On October 31, 2017, the Churchill Downs Racetrack announced a 32 million dollar investment to improve parking and infrastructure for this 2018 Kentucky Derby Week. Many people flock to the Churchill Downs Racetrack because it is iconic and legendary. It has hosted the Kentucky Derby since 1875, or as it is also known, "The Fastest Two Minutes in Sports." In and interview with WLKY News, Kevin Flanery, the current president of Churchill Downs Racetrack had this to say, "We understand we’ve got 143 years behind us with the 144th Derby coming up.

We have this rich history that we want to celebrate, but we also know that we have to keep up with the times. The entertainment options that everybody has are changing, expanding. People want a great experience...."

Mixed reviews about the renovations

One of the traditions of the Churchill Downs is "Neighborhood Parking." TV Reporter for WAVE3 news in Louisville, with the Twitter handle, @andreinaWAVE3, reported that some people are frustrated with the closure of Central Avenue.

Many people use their backyards as parking spots for visitors.

It comes at a price, but visitors to Louisville are willing to pay the cost because they came to enjoy the Kentucky Derby. A resident of Louisville, Carl Roution, has been allowing people to park on his property since 1971. Roution said "For me, it's been good," because this weekend Louisville should expect over 170,000 fans to cheer on horses; this also means lots of vehicles will try to find a parking spot - such as Roution's neighborhood parking lot.

Some people feel like they are losing potential customers with the closure of Central Avenue. Sharetta Lee, an owner of a property that allows visitors to park their cars at cost said, "We would have at least 15 or 16 [cars] in each yard, and now we have one ..." It looks like there will be winners and losers this weekend, not only for the horses but for neighborhood parking businesses.

Churchill Downs posted 2018 parking changes

I suggest all people traveling to Louisville check out this video posted by the Kentucky Derby:

People attending the races should download two useful apps for the weekend, "Churchill Downs," and "Waze." Both apps can be found in the "Google Play Store." The key highlight of the video is that all cars need to have a parking pass for the daily events. There are some free parking spots available in spots like the Kentucky Exposition Center. According to the Kentucky Derby video, "The short walk they reference is actually a mile long." So keep that in mind when planning to see a race. Nevertheless, the video is very helpful for visitors that might be confused or lost with all the new changes.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED