Sidewalk Project #1: Bowling Av, Nashville, from Brighton to Woodmont Av, an update

Yesterday, Trish Mixon and I met with Councilman Jason Holleman who graciously helped us work through the beginning steps of getting the remaining 1/3 of Bowling Av in Nashville sidewalked. 

 

 

As you know, Bowling Av is a major cut-through street running North-South from Murphy Rd to Woodmont Av in Nashville, TN.  From Murphy Rd, running south, to Brighton, about 2 blocks prior to Woodlawn, Bowling has a sidewalk on either one or both sides of the street.  This part of Bowling is frequented by pedestrians.  West End Middle school abuts Bowling.  The proposed AMP would run right by.  Pedestrians frequenting Bowling Av cannot be said for the remainder that does not have a proper sidewalk. 

Bowling Av is highly traversed by both drivers and walkers up until Brighton.   Since it is a cut-through, drivers tend to pass at an exaggerated rate of speed leaving walkers feeling vulnerable. Drivers are not expecting pedestrians and it is obvious. 

 

My family and I tried to walk on the un-sidewalked section not too long ago and literally had to quit.  And, I am not a quitter.

http://shadeparadenashville.blogspot.com/2013/12/sidewalk-project-1-bowling-av-nashville.html

 

 

 

Next step?  According to Jason Holleman, local Councilman:

 

First step:  Discovery process of any and all right-of-way issues that may occur on the remainder of Bowling Av that does not have a sidewalk.

 

- I have called Rick Kirkpatrick, from Public Works, who I am told will have this information.  I will update this blog as soon as I know more.

 

Second step:  Discuss relinquishment of right-of-way with home owners.  This relinquishment can be done by filling out a form. 

 

- If you live on Bowling or happen to know someone who does - please encourage them to relinquish their right-of-way.

 

Third step:  Document any impediments to creation of a sidewalk on Bowling such as mailboxes, ditches, stone walls, telephone poles, drive ways, etc.

 

Once this is done, we are to meet with Jason Holleman again with this work in file form. 

 

 

 

https://www.facebook.com/shadeparadenashville#!/shadeparadenashville

 

 

 

 

 

Quotes

"The sovereign invigorator of the body is exercise, and of all the exercises walking is the best.  A horse gives but a kind of half exercise, and a carriage is no better than a cradle."

 

"No one knows, till he tries, how easily a habit of walking is acquired."

 

- Thomas Jefferson, in a letter to Thomas Mann Randolph Jr.

August 27, 1786

 

 

 

 

 

Car could easily replaced carriage today. A car is, therefore, no better than a cradle.

 

But, in certain areas in Nashville, the impediments to walking are not insignificant. 

 

 

 

Hillsboro Pk, Green Hills, Nashville

 

 

 

 

Hillsboro Pk, Green Hills, Nashville

 

 

 

Shade Parade is dedicated to making Nashville a walking community.  Please help us start a strong conversation about helping Nashville get out & walk. 

 

Follow Shade Parade Nashville's blog and 'like' us on Facebook to become involved in the conversation. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trip Generator or How Surprisingly Walkable Green Hills, Nashville is

Maybe we are selling ourselves short here in Nashville. Hillsboro Pike can seem amazingly long when sitting through multiple failed stop lights.  

But, Green Hills is surprisingly walkable. In regards to distance, it is a fairly dense business corridor.   In relation to amusing window shopping, there is room for improvement.  Most businesses have doors set back through a dense parking lot making popping in or seeing the goods tricky from the roadside walkways.

  

When speaking directly of sidewalks in Green Hills - they are present for the most part - but severely neglected.

From Parnassus Books to Bread & Company it is 0.29 miles - roughly a 9 minute walk.

Try traversing this with a stroller 

Nine minutes of walking that could be quicker if not for the very poor condition of the sidewalks.  Eventually, we just took to the street to keep from the scores of start and stops required to walk on broken pavement with too numerous to count inexplicable curbs.  

Shade Parade questions why a business district would want to dissuade pedestrians?

Why do Nashvillians settle for vegetating in their car rather than demanding better walkability?  What got me thinking about this subject was the quote below from a reporter in NYC about personal changes made during the recent severe cold snap.  

'Usually on a Tuesday, I walk a mile and a half to the gym.  I took a cab.  Usually I walk three and a half miles through the park to the office.  I took a subway'. 

When you read a quote like this, Shade Parade wonders if we are selling ourselves short here in Nashville when it comes to deciding what is walkable.

Sources:
http://nhpr.org/post/across-country-people-have-been-caught-cold

Nashville's Ratio of Sidewalks to Roadways: A Comparison to Other Major Cities

According to the Nashville-Davidson County Strategic Plan for Sidewalks and Bikewalks, when comparing our rate of sidewalk to roadways, Nashville ranks poorly.

At the time of the Strategic Plan's update, in 2008, in cities with more than 2000 miles of roadways such as Nashville, the average ratio of sidewalk miles to roadways miles was 0.67:1.

