Carving out a little more space for walkers in Nashville...No more parking on the green buffer!

Nashville parking ordinance targets green space between sidewalk, street

With so little space allotted to pedestrians in Nashville, this ordinance would add a secure place for walking.  Per our prior Sidewalk Plan, a green buffer is the standard in regards to design.  Unfortunately, to this day, they do not always go in.

The green buffer, the space between the road and the sidewalk (ideally) is a space to provide respite and a modicum of safety for walkers.  Think of the times you have walked on a road where the sidewalk is directly next to the road - the difference is clear.

This simple space is a design element that drastically changes the feel of the walking experience.  It is a place to prevent a trip or fall from landing you directly in the road.  It is a place to plant a tree.  It is the place to relieve your dog. 
A little green goes a long way.
It also allows for greater visibility & safety.  Too often, it is also taken over for parking cars.  This tears up the land and creates eye-sores.  It crushes tree roots to place that much weight on them.  It also takes away what little space our city has provided for pedestrians.    
By Nick CalowayPublished: February 6, 2017, 10:14 pm  Updated: February 6, 2017, 10:20 pm

• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
 
• Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)
 
• 61Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)61
 
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – As Nashville continues its booming growth, good parking is becoming harder to find. For many, street parking is the only option.

In some neighborhoods, parking on the grass between the sidewalk and the street is common.

Currently, that’s perfectly legal–but that could change.

Councilwoman Kathleen Murphy, who represents District 24 in West Nashville and parts of Green Hills, has introduced legislation to the Metro Council that would prohibit parking in that area.

“It’s not safe to pull on and off of those areas because of limited sight vision,” Murphy told News 2 Monday. “So I think what this will do is hopefully make it safer all around for everyone.”

Stacy Dorris is a Nashville mother, physician, and advocate for more sidewalks in Nashville.

She says that strip of grass between the sidewalk and the road acts as a buffer between pedestrians and traffic.

“We as pedestrians have so little space dedicated to us,” said Dorris. “Then when a car parks there, it really infringes on the very little space that we have dedicated to pedestrians.”

But for many, parking up on the grass is a necessity.

Richard Rogers has lived in East Nashville since 1978.

“I was once one that was very adamant about keeping the grass pretty and green,” Rogers said.

But over the years, Rogers’ car has been hit multiple times by passing vehicles, including MTA buses.

“No one stops to even tell us about it. We wake up the next day and we got our mirrors hanging down the side of our car,” Rogers told News 2.

Rogers says his street is not wide enough, and thinks the city should focus on that, not writing tickets.

The bill will be up for its second of three votes by the Metro Council Tuesday night.

Link: 


http://wkrn.com/2017/02/06/nashville-parking-ordinance-targets-green-space-between-sidewalk-street/