Louisville, Kentucky

==Infrastructure==
===Transportation===
{{Main|Transportation in Louisville, Kentucky}}
{{See also|Roads in Louisville, Kentucky}}
[[File:2020 4BandImagery Indiana J874808.jpg|thumb|[[Kennedy Interchange]] ("Spaghetti Junction"), after completion of the [[Ohio River Bridges Project]]]]
[[File:Ksdf.jpg|thumb|upright|[[Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport]]]]
[[File:Louisville 4thStreet trolley.jpg|thumb|right|Toonerville II Trolleys provided transportation in [[downtown Louisville]] until late 2014, before being replaced by LouLift.]]

As with most American cities, transportation in Louisville is based primarily on automobiles. However, the city traces its foundation to the era where the river was the primary [[Mode of transport|means of transportation]], and railroads have been an important part of local industry for over a century. In more recent times, Louisville has become an international hub for [[Cargo airline|air cargo]].

Louisville has inner and outer [[Interstate Highway System|interstate]] beltways, [[Interstate 264 (Kentucky)|I{{nbhyph}}264]] and [[Interstate 265|I{{nbhyph}}265]] respectively. Interstates [[Interstate 64 in Kentucky|I{{nbhyph}}64]] and [[Interstate 65 in Kentucky|I{{nbhyph}}65]] pass through Louisville, and [[Interstate 71#Kentucky|I-71]] has its southern terminus in Louisville. Since all three of these highways intersect at virtually the same location on the east side of [[downtown Louisville|downtown]], this spot has become known as "[[Kennedy Interchange|Spaghetti Junction]]". Three bridges carry I{{nbhyph}}64 and I{{nbhyph}}65 over the Ohio River, and a [[George Rogers Clark Memorial Bridge|fourth automobile bridge]] carries non-interstate traffic, including bicyclists and pedestrians. Immediately east of downtown is the [[Big Four Bridge]], a former railroad bridge that has been renovated into as a pedestrian bridge.

The [[Ohio River Bridges Project]], a plan under consideration for decades to construct two new interstate bridges over the Ohio River to connect Louisville to Indiana, including a reconfiguration of Spaghetti Junction, began construction in 2012.<ref>{{cite news |author=Collier, Rachel |title=Construction to begin soon on The Ohio River Bridges Project |url=http://www.wdrb.com/story/19370142/construction-to-begin-soon-on-the-ohio-river-bridges-project |publisher=[[WDRB]] |date=August 24, 2012 |access-date=June 22, 2014 |archive-date=October 6, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006081807/http://www.wdrb.com/story/19370142/construction-to-begin-soon-on-the-ohio-river-bridges-project |url-status=live }}</ref> One bridge, the [[Abraham Lincoln Bridge]], is located downtown beside the existing [[John F. Kennedy Memorial Bridge|Kennedy Bridge]] for relief of I{{nbhyph}}65 traffic. The other, named the [[Lewis and Clark Bridge (Ohio River)|Lewis and Clark Bridge]], connects I{{nbhyph}}265 between the portions located in southeast [[Clark County, Indiana]] and northeast [[Jefferson County, Kentucky]] (Louisville Metro).<ref>{{cite news |author=Green, Marcus |title=Bridge project tunnels' cost rises; Exploratory shaft will plot path for two others |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courier_journal/access/1725940601.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jul+16%2C+2007&author=&pub=Courier+-+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=Bridge+project+tunnels%27+cost+rises |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] |date=July 16, 2007 |access-date=July 16, 2007 |archive-date=June 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624085719/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courier_journal/access/1725940601.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Jul+16%2C+2007&author=&pub=Courier+-+Journal&edition=&startpage=A.1&desc=Bridge+project+tunnels%27+cost+rises |url-status=dead }}</ref> Both bridges and corresponding construction were finished in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Ohio River Bridges Project Downtown Crossing—The Project Overview |url=http://kyinbridges.com/downtown-crossing/overview/ |access-date=June 22, 2014 |archive-date=February 13, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150213042535/http://kyinbridges.com/downtown-crossing/overview/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=East End Crossing—The Project |url=http://eastendcrossing.com/project-overview/ |access-date=June 22, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140710021612/http://eastendcrossing.com/project-overview/ |archive-date=July 10, 2014 |url-status=dead }}</ref> As with any major project, there have been detractors and possible alternatives; one grassroots organization, [[8664.org]], has proposed options for downtown revitalization improvements, and a simpler and less expensive roadway design.

