WAVE 3 TV Louisville, KY | Arena may close and expand streets for traffic plan

Arena may close and expand streets for traffic plan

By Elizabeth Donatelli - bio | email 
Posted by Charles Gazaway - email

LOUISVILLE, KY (WAVE) - The new downtown arena is set to open November 2010, but planners are still trying to figure out the parking and traffic situation. Traffic consultants say they are on the right track with proposals to change directions of some streets and possibly shut down a section of another.

"We're emptying out the arena and that represents 20-25 percent of the daily pm/am/pm traffic and we think that this will be a very similar traffic pattern," said David Reed senior vice president of QK4.

Reed estimates it shouldn't take much longer to get in and out of the arena than it would to get in and out of downtown during rush hour. He says changing the direction from one-way to two-way by the arena will help. A team from QK4 is looking at expanding Second Street under the Calrk Memorial Bridge and Third Street between Main and Market Streets.

"You're increasing the accessibility in that corridor by making it a two-way pattern," said Reed.

Access is a major concern for emergency responders.

"If something major was to happen at the arena itself having multiple patients that we need to get to, just the accessibility of getting in and getting out in a timely manner," said Mike Crenshaw, Louisville Metro EMS operations manager.

Lt. Doug Sweeney of the Louisville Metro Police traffic unit compared it to preparing for Thunder Over Louisville, but said it will be to a smaller scale and there will be some growing pains.

"We'll probably have to control lights at intersections in the area right around the arena, but how far out do we go?" said Sweeney. "You don't really know and that's important not only for safety, but who's going to pay for it?"

Planners are also debating shutting down Second Street under the bridge between Main and Washington Streets either for big events or permanently. This has some worried about the impact on the rest of downtown.

"We seem to be cutting off our pathways to the river and yet we know how important it is because of the success of Waterfront Park," said Mike Kimmel of the Waterfront Development Corporation. 

Consultants estimate there are more than 11,000 parking spots available within a three-block walk of the arena.

"I think that we have ample parking in the area, actually I feel we have more parking than is available at the Fairgrounds," said Cathy Duncan, executive administrator of PARC.

Members of the Arena Authority met with city groups and traffic consultants for the first of a series of meeting to work out the kinks. The final plan will be finished November 1st. Starting in mid-July you can give your feedback about the traffic and parking plan at: www.arenaauthority.com

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