'You Have To Start Somewhere' - Appreciative of Each and Every Piece of Sidewalk in Nashville!

'You Have To Start Somewhere' - Appreciative of Each and Every Piece of Sidewalk in Nashville!

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Lately, I have been LOVING the sight of 'sidewalks to nowhere'.  Little pieces are popping up thanks to The Sidewalk Bill 493 which went into effect about one year ago thanks to Councilperson Angie Henderson's hard work and commitment. 


I'm glad, too, that there has been a bit of media interest on the topic.  A few favorite quotes from a recent piece on WKRN news by Nick Caloway:

• Nora Kern, executive director of Walk Bike Nashville, hopes that as the city continues to grow eventually those sidewalks will connect. "I'm really excited when I see sidewalks being built where they never had before," Kern said. "You have to start somewhere."
• Councilwoman Henderson, who represents Metro Council District 34 in the Green Hills area, said this legislation should have been passed a half-century ago. But, she insists, better late than never.

please click on link to read the story and watch the video:  https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/nashville-has-more-sidewalks-a-year-after-builders-face-fees/1247806971


Nashville has more sidewalks now, but some go nowhere
By:   Nick Caloway

Posted: Jun 18, 2018 10:46 PM CDT

Updated: Jun 18, 2018 10:52 PM CDT

It's been nearly a year since a rule encouraging developers to build sidewalks went into effect in Nashville.
The ordinance, sponsored by Councilwoman Angie Henderson, was approved last April and took effect last July.
The measure forces builders of new homes in certain areas to either build sidewalks out front or pay a fee in lieu of the sidewalk construction.


"So if you have an immediate abutting sidewalk right next to you, we encourage you to build," said Henderson. "But if you do not, and it would be a disconnected segment, you can choose to pay the fee in lieu of construction. It's the builder's choice."
It was an effort to improve walkability in Nashville, which lacks sidewalks along roughly half of the city's roads.
Some builders choose to pay the fee, while others build so-called "sidewalks to nowhere," which end at the property line and do not connect to other walkways.


Nora Kern, executive director of Walk Bike Nashville, hopes that as the city continues to grow eventually those sidewalks will connect. "I'm really excited when I see sidewalks being built where they never had before," Kern said. "You have to start somewhere."
Councilwoman Henderson, who represents Metro Council District 34 in the Green Hills area, said this legislation should have been passed a half-century ago. But, she insists, better late than never.

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Shade Parade Nashville is a collection of documents dedicated to fostering a conversation around walkability issues in our city.

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