under I-65 overpass, providing a protected waiting area during inclement weather). Megabus offers daily northbound departures from Louisville for Indianapolis/Chicago and southbound departures for Nashville/Chattanooga/Atlanta. Book here.
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Summer 2017: LouVelo city-wide bikeshare launches with stations at UofL
In May 2017, Louisville Metro began installing stations around the city for its new bike share program, LouVelo. Stations have already been installed at HSC (Floyd & Abraham Flexner Way, and Floyd & Broadway) and the north side of UofL's Belknap campus (Brook & Cardinal, and 4th & Gaulbert), and more will be added across Belknap campus over the summer.
Louvelo bikes feature an upright riding position, fenders, and a comfort saddle. Anyone can jump on a Louvelo bike and easily pedal across town. With over 30 stations across Louisville, finding a Louvelo station is quick and easy. Once signed up, you can easily check out a bike and return to any station within the system. LouVelo members can access any of the 300+ bikes though a station kiosk, a smart phone or with their membership card. The first hour of use is completely free for members, with usage fees only applied to those checking out a bike for over an hour. You may check a bike into any docking station at any time to restart the clock. Checking out a bike is quick and easy, and returning it is as simple as parking the bike in the dock. The free Transit App will also allow users to locate bike share stations and buy bike share passes using their mobile device.
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May 2017: UofL installs new bike racks as part of the SAC expansion at the east/Floyd Street entrance! The former racks at this location are being redeployed to new locations around campus that need it, such as Schneider (Art) Hall on Belknap Campus and MedCenter One at HSC.
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May 2017: TARC improvements: Free WiFi on all buses; Free real-time bus tracking with Transit app; and new Bus Shelters
In May 2017, Louisville's transit system, TARC (which is free to ride with UofL ID), rolled out a number of improvements to make it even sweeter to take the bus:
1. A brand new southbound bus shelter was installed on Belknap Campus on 4th Street just south of Cardinal Blvd. This shelter provides an out-of-the-elements place to wait for buses on Route 4 (with direct service from Belknap campus to south Louisville (Beechmont, Kenwood, Glengarry, and Louisville Industrial Center) on all-electric buses with bike racks for up to three bikes!). Two identical new TARC shelters will be installed further south on the east side of 4th Street at Brandeis Avenue and University Pointe to replace UofL's out-dated bus shelters.
2. All TARC buses will become free WiFi hot spots for internet access by June 1. TARC, with a fleet of 227 buses, already provides WiFi on 156 buses and worked to enable WiFi on the remaining 71 buses. TARC first made WiFi available in 2013 on 21 eTran commuter coaches that cross the river and travel on some express routes, and added WiFi to more buses as funding allowed. A 2016 survey of TARC local and express route passengers showed 80 percent of passengers have mobile devices with internet access, 20 percent more than three years ago. With buses as WiFi hot spots, passengers can now check schedules and bus arrival times, check email, do some work or homework while on the go using TARC WiFi. To connect to TARC WiFi on buses, passengers using mobile devices need to make sure WiFi is turned on, and to tap “RideTARC” as their WiFi option.
3. The Transit App, which has been endorsed by transit agencies in over a dozen cities including Boston and Dayton, integrates real-time transit information for more than 400 public transportation systems around the world. In the past 18 months, the app has been downloaded in Louisville more than 18,000 times. More than 1,500 riders are using the app on an average weekday. Relative to TARC’s ridership, usage in Louisville is among the highest across the US, without any heavy promotion to date. TARC riders have really embraced the app. TARC real-time bus information has been available on Transit since 2015 when TARC made its real-time data feed available to app developers. When opening the app, it automatically shows you nearby bus lines and departure times in big text and bright colors. Users can track TARC buses on a map, plan trips from start to finish, set alarms reminding them when to leave home to catch the next bus, and have an alert sound when their stop is approaching. Transit also integrates Uber and starting soon, when Louisville Metro launches its bike share program, LouVelo, the app will allow users to locate bike share stations and buy bike share passes. Passengers, including Mary Lou Ferrell who rides TARC to and from the Highlands and the University of Louisville’s Belknap campus, have praised the app. “It makes riding TARC so much better,” she wrote on Facebook. More details from TARC here. -
April 2017: In the face of severe budget cuts, the UofL Administration indefinitely suspends the extremely popular and national award-winning UofL Earn-A-Bike Program after five successful years of coaxing UofL commuters out of their cars and onto two wheels.
