Sidewalk Project #1 - Bowling Av, Survey Results Completed by Clif Shayne, 8th Grader at USN

Clif Shayne, an 8th grader at USN in Nashville, did a wonderful job highlighting the issues that plague Bowling Av for pedestrians in a guest blog for Shade Parade Nashville (link below).  

http://shadeparadenashville.blogspot.com/2014/02/sidewalk-project-1-bowling-av-guest.html

Here, he shares the overwhelmingly positive results of his survey.

• 140 responders with 92% in support of completing the sidewalk on Bowling Av to its terminus on Woodmont. 

• 90% stated they would sign a petition in favor of completing the sidewalk on Bowling Av.  

• Almost 80% stated they would get out more on foot if the sidewalk was completed.  

The comments were also incredibly supportive (65 in all, see list below).  They want sidewalks for safety, health, betterment of the neighborhood, for creating a more social neighborhood, for the aesthetic appeal.  

The few who felt sidewalks would be a negative associated it with high cost, loss of privacy, little need.  One particular commenter felt need was low due to lack of businesses or schools within walking distance.  

It should be pointed out that West End Middle School, Edmington Park, the weekend food trucks and the numerous churches/synagogues are within 1/2 mile - 1 mile.  

Comments:  (printed here for easier visualization)

1. I support you!    
2. Construction that doesn't cause major road blocks.
3. Is there really any downside to having more sidewalks? 
4. Good work! 
5. With sidewalks we could walk safely to the pool
6. I want more sidewalks in Nashville! 
7. Make the sidewalk out of carbon fiber or rubber or something rad like that. (Concrete would keep costs down, though. I understand.)     
8. Sidewalks are important attributes to our city for health and safety ! Thank you for highlighting this important issue! 
9. My preference for a sidewalk does depend on the price though.
10. I like to run, and a sidewalk on Bowling would make it a safer place to run. 
11. Great idea, Clif! This would be a welcome change to the neighborhood. Best of luck with your project
12. This is a grand idea! It would make my walks much safer 
13. This is a phenomenal project. Best of luck! 
14. Great work, Clif! I'm proud of you. 
15. If you look at price per square foot, the highest value neighborhoods in Nashville are those with sidewalks.
16. A lot of people run on bowling and the areas that have a sidewalk appeared much safer to me in the areas of Bowling the do not 
17. This is a much needed sidewalk. Anything I can do to help, let me know 
18. The side streets are good walking places but the need to cross or walk on Bowling is a hazardous deterrent.
19. I wanted to support your efforts. I live on Golf Club (east of Hillsboro) and would love to have a sidewalk on our street too! Sidewalks promote health and a sense of community. I wish you all the best! 
20. There are so many walkers in the neighborhood that a sidewalk would make things so much safer and easier for us all. 
21. Thank you for helping build the Nashville of tomorrow. We need more young people helping us build a better tomorrow. 
22. Thank you for taking on this sidewalk idea. What an improvement this sidewalk would be!
23. Sidewalks are great, but they do need a barrier between them and the busy street. A 3 foot strip of grass is nice. 
24. "Floating" sidewalks are used over ditches and swampy land in parks to elevate and protect the ground. 
25. I walk & use sidewalks. Bowling is very important for cars too. I worry that a sidewalk will make it harder for all the traffic on Bowling because there is no space for sidewalk. 
26. There is a lot of foot traffic in this stretch of Bowling. A sidewalk would improve safety for both pedestrians and vehicles. 
27. Let's do this, it's good for our community. Thanks
28. Sidewalks on Bowling would be really important connective piece for that neighborhood. great project! 
29. A sidewalk all the way down Bowling from Woodmont to West End would be most helpful and would make walking on Bowling not so dangerous. 
30. There are many walkers in the neighborhood. For safety purposes, the ability to walk on a sidewalk would be instrumental. 
31. The expense of the construction would not meet the benefit for the neighborhood.If there were a school or retail nearby, the cost might be justified. 
32. Woodmont needs sidewalks as well
33. safe walking is very important and this would facilitate eliminating that problem 
34. With increasing traffic issues, pedestrian walkways needs to be addressed. 
35. There are many roads that neighbors walk that intersect with Bowling Avenue. Having a sidewalk on Bowling would improve safe walking for the neighbors. 
36. Walking on Bowling Ave. is dangerous. 
37. This is a great idea. I have a dog, and we like to take long walks. 
38. We need sidewalks on 23rd from Woodmont to Sharondale also 
39. Walkers along Golf Club, Hampton, and the other intersecting roads to Bowling will be much safer. 
40. We have lots of walkers in this neighborhood and sidewalks would make it safer on Bowling, which is a much busier street than the others.   
41. Great idea!!   
42. Would love a sidewalk on both sides of the street - from West End to Woodmont. Then, it would be great, if this sidewalk continued on Woodmont to achieve connectivity. 
43. a sidewalk on bowling is a dangerous idea because it is such a busy street. for those of us who live on bowling, it would decrease what little privacy we have. i wouldn't want to lose my hedge. put it on Hampton! 
44. there are only 2 landowners Brighton to Woodlawn so perhaps gain their support and that would be another entire block! 
45. I walk my dogs almost everyday on bowling between golf club and Hampton and it is very scary when cars speed by! 
46. Good for creating a more community friendly environment.
47. Bowling is a great connector road and needs to be pedestrian friendly. 
48. The lack of sidewalks makes it such that I do not want my kids out riding their bikes in our neighborhood because Bowling is just not safe -- cars drive too fast! 
49. Sidewalks would enable people to walk into Green Hills and Harding Road more and alleviate some of the insane traffic… 
50. The lack of a sidewalk poses great danger to those in the neighborhood who walk and run on Bowling 
51. A sidewalk would be a great asset to our neighborhood.
52. Sidewalks please!! It is more and more dangerous for pedestrians with more distracted drivers. Get people off the road!! 
53. I walk and run around this neighborhood frequently. Many times I have felt the whiz of a car coming too close and too fast. I fear that someone is going to be hit by a car. I certainly hope that our community will put the sidewalks in before that happens. Thank you for trying to make that happen. 
54. It would also allow our walkers to walk safely.
55. Please use all of my ditch for sidewalks at 3600 Hampton 
56. Awesome project! Do be sure to share the results of your survey 
57. The sidewalk should be "usable" - not blocked by utility poles/wires, overgrown shrubs, etc. 
58. It will bring too many more visitors to the area and cause more crime 
59. What would happen to beautiful front yards on Woodmont? 
60. the homeowners on bowling are the ones you will need to convince because they will be the ones most impacted by the construction of sidewalks on their property. good luck.
61. Sidewalks would be a big improvement to our quality of life in this neighborhood. 
62. would be much safer for my kids and we would be more likely to walk to friends houses. plus i would feel much safer running along bowling than I currently do 
63. Signage alerting motorists to yield to pedestrians.
64. I think a sidewalk on Bowling would enhance the walkability of the neighborhood. Also, for those who are pro-AMP it would make accessibility for a larger number of people who might choose to use the AMP. Sidewalks on major streets like Bowling are more important than on the side streets.
65. This is a wonderful idea!           

