A decade after it opened, last section of popular Legacy Trail completed
After years of delays, the final section of one of the city’s most popular trails is finally done a decade after part of the Legacy Trail first opened.
Now people can walk, bike or run 12 miles from Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden on Third and Midland Avenue to the Kentucky Horse Park. The first section — which was more than seven miles — opened in September 2010, as part of a project for the 2010 World Equestrian games.
The final 1.5-mile segment — roughly in the Third and Fourth street areas— was a long time coming, said Mayor Linda Gorton at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Thursday near the Lyric Theatre.
“We started planning the Legacy Trail in 2007,” said Gorton. “Already, it is the most popular trail in town.”
The third and final phase was delayed for various reasons, including rerouting parts of the trail after some residents raised concerns, particularly about the loss of on-street parking. Construction finally began in December 2019.
The newly completed section is largely a bike lane on the street. Securing funding also took time, city officials said.
Lexington-Fayette Urban County Councilman James Brown said there were so many people in the East End that were involved in the last phase of the Legacy Trail. East End residents wanted the trail to celebrate that area’s rich history. That history includes the trailhead at the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden, which honors Murphy, a Black three-time Kentucky Derby winning jockey who lived in the East End.
“This trail incorporates the rich history of several downtown neighborhoods,” said Brown, who represents that area. “It has the power to share the story of our past but also shape our future. The good thing is our future isn’t already written. We have the responsibility to create an inclusive future — one that gives everyone the opportunity to be successful.”
The city must continue to invest and protect the East End, Brown said.
“We have to work to protect this neighborhood,” Brown said.
Councilman Chuck Ellinger Jr., an avid cyclist, rode his bike to the ceremony. Ellinger said the trail provides a safe way to bike, run or walk from the Kentucky Horse Park to downtown. But it’s also a key economic development tool —it brings people to the front doorsteps of businesses in the East End and other parts of downtown.
“I’ve ridden hundreds of miles on this trail,” Ellinger said. “It’s a great opportunity to get out and see Lexington.”
The 12-mile trail cost $16 million to build.
In addition to completing the Legacy Trail’s final sections, the city has started construction in earnest on the remaining sections of the Town Branch Trail. That trail includes a 2-mile section through downtown that is commonly referred to as the Town Branch Commons, which connects to the Legacy Trail at Isaac Murphy.
When all sections of the Town Branch Trail, which begins in Masterson Station, are completed, there will be continuous 22 miles of trail from Masterson Station to the Kentucky Horse Park.
This story was originally published October 8, 2020 at 12:59 PM.