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April 2017: Last run of theBelknap East-West Night Campus Shuttle (TARC Route 90): UofL funded the launch of this shuttle route in Sept. 2014, with operating hours during the regular academic year Monday through Friday from 5pm to 1am with shuttles every 30 minutes. The Route 90 shuttle service circulated continuously around the periphery of Belknap campus to connect affiliated housing locations to campus and each other. Stops included Station House Apartments at 6th and Hill, The Belamy and The Province on Shipp Street, Scholar House on W Lee St., Cardinal Towne, the SAC, The Clubhouse on Crittenden, the Ville Grille, Ekstrom Library, and The Arch on 4th Street. Along the way, riders can transfer to other TARC routes (2, 4, 6, 18, 27, 29, 63 & 94), all free with UofL ID. Usage of this shuttle service was extremely low with just a couple rides per month. To save funds and carbon emissions, it was decided to cancel the route.
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Spring 2017: Hill Street Road Diet & Smoother Routes to Campus
In Spring 2017, bike lanes through Old Louisville to Belknap campus were repaved and repainted on 3rd Street (southbound) and Brook Street (northbound), providing smoother bikeway connections between Belknap campus and downtown/HSC. Portions of Gray Street downtown at HSC were also repaved, providing a smoother, calmer alternative for cyclists just a block north of Broadway.
After UofL hosted the following public meetings and advocated for the changes, Louisville Metro Public Works repaved a stretch of Hill Street and implemented a road diet on Hill Street from 1st St to Meriwether.
Safety for all road users was improved in this vital connector to the northeast corner of Belknap campus as four travel lanes were reduced to two with dedicated turn lanes, bike lanes in both directions, and improved intersection curb cuts and crosswalks for pedestrians.
Hill Street Blues?! Public Meetings on Redesign
Thursday, March 30th, 11:30am-1:30pm & 5-7pm, Ekstrom Library Room W210
Members of the university community and the public were encouraged to join us for this discussion with Metro Public Works about plans to repave and reconfigure an important corridor on the edge of Belknap Campus: Hill Street from 1st St to Meriwether Ave. The city sought our input on how this corridor could be reconfigured to make it safer for all road users, including drivers, transit riders, cyclists and pedestrians. We also encouraged all to participate in Bicycling For Louisville's advocacy survey to gauge public opinion about this and other potential projects in the coming months and years.
2016
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August 2016:
TARC adds six new all-electric buses to Route 4 (4th Street)
Want to get downtown or down to Iroquois Park with no money or tailpipe pollution?! Well now you can! TARC added six new all-electric buses to Route 4, serving Belknap campus. Like every TARC bus, the new fleet costs those with UofL ID nothing to ride. But these sleek, modern electric buses also cost a lot less for our air quality - eliminating the particulates & pollutants from the old diesel fleet. They also feature bike racks that can hold up to three bikes at once (the old buses only held two)! Catch one of the new buses along 4th Street every 15 minutes from 4:30am to 1am daily (service starts a little later on weekends/holidays)! Full details here. -
Summer 2016: The UofL Sustainability Council launched a new online platform for trip-planning and carpool-matching. Cardinal Directions displays ALL of your transportation options in one map-based platform. Whether you want to carpool for your daily commute, a few times a week, or just for a one-time trip, Cardinal Directions is the easiest way to connect. You can also use Cardinal Directions to coordinate carpools to events such as conferences, concerts, parties, sporting events, etc. Quickly set-up a profile for free by Registering here. Then you can post your ride offers or needs and Cardinal Directions will help connect you. Log Your Trips on the Cardinal Directions Dashboard to be eligible for incentive programs throughout the year and to keep track of your miles, money saved, calories burned, and carbon dioxide emissions avoided!
- Summer 2016: The UofL Foundation implemented Louisville's latest road diet on Floyd Street through Belknap campus from Warnock to Brandeis. Floyd Street was reduced from a four-lane road that was not bike- or pedestrian-friendly into a two-lane road between Warnock and Brandeis featuring bike lanes in both directions, a dedicated bus pull-out at the Belknap bus station in the Floyd Street Garage, and the replacement of an awkward, inefficient, and dangerous stoplight at Brandeis with a low-speed, yielding roundabout. The safety enhancements are expected to reduce dangerous vehicle speeds and improve traffic flow through the Floyd Street corridor.