Louisville's main airport is the centrally located [[Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport]], whose [[IATA Airport code]] (SDF) reflects its former name of Standiford Field. The airport is also home to [[United Parcel Service|UPS]]'s [[Worldport (UPS air hub)|Worldport]] global air hub. UPS operates its largest package-handling hub at Louisville International Airport and bases its [[UPS Airlines]] division there. Over 4.2&nbsp;million passengers and over 4.7&nbsp;billion pounds (2,350,000 t) of cargo pass through the airport each year.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1&Airport=SDF&Airport_Name=Louisville,%20KY:%20Louisville%20International-Standiford%20Field&carrier=FACTS |title=Louisville, KY: Louisville International-Standiford Field (SDF) |date=March 2014 |access-date=July 6, 2014 |archive-date=September 24, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180924165712/https://www.transtats.bts.gov/airports.asp?pn=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> It is also the second busiest airport in the United States in terms of cargo traffic, and fourth busiest for such in the world.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aci.aero/News/Releases/Most-Recent/2014/03/31/Preliminary-World-Airport-Traffic-and-Rankings-2013--High-Growth-Dubai-Moves-Up-to-7th-Busiest-Airport- |title=Preliminary World Airport Traffic and Rankings 2013—High Growth Dubai Moves Up to 7th Busiest Airport |date=March 31, 2014 |access-date=July 6, 2014 |publisher=Airports Council International |archive-date=April 1, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140401052319/http://www.aci.aero/News/Releases/Most-Recent/2014/03/31/Preliminary-World-Airport-Traffic-and-Rankings-2013--High-Growth-Dubai-Moves-Up-to-7th-Busiest-Airport- |url-status=live }}</ref> Only about 35 minutes from [[Fort Knox]], the airport is also a major hub for armed services personnel. The historic but smaller [[Bowman Field (Kentucky)|Bowman Field]] is used mainly for [[general aviation]] while nearby [[Clark Regional Airport]] is used mostly by private jets.

The [[McAlpine Locks and Dam]] is located on the Kentucky side of the Ohio River, near the downtown area. The locks were constructed to allow shipping past the [[Falls of the Ohio National Wildlife Conservation Area|Falls of the Ohio]]. In 2001 over 55 million tons of commodities passed through the locks.

[[Public transportation]] consists mainly of buses run by the [[Transit Authority of River City]] (TARC). The city buses serve all parts of downtown Louisville and [[Jefferson County, Kentucky|Jefferson County]], as well as Kentucky suburbs in [[Oldham County, Kentucky|Oldham County]], [[Bullitt County, Kentucky|Bullitt County]], and the [[Indiana]] suburbs of Jeffersonville, [[Clarksville, Indiana|Clarksville]] and [[New Albany, Indiana|New Albany]]. In addition to regular city buses, transit throughout the downtown hotel and shopping districts is served by a fleet of [[Zero-emissions vehicle|zero-emissions buses]] called LouLift. In late 2014, these vehicles replaced the series of motorized trolleys known as the ''Toonerville II Trolley''.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gee|first1=Dawne|title=TARC replaces trolleys with ZeroBus|url=http://www.wave3.com/story/27690555/tarc-replaces-trolleys-with-zerobus|access-date=September 29, 2015|publisher=[[WAVE (TV)|WAVE]]|date=December 22, 2014|archive-date=October 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001092733/http://www.wave3.com/story/27690555/tarc-replaces-trolleys-with-zerobus|url-status=live}}</ref> A [[light rail]] system has been studied and proposed for the city, but no plan was in development as of 2007.<ref>{{cite news |first=Marcus |last=Green |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courier_journal/access/1749372341.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Nov+29%2C+2006&author=&pub=Courier+-+Journal&edition=&startpage=B.1&desc=Mass+transit+plan+still+possible |title=Mass transit plan still possible; Officials will look for financing options |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] |date=November 29, 2006 |access-date=January 23, 2007 |archive-date=June 24, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110624085522/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/courier_journal/access/1749372341.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Nov+29%2C+2006&author=&pub=Courier+-+Journal&edition=&startpage=B.1&desc=Mass+transit+plan+still+possible |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Louisville has historically been a major center for [[railway]] traffic. The [[Louisville and Nashville Railroad]] was once headquartered here, before it was purchased by [[CSX Transportation]]. Today the city is served by two major freight railroads, CSX (with a major [[classification yard]] in the southern part of the metro area) and [[Norfolk Southern]]. Five major main lines connect Louisville to the rest of the region. Two regional railroads, the [[Paducah and Louisville Railway]] and the [[Louisville and Indiana Railroad]], also serve the city. With the discontinuance of the stop in Louisville in 2003 for a more northerly route between [[New York City|New York]] and Chicago, the ''[[Kentucky Cardinal (Amtrak)|Kentucky Cardinal]]'' no longer serves the city; it is thus the fifth largest city in the country with no passenger rail service.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.trainweb.org/moksrail/documents/pop/msa.htm |title=Metropolitan Areas Served by Amtrak |date=November 23, 2006 |access-date=April 21, 2009 |archive-date=June 24, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090624205811/http://www.trainweb.org/moksrail/documents/pop/msa.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2016 [[Walk Score]] ranked Louisville 43rd "most walkable" of 141 U.S. cities with a population greater than 200,000.<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.walkscore.com/cities-and-neighborhoods/ |title=Most Walkable Cities in the US |year=2016 |publisher=[[Walk Score]] |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170131231927/https://www.walkscore.com/cities-and-neighborhoods/ |archive-date=January 31, 2017 |url-status=live |access-date=May 6, 2017 }}</ref>

