An official ribbon cutting ceremony was held earlier today on the final leg of the Legacy Trail, a 12-mile-long, mixed use trail in Lexington.
The Legacy Trail has been a long time coming. The project started in 2007 with the announcement that the Alltech FEI World Equestrians Game would be held in Lexington in 2010. Lexington citizens decided they wanted legacy projects, which are projects they could enjoy after the Games were over.
“This is a day to celebrate,” said Mayor Linda Gorton. “We have a trail that thousands of local citizens enjoy, and an attraction that will bring in visitors from across the country.”
The trail connects the Isaac Murphy Memorial Art Garden in the East End to the Kentucky Horse Park. The final, 1.5-mile segment of the trail is located mainly in the Third and Fourth street corridor, between Winchester Road and Jefferson Street.
“Neighbors in the East End have worked together on so many projects to improve their neighborhood. They are an incredible group of people,” said Mayor Gorton.
“I believe this phase has had the most challenges, but I also believe that this phase has the most opportunity to bring people together and build relationships, in addition to sharing the rich history of several downtown neighborhoods,” said Councilmember James Brown. He serves the district where the final segment is located.
The Bluegrass Community Foundation and the Knight Foundation helped make the trail a reality, along with the funding from local, state and federal governments.
“The Legacy Trail is the crown jewel in Lexington’s system of public trails,” said Lisa Adkins, President/CEO of Bluegrass Community Foundation. “More importantly, it’s a powerful catalyst for the development of more equitable green space in the city, including Town Branch Commons and Town Branch Park.
Soon next year, the Legacy Trail will connect to Town Branch Commons Trail downtown. This will complete 22 miles of uninterrupted trails, and a 5.5-mile loop downtown.
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