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May 2016:UofL’s car-share program expands to HSC, serves downtown (UofL News, May 18, 2016)
UofL expands car-share program to downtown (Courier-Journal, May 18, 2016)
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March 2016: UofL BikeShare Expands to 3 more locations, including Health Sciences Center
UofL's Sustainability Council & Campus Housing continue to expand the options for free daily checkout of bicycles on campus by students, faculty, and staff through the UofL Bikeshare program. By fixing up and recycling bikes which had been abandoned on campus, the bikeshare program has expanded to three more traditional on-campus housing locations, with free daily check-out now available for anyone with valid UofL ID at the front desks of Louisville Hall, University Tower Apartments (UTA), and the Medical-Dental Apartments at HSC downtown! This brings the total number of UofL Bikeshare locations to eleven! -
Spring 2016: Expanded Covered Bike Parking
In line with UofL's Bike Master Plan, we continued to improve bike parking on campus, with the installation of two new covered racks at residential locations (Threlkeld Hall, and behind Billy Minardi Hall) and the replacement of three large, problematic fence-style racks with more secure, user-friendly staple-style racks at the Natatorium and Thrust Theater. -
Spring 2016: CarShare at UofL Expands!
• New Zipcar carshare vehicle added at The Retreat student housing on the northwestern edge of Belknap campus; and
• Fourth vehicle added to Belknap fleet of UofL Car-Share by Enterprise at Miller Hall.
• Special $1-to-join & $5/hour-to-drive rates with UofL Car-Share by Enterprise last through 4/30/16 (promo code 1TOJOIN). -
Spring 2016: Campus as a Living Laboratory of Sustainability – Bike/Walk Lane Awareness Project
For his practicum project, Corey Scott, a second year graduate student in the Communications Masters Program, took on the UofL Sustainability Council as a client and surveyed 219 students about their attitudes, norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intention with respect to bike/walk lanes on and around campus. The project gauged student’s awareness and opinion about the lanes we have and their intentions and desires to use them properly.
Designated lanes both on campus paths and on surrounding streets were found to be of value, safe, and desirable for both pedestrians and cyclists. The study documented a strong desire to see more designated lanes installed on more paths and streets around campus. Additional recommendations from the study included implementing a communication campaign to influence attitudes about the lanes (e.g. “The safest path to success!”) and to provide confidence-building tips and training for cyclists (especially older riders) about using the streets safely. The project was advised by Communication Professors Lindsay Della & Jasmine Wang. - 2016: UofL Foundation opens a new six-story, 835 space parking garage for the J.D. Nichols Campus for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, just north of UofL's Health Sciences Center, at Jefferson and Preston streets. The structure features UofL's first fully-protected indoor bicycle storage with lockers and a fix-it station for bike commuters, as well as LED lighting, daylight harvesting lighting controls and electric vehicle-charging stations.
2015
UofL Research Documents the Many Benefits of Making One-Way Streets Two-Way (The Atlantic - CityLab, July 20, 2015)
- Fall 2015: In an effort to continually monitor our progress in promoting the use of transportation alternatives and the barriers to using them, UofL's Sustainability Council and Department of Urban & Public Affairs teamed up to conduct a comprehensive survey of commuting behaviors, opinions, and attitudes within the UofL population. A large, random sample of employees and students was selected to receive the survey and we had an excellent response rate of 29.8% (n= 829) for employees, and 16.3% (n=1163) for students. Thanks to all who took the time to complete the survey! View here the results of our 2015 UofL Transportation Alternatives survey.
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More Work Bikes For UofL Employees: In 2015, the Sustainability Council equipped the Grounds crew staff (2) and UofL Libraries Book Courier Service (1) with work bikes for getting around campus instead of trucks, golf carts or other polluting, unhealthy, motorized vehicles. Cool New Ride Promotes Sustainable Mail Delivery (UofL Libraries Blog, Aug. 10, 2015) - Fall 2015: UofL's Sustainability Council expanded the options for free daily checkout of bicycles on campus by students, faculty, and staff through the UofL Bikeshare program. By fixing up and recycling bikes which had been abandoned on campus, two additional bikes were added to the existing fleet and five more bikes were used to expand the bikeshare program to traditional on-campus housing, with check-out now available for anyone with valid UofL ID at the front desks of Miller Hall, Threlkeld Hall, and Unitas Tower.
- August 2015: The UofL Foundation has installed a newly reconfigured, repaved, and restriped Warnock & Brook corridor at the busy east entrance of Belknap campus which provides new facilities to make bicycling and walking safer and more pleasant! The project completed mid-August 2015 features wider, improved sidewalks; a traffic-calming median on Warnock; new ramps onto the campus pathway network from Warnock at the Lutz circle; and new bike lanes on Warnock from Floyd to Brook; on Floyd Street at Warnock; and on Brook from Warnock south all the way over two railroads to 3rd & Iowa. See photos.
- August 2015: New lower rates were introduced at the hourly pay parking lot at 4th St & Cardinal Blvd. It now costs $1 to park for up to 1 hour; $3 for 1-2 hours; $4 for 2-3 hours; $6 for 3-4 hours; and $8 for over 4 hours. More flexible, hourly parking options like this encourage the use of transportation alternatives vs. long-term permit-based parking which involves a sunk cost that, once paid for, encourages people to bring their car to campus every time. Conveniently located hourly parking allows people who are sometimes willing to use alternatives to drive to campus when they feel they really need to. The rates also encourage visitors who will be on campus more than one hour to take the bus as a lower-fare option.