===Utilities===

[[File:Louisville water tower.jpg|thumb|upright|Completed in 1860, the [[Louisville Water Tower]] is the oldest water tower in the U.S.]]

Electricity is provided to the Louisville Metro area by [[Louisville Gas & Electric]].
Water is provided by the [[Louisville Water Company]], which provides water to more than 800,000 residents in Louisville as well as parts of [[Oldham County, Kentucky|Oldham]] and [[Bullitt County, Kentucky|Bullitt]] counties. Additionally, they provide wholesale water to the outlying counties of [[Shelby County, Kentucky|Shelby]], [[Spencer County, Kentucky|Spencer]] and [[Nelson County, Kentucky|Nelson]].<ref>Data from [http://www.louisvilleky.gov/LWC Louisville Water] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415204341/http://www.louisvilleky.gov/LWC |date=April 15, 2009 }}</ref>

The [[Ohio River]] provides for most of the city's source of [[drinking water]]. Water is drawn from the river at two points: the [[raw water]] [[pumping station|pump station]] at Zorn Avenue and River Road, and the B.E. Payne Pump Station northeast of [[Harrods Creek, Louisville|Harrods Creek]]. Water is also obtained from a riverbank infiltration well at the Payne Plant. There are also two [[water purification|water treatment plants]] serving the Louisville Metro area: The Crescent Hill Treatment Plant and the B.E. Payne Treatment Plant. In June 2008, the Louisville Water Company received the "Best of the Best" award from the American Water Works Association, citing it as the best-tasting drinking water in the country.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.awwa.org/publications/MainStreamArticle.cfm?itemnumber=36618 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120326024952/http://www.awwa.org/publications/MainStreamArticle.cfm?itemnumber=36618 |archive-date=March 26, 2012 |title=Louisville wins best water taste test |date=June 10, 2008 |publisher=American Water Works Association |access-date=March 8, 2010}}</ref>

===Public safety===
[[File:LouMetPolice.jpg|thumb|[[Louisville Metro Police Department|Metro Police]] cruiser]]
[[File:LMEMS 1255 (8).JPG|thumb|[[Louisville Metro EMS]] ambulance]]

The primary law enforcement agencies are the [[Louisville Metro Police Department]] (LMPD) and the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office (JCSO). ''911'' [[emergency medical services]] are provided by the government as [[Louisville Metro EMS]] (LMEMS) which responds to over 120,000 calls for service annually. Louisville Metro Department of Corrections operates two facilities housing approximately 2,000 inmates.

Louisville has recently been featured on the television show ''[[First 48]]''. The show follows LMPD's homicide unit while they try to solve murders.

Fire protection is provided by 16 independent [[fire department]]s working in concert through [[mutual aid (emergency services)|mutual aid]] agreements. The only fire department operated by Metro Government is [[Louisville Division of Fire|Louisville Fire & Rescue]], the successor to the pre-merger Louisville Division of Fire. The city of [[Shively, Kentucky|Shively]] in western [[Jefferson County, Kentucky|Jefferson County]] possesses an independent fire department that uses the same dispatch and radio channels as Louisville Fire and Rescue.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}} The other 14 fire departments in Louisville-Jefferson County are run by independent taxing districts, collectively referred to as the [[Jefferson County Fire Service]] (JCFS); the county fire service coordinates dispatch, training, and standardization for its member departments.