Clif, thank you for all your hard work!  Your contribution to this project has moved it forward an enormous step.

As many of you know, Trish Mixon and I are proposing a completion of the sidewalk on Bowling Av to its terminus at Woodmont.  We have discussed this issue with our Councilmen, Jason Holleman and Sean McGuire.  Sean McGuire has graciously agreed to add this project to the Capital Improvement Budget.  Public Works has found no significant issues with easements or right-of-ways.  We have completed a hardscape survey to record any structures that would need to be moved/changed.  Most importantly, we have formally polled our neighbors, via letter, whose property would be directly affected by a sidewalk.  The results have been overwhelmingly supportive. 

http://shadeparadenashville.blogspot.com/2014/03/sidewalk-project-1-bowling-av-update-on.html

A critical part of this pilot project is to build a sidewalk that works.  In regulation with Public Works, the sidewalk would require a minimum of 5 feet and a green buffer zone of 4 feet.  In addition, the speed limit on Bowling may qualify for a reduction to provide another layer of safety.

A second critical part is that this sidewalk will eventually need to enhance connectivity to other parts of the city - most notably Hillsboro Village, Harding and Green Hills.  The second phase of this project is to sidewalk Woodmont.  The third phase is to sidewalk Hillsboro Pk.    

***

In April (exact date TBD), we will be hosting a community meeting at West End Middle School. 

 We will be inviting many different stakeholders, council members, the Mayor, representatives of interested non-profits, schools, churches/synagogues and community organizations.    

We wish to impress on our elected officials that we as a neighborhood: want sidewalks on our main thoroughfare; that we are the kind of neighbors who USE sidewalks; and that we are the kind of neighbors who are working collaboratively to make any sidewalk in our neighborhood be built consistent with the beauty of our little part of Nashville.  

YOUR PRESENCE WILL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!