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June 2015: UofL opened a brand new roadway through the Belknap Engineering and Applied Sciences Research Park connecting Brook Street to Third Street at Iowa Avenue via flyover bridges across two railways, covering just over half a mile. In line with UofL's Bike Master Plan, the roadway is not over-built for cars, but rather features bike lanes and wide sidewalks on both sides of the street, providing cyclists and pedestrians a safe and pleasant way to navigate across the railways that cut across campus. - May 2015: In an effort to further enhance the safety of the new bike lanes that were installed on 4th Street, delineator posts were installed along the outside of the lanes under the railroad crossing. As called for in our UofL's Bike Master Plan, this creates a physical separation between bikes and motorized traffic through a relatively dark and dangerous section of the roadway that connects UofL's campus to student housing and businesses south of campus. Bike counters were also installed in each lane to track usage over time.
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April 2015: In line with efforts to implement our Bike Master Plan, a new mid-block pedestrian crossing with curb bulb-outs was installed at the Health Sciences Center to improve safety for walkers and cyclists crossing Preston Street at Abraham Flexner W
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New Fall 2015: Law School institutes Carbon Offsetting for Travel
UofL Law School Dean Susan Duncan has instituted a $1 carbon offset “flat tax” for every trip funded by the school (whether on plane or overland). Half the funds will go to the Appalachian Carbon Partnership (MACED), and half will go to Native Energy.
2014
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Dec. 2014: Zipcar Carshare Comes to Downtown Louisville
Those who live or work in downtown Louisville now also have the option of accessing Zipcar carshare vehicles parked in the 4th Street garage just north of Broadway. Monthly or annual memberships also provide access to Zipcar vehicles in dozens of U.S. cities and around the world. Full details about Zipcar here.
Public meetings to discuss resurfacing, bike lanes near UofL (WAVE 3 News, 7/24/14)
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Fall 2014: 4th Street Road Diet from Cardinal Blvd to Industry Rd
Metro Louisville’s Department of Public Works hosted two public meetings at UofL in regard to its plans to install traffic-calming measures on 4th Street through Belknap Campus during Fall Break 2014. The plan will effect Fourth Street from Cardinal Boulevard to Industry Road (including a dangerous railway underpass) and involves the addition of buffered bike lanes in each direction; the preservation of existing dedicated turn lanes and on-street parking lanes in both directions; and reducing the roadway to one vehicular travel lane in each direction. The new roadway configuration will look much like 4th Street north of Cardinal Blvd, but with bike lanes. More information on Metro's road diet projects here. The Draft 4th Street Road Diet Plan can be viewed here.
UofL supports this change to enhance safety for all road users, particularly with the significant increase in pedestrian and bicycle traffic that has come with the new housing and Student Rec Center developments around this corridor. A new 654-bed affiliated student housing project (“The Grove”) opened in August at 4th and Industry which has also generated considerably more pedestrian and bicycle traffic along 4th Street.
Public Meetings were held at UofL's Student Recreation Center, Room 107
Wednesday August 6th, 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Friday August 8th, 11:30am – 1:30pm - October 2014: UofL Carshare program added a third vehicle (a red Ford Focus), parked at a new location along 4th Street behind Center Hall across from Billy Minardi Hall and the Student Rec Center.
- New Belknap TARC shuttle starts for off-campus students (UofL Today, Sept. 15, 2014): In Sept. 2014, UofL launched this Belknap East-West Night Campus Shuttle to operate Monday through Friday from 5pm to 1am with shuttles every 30 minutes. The Route 90 shuttle service circulates continuously around the periphery of Belknap campus to connect affiliated housing locations to campus and each other. Stops include Station House Apartments at 6th and Hill, The Belamy and The Province on Shipp Street, Scholar House on W Lee St., Cardinal Towne, the SAC, The Clubhouse on Crittenden, the Ville Grille, Ekstrom Library, amd The Arch on 4th Street. Along the way, riders can transfer to other TARC routes (2, 4, 6, 18, 27, 29, 63 & 94), all free with UofL ID. Route 90 map & schedule here.
