Bardstown Road

In 2018, former District 8 Metro Councilman Brandon Coan commissioned a Bardstown Road Safety Study. Bardstown Road had a high rate of vehicle and pedestrian accidents. The reversible lane light system and variable on-street parking hours also led to a lot of confusion.

In April 2020, a trial period was implemented where the lane light system was set to operate on the "off-peak" traffic plan, and on-street parking was permitted 24/7. After the successful trial period, temporary pavement markings were installed to better delineate turn lanes and lane assignments. 

Now, the streetscape redesign is being made permanent with a $1.5M Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Phase 1 project to improve walkability and overall safety along the Bardstown Road corridor. Improvements include the removal of reversible lane assignment lights/signs and poles, installation of improved signage and signal timing, installing 40 new curb extensions (with most having greenery and shrubs), improved crosswalks, new turn lanes, and over 100 new or expanded tree wells.

Phases 2, 3, and 4 of the project are scheduled for 2024 and beyond.

There are a multitude of benefits that come with planting street trees, including:

1. Safer and more pleasant walking environments
2. Rain, sun, heat and skin protection provided by tree canopy
3. Reduced exposure to tailpipe emissions
4. Lower urban air temperatures
5. Softening  and screening of necessary street features like telephone poles and utility wires
6. Reduced blood pressure and improvement in overall emotional and physical health
7. Shade provided by trees helps extend the life of concrete and asphalt
8. Trees temporarily capture and slow the flow of rainwater to the ground, reducing the amount of stormwater runoff. Increasing pervious areas (like tree wells) also help to absorb more water into the ground.

The Friends of Bardstown Road have raised money to hire contractors to water the trees and plants in the bumpouts. TreesLouisville staff and volunteers will monitor the trees and perform structural pruning to ensure that they have good form and stay healthy for years to come.

If you are aware of any newly planted street trees that require maintenance, please contact info@treeslouisville.org.

For bumpout maintenance (grasses, shrubs, low-growing plants), please contact Friends of Bardstown Road at info@friendsofbardstownroad.org.

TreesLouisville has planted over 60 different species and cultivated varieties, primarily native, along Bardstown Road. Each of these trees were selected taking into consideration a number of different factors, including mature size and surrounding environmental conditions. An emphasis was placed on the aesthetic qualities of each tree, like foliage, color, flowers, bark and leaf texture, and canopy shape, as well as how those qualities interact visually with each other, the surrounding architecture, and existing trees.

By planting such a wide variety of trees, we aim to promote biodiversity. A greater number of species helps to reduce the risk of widespread pest or disease damage.

Some notable species in the project include:

• 'Wichita' Osage Orange: This cultivar is thornless and fruitless - ideal for a pedestrian area. It can handle extreme drought and heat, and its dense canopy provides ample shade.
• 'Twisty Baby' Black Locust: Fun zig-zagging branches provide visual interest year-round and this unique contorted form can be strategically pruned to grow around - rather than into - overhead utility wires. It also produces lovely (and edible!) white flowers in the spring and is known for its ability to grow in compacted soil or areas with small soil volume.
• 'Saffron Sentinel' Cornelian Cherry: The yellow flowers of this tree are some of the first to emerge in late winter, providing color and visual interest at a time when most trees are still dormant. It grows in a columnar shape and produces a small 'cherry' which can be eaten by animals and humans.
• 'Persian Spire' Parrotia: Also called Ironwood, this cultivar of parrotia is known for its columnar shape, which makes it a great candidate for narrow spaces. This tree can handle a wide range of soil conditions and its foliage changes throughout the season, from purple in the spring, to green in the summer, then to yellow and orange in autumn.

Why not all native species?

Some non-native tree species were selected for their ability to endure urban environments, especially highly trafficked areas like Bardstown Road. These species have the ability to handle larger amounts of air pollution, compacted soils, and increased heat, as well as being able to tolerate drought conditions. While we believe that native species are critical to our environment and we will continue to prioritize planting them in our projects, we also recognize that urban environments are not "native" environments for many of our native tree species. Projects like this one require extra care and planning in regard to species selection in order to plant trees that will last for 50 to 100 years.

There are various approaches to avoid tree/overhead wire conflicts: the first is the common way - planting short and slow-growing trees like redbuds and serviceberries. A second strategy is to plant narrow trees that are slightly set back from the wires. Several new sidewalk cuts have been created on the private property-side of the sidewalk, rather than the curb, and are set back 4-5 feet from overhead wires. Narrow trees can grow there to the height of the wires without interfering.

TreesLouisville has also strategically planted trees with contorted branching; the branches will naturally grow left and right and will be strategically pruned to avoid the wires. 

When looking at overhead utility lines, the lower wires are communication wires (like AT&T), not electric wires. Typically, phone and cable companies do not clear cut trees around their utility wires. TreesLouisville is advocating with LG&E to ensure more selective pruning when performing line clearance work. 

The essential work required to manage the trees that will grow taller than the communication wires is consistent pruning to create some bonsai-shaped trees over time. In this way, we can achieve symbiosis between both wires and tree canopy. We view the Bardstown Road planting as a great opportunity to expand tree canopy around wires without conflict.