Behold the World's First Underground Bike Park

A massive bike park in Louisville, Kentucky takes the fast-growing trend of urban bike parks to new (subterranean) levels.

1 minute read

January 20, 2015, 6:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Kim Cross reports: "Seventy-five feet under the Louisville Zoo, in a labyrinth of Kentucky limestone mined into Swiss cheese, a few million pounds of soil have been sculpted into the trails, berms, and jumps at Mega Cavern, the world’s first underground bike park. When it opens to the public in February, the park will have more than five miles of interconnected trails that range from flowing singletrack to dirt jumps to technical lines with three-foot drops. And that’s just the first of three phases to roll out this winter."

According to the article, Mega Cavern is only the latest example of a trend that began beneath an elevated portion of the I-5 freeway in Seattle at a park known as the Colonnade. In fact, "[there] are now some 100 urban bike parks across the country, everywhere from Boulder, Colorado, to Chicago. And the most recent trend is to move them indoors."

The article includes an interview with Mega Cavern designer Joe Prisel, "one of the country’s most sought-after bike-park builders and architects."

Tuesday, January 13, 2015 in Outside

courses user

As someone new to the planning field, Planetizen has been the perfect host guiding me into planning and our complex modern challenges. Corey D, Transportation Planner

As someone new to the planning field, Planetizen has been the perfect host guiding me into planning and our complex modern challenges.

Corey D, Transportation Planner

Ready to give your planning career a boost?

View of dense apartment buildings on Seattle waterfront with high-rise buildings in background.

Seattle Legalizes Co-Living

A new state law requires all Washington cities to allow co-living facilities in areas zoned for multifamily housing.

December 1, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Times Square in New York City empty during the Covid-19 pandemic.

NYC Officials Announce Broadway Pedestrianization Project

Two blocks of the marquee street will become mostly car-free public spaces.

December 1, 2024 - StreetsBlog NYC

Broken, uneven sidewalk being damaged by large tree roots in Los Angeles, California.

The City of Broken Sidewalks

Can Los Angeles fix 4,000 miles of broken sidewalks before the city hosts the 2028 Olympic Games?

December 5, 2024 - Donald Shoup

cars

Study: Automobile Dependency Reduces Life Satisfaction

Automobile dependency has negative implications for wellbeing. This academic study finds that relying on a car for more than 50 percent of out-of-home travel is associated with significant reductions in life satisfaction.

December 10 - Science Direct

Yellow San Diego Unified School District school bus.

San Diego School District Could Accelerate Workforce Housing Program

A proposal to build housing on five district-owned properties could yield 1,000 housing units for low- and moderate-income district employees.

December 10 - Governing

Red bus parked at transit station in Denver, Colorado with CO state capitol dome in background.

Denver Transit Board Approves $1.2 Billion Budget

The 2025 budget for the Regional Transportation District is the largest in the agency’s 55-year history.

December 10 - The Denver Post

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.