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September 2014: New Hourly Pay Lot at 4th & Cardinal
UofL converted its long-term permit parking lot at 4th and Cardinal into a new hourly pay lot costing $2/hour or $12/day with about 175 spots. More flexible, conveniently-located, market-rate hourly parking options like this encourage the use of transportation alternatives vs. the old model of long-term permit-based parking which involves a sunk cost that, once paid for, encourages people to bring their car to campus every time. Hourly/Daily parking options allow people who are generally willing to use alternatives to drive to campus when they feel they really need to. The new hourly rates also encourage visitors who will be on campus more than one hour to take the bus as a lower-fare option. - In August 2014, bike lanes around UofL on Cardinal Blvd., Floyd, Brook, 1st, 3rd and Gaulbert Streets were all re-striped with a more durable thermoplastic lane marking and improved safety design. New sharrows were added to Brandeis Ave between Arthur and Floyd, completing the link between the Germantown Neighborway and the bike lanes on Cardinal Blvd.
- More Work Bikes For UofL Employees: Over summer 2014, the Sustainability Council equipped four more Physical Plant foremen, two Custodial staff, two Grounds crew staff, and the IT Help Desk staff with work bikes for getting around campus instead of trucks, golf carts or other polluting, unhealthy, motorized vehicles.
- On June 8, 2014, TARC launched enhanced service connecting Belknap with downtown, airport and Kentucky Kingdom. In addition to providing Belknap campus with direct service from 3rd Street and Eastern Parkway to downtown or the airport, TARC Route 2 is now your direct connection to summer fun. TARC added service to Kentucky Kingdom at stops near Gates 2 and 3 of the Kentucky Exposition Center. Service was also increased on Route 2, with a new weekday evening trip, and new morning and evening schedules on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. This and all TARC services are free with valid UofL ID.
- Beginning May 29, 2014, University Parking & Transportation will operate an expanded shuttle route at UofL's Health Science Center to include Nucleus and the Jewish Hospital Garage on Muhammad Ali Blvd. The new stops will add 5 minutes to the current route time. See the map of the new shuttle route here.
- In May 2014, the new Falls City Community Bikeworks opened roughly mid-way between UofL's Belknap campus and Health Science Center. The not-for-profit shop is at 1217 Logan Street (just south of Oak) and provides the space, tools and expertise to any community member who wishes to learn and practice bicycle maintenance. The all-volunteer shop also offers refurbished bicycles, equipment, and skills to people who cannot afford to purchase roadworthy bicycles.
- In Spring 2014, shared roadway markings for bicyclists were installed on Hancock Street, running through the eastern side of UofL's Health Science Center.
- On April 25, 2014, UofL students from the PLAN 650 Capstone Studio presented their final project entitled 100 Ideas for the 4th Street Corridor,including numerous recommendations for more sustainable transportation. Everyone is invited to leave a comment about one of their ideas or add your idea for improving the 4th street corridor here.
- UofL worked with Metro Public Works to launch Louisville's first Neighborway, in April 2014! The new route provides safe connectivity for cyclists between Belknap Campus and the Highlands. To access the route from UofL, simply ride east on Cardinal Blvd, which bends and becomes Brandeis Ave. After crossing under the interstate, turn right on Bradley Ave. and begin following the pavement markings which proceed left onto E Barbee Ave, then left onto Shelby St, right onto Delor Ave, left onto Hickory St, jogging across Goss onto Spratt, and then right onto Ellison Ave. Ride that up the hill and you'll arrive at Barret Ave in the Highlands!
- UofL opens its car-sharing program to the public (Courier-Journal, March 22, 2104)
- In spring 2014, new bike racks were installed at the main entrance to Kurz Hall, Law School courtyard, Cardinal Park on Floyd St. and at the new Nucleus building on HSC at Floyd & Market.
- New 65X Sellersburg Express route starts Jan. 27, 2014. To help ease traffic congestion during Ohio River Bridges Project construction, TARC will begin operating an I-65 express route connecting Sellersburg, IN and downtown Louisville. Route 65X will be free to anyone with UofL ID and will feature TARC's new eTran commuter coaches, designed to provide a more comfortable, productive ride, and offering free wi-fi onboard, outlets for charging mobile devices, and overhead storage. Commuters from Indiana can use a park & ride lot at Ivy Tech Community College in Sellersburg, 11 miles north of downtown just off Exit 9 on I-65. In downtown Louisville, the route will make several stops for connections to other TARC routes, and access to central business and medical center locations, including a stop on UofL's Health Sciences Campus at Chestnut & Jackson. The service will provide four morning and four afternoon round trips. Full details.
2013
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- UofL Named 1 of 9 Great Colleges for Cyclists (Bicycling Magazine, Dec. 2013)
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UofL has been named the most bicycle-friendly university in Kentucky (UofL Today, 11/14/13), earning a Silver rating in the League of American Bicyclists' Bicycle Friendly University program! The designation is valid for 2013-2017. As of Fall 2013, there are a total of 75 Bicycle Friendly Universities in 32 states and Washington, D.C. including three in Kentucky:
1. University of Louisville - Silver (New Fall 2013)
2. University of Kentucky - Bronze
3. Western Kentucky University - Bronze (New Fall 2013) - In late fall 2013, in consultation with UofL, Metro Louisville completed the installation of two new bike routes connecting Belknap campus to downtown:
1. The route to UofL's Health Sciences Center was completed with a new bike lane and shared-lane markings on Floyd Street, jogging over to the recently installed bike facilities on Brook & 1st Streets via College Street.
2. A new route has been installed to connect the northwestern edge of Belknap campus to downtown, featuring new bike lanes and shared-lane markings on W. Gaulbert Ave. and 6th and 7th Streets north to Market St. - On October 18th, 2013 UofL opened its new LEED Gold Student Recreation Center, including ample bike parking and new traffic-calming measures and a new mid-block pedestrian crossing signal on 4th Street.
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In Fall 2013, the Sustainability Council continued working to implement our Bicycle Master Plan, which includes designated pathways through Belknap campus to help reduce potential bike-pedestrian conflicts as we increase bike traffic on campus. We began by widening the path at one bottleneck point between Lutz Hall and Schneider Hall and by installing some markings as a pilot trial on a few priority routes. All routes are designed to be two-way. The effort is intended to give everyone some guidance about how to share the pathways, to designate some priority through-routes for bikes, and to give pedestrians a signal that they share the paths with faster-moving bicycles. On campus pathways, cyclists are encouraged to moderate speed, signal when passing, and always yield to pedestrians, no matter where they are.
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Summer sees progress for campus cyclists (UofL Today, Aug. 21, 2013)
Just in time for the new 2013-14 academic year, lots of great things are happening around campus to make bicycling easier, safer, and more accessible for everyone!
1. New bike lanes north-bound from Belknap campus: After two years of advocacy and community meetings organized by UofL, Metro government has just installed newbike lanes on Brook and 1st Streets through Old Louisville, providing Belknap campus with our first ever north-bound bike facility and providing improved connectivity with Health Sciences! The lanes run from Cardinal to College Street and the city has plans to complete the connectivity to HSC, but even now it’s a fairly safe, low-traffic connection from there.
2. Expanded UofL Bikeshare Program: The Sustainability Council has worked with UofL Housing over the summer to expand our bikeshare program considerably! Nine newly restored bikes (with fenders, basket, and lock) have been added to our campus bikeshare fleet and are now available for daily free check-out by any employee or student from the front desks of three residence halls along 4th Street: Community Park, Kurz Hall, and Bettie Johnson Hall. These bikes used to be available for residents only, but are now available to anyone at UofL! These bikes can be of particular help to folks on the northwest side of Belknap campus who want to get across campus, across town, or just to pop over to the new GHN Employee Wellness Center on the opposite end of campus.
3. Suffering from flat tires? The Sustainability Council is now stocking pre-glued tube patches at all five of our Bike Fix-It Stations, which offer 24-hour access to basic tools and a pump on campus (at Humanities, SAC/Red Barn Plaza, SAC Floyd St. entrance, University Tower Apartments and HSC Kornhauser plaza)! For help with repairs, scan the QR code on the Fixit to view detailed instructions, or download the Bike Repair App for iPhone.
4. Find the facilities! Our interactive UofL Bike Parking Map has been updated to include the three new bike check-out locations and our new bike racks installed over the summer at several locations on Belknap and HSC. The map also indicates the Fix-it Station locations. You can also find bike lanes, paths, and safer routes throughout Louisville with the Louisville Bike Map (pdf) which now includes a UofL campus inset!
5. Foremen on two wheels: The Sustainability Council has recently equipped six Physical Plant foremen and two Parking Officers with work bikes for getting around campus instead of golf carts or other polluting, unhealthy, motorized vehicles.
6. Health Promoters on three wheels: Over the summer, the Sustainability Council equipped the Office of Health Promotion with an industrial tricycle for use by health advocates in hauling items across campus and raising awareness at campus events. -
TARC changes affect routes around UofL. On June 9, 2013 TARC made several route changes that mostly improve service to UofL. When the proposed changes were announced, UofL collected student and employee comments about the proposals and submitted them in March. It was generally agreed that the impact on UofL will be a mixed bag, but more positive overall:
• Revising Route 2 to now go down 3rd St. (instead of Preston) will be a huge benefit to UofL, providing new service directly to Belknap, with direct connections from Belknap (at Eastern Pkwy and along 3rd) to the airport, Old Louisville, and downtown!
