Frankfort's fitness minded have new options for their lunchtime jogs or evening strolls " 4.8 miles of "Wellness Walks" near the Capitol and South Frankfort.

First lady Jane Beshear and city officials unveiled three marked walks along sidewalks Tuesday afternoon " and inaugurated the flagship pathway on foot.
It's a way to encourage Kentuckians and Frankfort residences to lead healthier lives, Beshear said in a brief address on the Capitol steps.

"Steve and I feel strongly about a healthy commonwealth," Beshear said.
Beshear called the combination of health and the points of tourism along the loops "ideal" for local residents and visitors alike.

"They can't say it's boring," Beshear said before leading the group on the longest 2.4-mile route at a quick pace.

The announcement came on the heels of the $314,500 federal grant to the city to construct a 1.4 mile bike and pedestrian pathway from downtown to near Buffalo Trace Distillery.

For Frankfort resident Mike Bomford, Beshear and city officials' announcement is a welcome step.

Bomford is on the steering committee for WalkBike Frankfort, a citizen-led group of volunteers committed to making Frankfort safely accessible to bicyclists and pedestrians.

Originally hailing from British Columbia, Bomford spent years as a bicycle commuter in Vancouver.

When he moved to his Switzer Road residence from Morgantown, W.Va., where he completed his Ph.D. at the University of West Virginia, Bomford didn't think he'd need a car.

"It's three miles from my door to work," Bomford, who researches organic farming at Kentucky State University, told The State Journal. "But I felt I was taking my life in my hands."

Bomford said the dangers of his commute inspired him to get involved in advancing the community's access to safe routes for alternative transportation.
Bomford said in an e-mail to WalkBike Frankfort supporters Tuesday the grant money would advance one of the organization's "top-priority" projects.

Bomford said the grant will develop an element of the award-winning organization's "Master Plan," to make all areas of Frankfort accessible by bicycle.

Frankfort resident John Rodgers, 27, a KSU student, attended Tuesday's unveiling.

Rodgers said he's been volunteering with WalkBike Frankfort since its inception.
"I think this is monumental," Rodgers said.

Citing government bailouts of financial institutions and tough economic times, Rodgers described the idea in relation to fitness and energy usage as inexpensive.

"It's all about individual choices."

Maps for the color-coded Wellness Walks, named for the colored arrows painted on sidewalks to guide the way, will be available in kiosks near the routes' starting points, according to Frankfort Parks and Recreation Director Steve Brooks.

"It's real simple," Brooks said. "But very important."

The 1.4-mile blue-labeled path originates at the Department of Transportation, loops around the Riverview Park Walk, down Main Street to the Old Capitol and back to the Transportation Cabinet.

The green path starts from the Kentucky History Center on Broadway and encompasses a 1-mile stretch of downtown.

The Pink Wellness Walk, a 2.4-mile loop stemming from the Capitol steps, promenades down Capital Avenue, around downtown Frankfort and back to the Capitol via South Frankfort.