History

The Broadway corridor has played a central role in the movement of people and goods in Louisville for nearly 200 years. Union Station was built on Broadway in 1889, as passenger rail increased in national importance, and was once the largest railroad station in the southern U.S. As transportation systems evolved, Broadway became a vital streetcar line and subsequent bus line.

However, after a regionally devastating flood in 1937, and as major industries left the city’s central core, Broadway shifted from a vibrant community asset to an underutilized and dangerous corridor. These characteristics were amplified through the racially discriminatory practices of redlining and urban renewal, as Broadway transformed from a community corridor with thriving businesses to surface parking lots and vacant industrial buildings.

The Baxter Avenue/ Bardstown Road section has also experienced notable change over the years. While the surrounding areas have remained relatively affluent, what once was a key streetcar connection between downtown and dense residential areas has become a high-speed, auto-dominated thoroughfare that negatively affects the vibrancy, accessibility and safety of one of Louisville’s most important cultural destinations. Because of these challenges, Louisville Metro Government created Move Louisville, the city’s 20-year multi-modal transportation plan. Since that time, several additional studies have been initiated including but not limited to the Broadway Master Plan. Bardstown Road has recently seen pedestrian safety measures implemented to address transportation safety challenges.

Louisville Metro Government and TARC were awarded a $5 million RAISE Planning Grant in 2022 for Broadway All the Way.