• Removing the Medical Center loop from Route 4 will leave UofL with only one route (18) providing direct connections between Belknap and HSC (though Route 18 is already a more direct, preferable connection for that purpose, unless, perhaps, you’re trying to get from the 4th St. area to HSC) and will reduce the bus options for folks trying to get from one part of HSC to another (though most of those needs are covered by other services, such as Route 52).
• The changes to Route 18 will result in minor reductions in the frequency of service, but a new direct connection between UofL (both HSC and Belknap) and two major employers, UPS Worlport and Ford Motor Co. - On May 20th, 2013, after two years of UofL advocating for such investment, Louisville Mayor Fischer released his 2013-14 budget proposal, including $300,000 to fund bike infrastructure connecting Belknap Campus with downtown! The proposal is for 28 miles of new bike lanes, including "$300,000 for restriping roads to allow bike lanes, primarily between the University of Louisville Belknap Campus and downtown." See the Old Louisville Bike Network map here.
- In March 2013, UofL made pedestrian safety improvements to the Second Street alley and sidewalk area behind the Speed Museum parking garage by installing traffic-calming bollards and and gate, as well as the first separately designated pedestrian and bicycle/service vehicle lanes on any campus paths or alleys. In accordance with UofL's Bicycle Master Plan, the university will be installing more such improvements on campus corridors to improve pedestrian and cyclists safety.
2012
- TARC comes to Belknap to announce improved Fourth Street service (UofL Today, August 27, 2012). Now TARC Route 4 provides even more frequent shuttle service between UofL's two main campuses! Weekdays between 6am and 9pm, buses will arrive every 10 minutes north of Central Avenue and every 20 minutes south of Central. Video.
- Fall 2012: As a part of UofL's Climate Action Plan, the Sustainability Council launches its new Earn-A-Bike Program: Forgo a parking permit for at least two years and earn a $400 bike shop voucher! Applications accepted throughout the summer each year, with vouchers awarded at the start of each Fall semester.Read story.
- Fall 2012: Bicycle lanes installed on Cardinal Boulevard between Floyd Street and 3rd Street
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August 2012: The UofL Sustainability Council began implementing UofL's new Bike Master Plan by installing 66 new bike racks (432 bike spaces) at numerous locations around Belknap campus (see our Interactive UofL Bike Parking Map), as well as five Bike Fix-It Stations with basic tools and a pump (at Humanities, SAC/Red Barn Plaza, SAC Floyd St. entrance, University Tower Apartments and HSC Kornhauser plaza).
- For help with repairs, scan the Quick Read (QR) code on the front of the Fixit to view detailed instructions on your smart phone.
These much-needed improvements were funded through ourClimate Action Plan. Learn more. - August 2012: CarShare by Enterprise (originally under the name "WeCar") launches at UofL with three fuel-efficient Toyota Corollas (two on Belknap and one at HSC).
- May 2012: the Transit Authority of River City (TARC) proposed changes to or elimination of several of its routes, including nine express routes, effective July 1, 2012. The proposed changes included shortening the #29 route that runs through Belknap Campus on Eastern Parkway so that it would end near Bardstown Road and Cherokee Park rather than at Oxmoor Center on Shelbyville Road. This change will not be made due to a strong response from the public. TARC also proposed a change to the #18 route that serves both Belknap and HSC which would eliminate its selected-trips service to the Camp Taylor area. Unfortunately, this change will take place. UofL submitted a response to TARC explaining how these changes will negatively affect faculty, staff and students who rely on these routes, and from those who use other possibly affected routes. More info here. Details on final changes available here.
- UofL collected and submitted comments on possible changes to and elimination of TARC routes, with success in preserving eastern portion of service on the #29 route.
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In 2012, as a direct result of
UofL's Train-the-Trainers Program, funded by a grant from the Kentucky Bicycle and Bikeway Commission, Get Healthy Now offered Safe Cycling Classes for all UofL employees and participants in the Get Healthy Now program:Location: Crawford Gym, Room 15
April 3 - May 8, 2012: Fridays, 11:00 a.m.
July 6 - August 10, 2012: Wednesdays, 2:00 p.m.
August 2 - November 6, 2012: Thursdays, 12:00 p.m.
The class was designed as a guide to various aspects of safety, such as basic equipment maintenance, skills, and rules of the road. The content was based on the League of American Bicyclists' national BikeEd program, with the central idea being "Cyclists fare best when they act and are treated as drivers of vehicles." The class intended to help you to become a cyclist who rides with greater safety and confidence. Get Healthy Now encourages participants to ride bicycles for fun, fitness, and transportation, leading to a happier and healthier person, planet, and safer environment for all.
These new bike safety classes were made possible by funds generated through the purchase of "Share the Road" license plates by Kentucky motorists! Funding from the Paula Nye Memorial Education Grant has allowed UofL to:
1. Provide American League of Bicyclists Certified Instructors (through a subcontract with Bicycling for Louisville) to conduct free training to educators from university, high school and community organizations in bicycle safety and confident cycling, in order for them to return to their respective institutions to train students and community members; and to provide the educational and curriculum materials needed to train these educators and their future students; and
2. Create, post, and distribute bicycling maps as an additional means to educate people about safe means of bicycling on UofL campuses (reducing conflicts with pedestrians) and bicycling to campus by accessing bicycle gateways and connecting with Metro bike routes and public transit lines. You can see the results of this project in the UofL inset on new Louisville Bike Map (pdf) released March 2013!
2011
Green Roofs at Cardinal Towne
The Edge at Liberty Green
UofL officials join private developer for HSC-area residence groundbreaking
- The University is continuing its efforts to make living close to campus an attractive option for students, faculty and staff. Fall 2011 saw the opening of new student housing options adjacent to both Belknap campus and Health Sciences Center.
- The first phase of Cardinal Towne, a new affiliated student housing and retail development, opened in August 2011 on Cardinal Blvd between 3rd and 4th - right across the street from Belknap campus. Cardinal Towne features several green design elements, including accessible vegetated roofs; 170 covered and outdoor bike parking spaces; the ability to monitor energy use in each unit; some ceiling fans and day-lighting; and fully equipped kitchens for student cooking. Watch the video. A second phase will be open August 2012.
- Also in August 2011, new student housing opened at HSC. The Quad is a UofL-affiliated 27-apartment complex at Hancock Street and Muhammad Ali Boulevard, right next door to the Clinical and Translational Research Building. It is one piece of a larger project, known as The Edge at Liberty Green, which will provide mixed-use, mixed-income, environmentally-friendly housing for employees and students within blocks of our Health Sciences Center and within biking distance of Belknap Campus. Development continues on hundreds of units of various green-designed housing types and sizes for both purchase or rent. The Sustainability Council invites everyone in the UofL community to explore this exciting, new option in low-impact, healthy, urban living! - TARC makes trip planning more convenient for students and employees! TARC has joined the Google Transit partnership program, a network that provides bus routing and bus stop data in more than 400 cities, and has added a link to the Google trip planner to its website. The trip planner allows users to find such information as bus routes, estimated travel times and even walking directions to the nearest TARC stop. UofL students, faculty and staff can always ride TARC for free by showing their UofL ID. “For University of Louisville students, this improvement in accessibility could be the tipping point between buying a parking pass and driving their car to campus or riding the bus.” -The Louisville Cardinal (December 6, 2011) TARC pairs with Google for quicker transit planning
- In line with ourBicycle Master Plan, UofL collaborated throughout 2011 with Metro Government and area neighborhood groups to create a plan for a safe network of on-street bike facilities around our campuses. We especially needed a northbound route from Cardinal Blvd that provides safe, (s)low-traffic connectivity with our Health Sciences Center and downtown. Despite resistance to the idea from Metro Public Works, we still think this is an ideal test-case for Louisville's first dedicated Bike Boulevard with limited, local-access-only auto traffic (learn about Portland, Oregon's bike boulevards with this great video). The plan for Old Louisville bike corridors developed through this process is available for review here.
- In 2011, UofL's released its first Bicycle Master Plan! As a part of our campus master planning efforts, UofL has developed comprehensive plans for making our campuses more walkable and bike-friendly and we are working with Metro government and surrounding neighborhoods to improve linkages with citywide bike routes. Our Bicycle Master Plan provides guidance for facilities, signage, surface treatments, and pathways that are designed to encourage bicycling while enhancing the safety of bicyclists and pedestrians on all three of our campuses.
2010
- New bike racks were installed in 2010 at priority locations (most covered) on HSC and Shelby campuses. New racks were added to the Red Barn plaza / SAC west entrance in 2011; and in spring 2012, three new large racks were installed at the north entrance to Louisville Hall, and one covered rack at the west entrance to Threlkeld Hall.
- Nearly 300 employees for UofL's vendors/contractors (including Sodexo, the University Club, SSC Service Solutions, and City Café) came under UofL's agreement with TARC in Fall 2011 to allow them free access to the entire bus system.
- In 2010, UofL adopted a No Idling Policy for all vehicles owned by the University of Louisville or its affiliates or operated by any employee or contractor of the university during the course of their job duties at the university. The policy states, "All vehicles should be turned off when not in use or when the driver leaves the vehicle for any length of time. Equipment should not be left idling more than 1 minute and should be turned off unless doing so would hurt its operation." There are a few stated exceptions to this policy. View the full UofL No Idling Policy.