Metro Nashville's ratio of sidewalks to roadways was 0.35:1.  Nashville had 2154 miles of roadways to 752 miles of sidewalks.  Of the cities surveyed for the Strategic Plan, Nashville was the 2nd worst city, just above Charlotte, NC (0.33:1).  

'Today, through the sidewalk program as well as development requirements we have over 1,000 miles of sidewalks in Nashville and Davidson County', per Jenna Smith from Nashville's Public Works. Improvements have been made but it appears the rate of advancement has stalled.   

'In order for Metro Nashville to have a ratio equal to Portland's ratio of 0.46:1, Metro would need to construct approximately 239 miles of new sidewalk along existing roadways', per the Strategic Plan.

Shade Parade Nashville questions the commitment, today, Nashville has to walkability.  Again, according to Jenna Smith of Nashville Public Works, 'Over the past 2 years, over 3 miles of new sidewalk have been constructed and over 20 miles of sidewalks have been repaired'.  Without wanting to sound ungrateful - Three miles - Really?  At this rate, it will take us 79 years to catch up to Portland's mediocre rate of less than half the roadways having sidewalks. 

Sources:  


Nashville-Davidson County Strategic Plan for Sidewalks and Bikeways, update, 2008

http://www.nashville.gov/Public-Works/Getting-Around-Nashville/Road-Closures.aspx

Shade Parade = Tree-Lined Sidewalks

In addition to increasing walkability in Nashville via sidewalk production, Shade Parade is dedicated to catering to the needs of walkers.

This means paying close attention to urban design.  To quote the Nashville-Davidson County Strategic Plan for Sidewalks and Bikeways, this means making places that 'feel more like human scale villages:  outdoor seating, public art, benches, pocket parks, community gardens, and neighborhood-style buildings'.  I would also argue for more window shopping and greater numbers of pedestrians to add to the social aspect of walking.  Most critically, this means creating environments that are walkable all year.

Nashville is terribly hot during the summer months.  To encourage walkability, sidewalks should be tree-lined to provide the comfort of shade.  

Tree-Lined = Shade Parade

 

 

If you are lucky enough to have a sidewalk - consider planting trees to provide shade.  Be mindful of overhead wires when picking the type of tree to plant.  There are many smaller trees that might be more appropriate if overhead wires are an issue. 

 

If you are lucky enough to have a sidewalk and a green buffer zone consider planting trees on both sides of the sidewalk to create even more coverage.

Please, Do Not Sweat the Walker!

Shade Parade promises not to get on a soapbox too often but it must be said - Don't sweat the pedestrians!

Have you ever been walking through a crosswalk only to feel a car, trying to make a right hand turn, inching towards you only to become alarmingly close to your knee caps?  That would be sweating the pedestrian.  It's rude - Don't do it.  They have the right to walk across the street.

Here is another example.  Have you ever been crossing the street in Nashville knowing that a car is waiting to turn left into your walking path? A feeling of dread can arise because you know they are only looking at oncoming traffic without paying you any mind? This makes pedestrians sweat.  Above being rude - it's dangerous.  You are obligated, when driving, to look ahead for pedestrians.

One more.  I promise not to belabor this issue.  Have you ever been walking down the street near an exit from a strip center where a driver has pulled far out onto the sidewalk and is now looking the other direction at traffic waiting for their opportunity to pull out?  Do you walk in front of their vehicle on the remaining sidewalk despite the fact that they are only looking the other way and have not seen you?  Or, do you risk walking behind their vehicle off the sidewalk even though you have the right of way???

I have included below a few visuals in case the descriptions above are not easy to understand.  

Notice the white minivan making a right turn below putting pressure on the pedestrians clearly in the crosswalk.  As a driver, when you are turning right or left, you must look ahead for pedestrians. 

The pedestrian has the right of way. Please don't sweat the pedestrian.  

Equally, if you are turning out of a strip mall that does not have a traffic light, you must LOOK BOTH WAYS to see if there is a pedestrian about to cross.  The pedestrian also has the right of way in this situation.

If there is a pedestrian in the crosswalk and you are trying to make a turn while driving - YOU MUST WAIT! 

Do NOT sweat the pedestrian! 

     

Shade Parade is looking for images of drivers putting pressure on pedestrians in crosswalks or on sidewalks where they have the right of way.  If you see this kind of behavior - please upload pictures or video to Shade Parade Nashville's Facebook page with a description of when and where.

Thank you in advance for making walkability possible in Nashville.

Nashville's New Year Resolution, 2014 - to Increase Walkability?

Nashville - what is your New Year Resolution for 2014?

Shade Parade's New Year Resolution is to walk every day.  Getting out on foot will increase awareness of pedestrians and encourage others to do so, too. 

Be seen but be safe.  Nashville is not equipped in all locations for pedestrians.  To steal a phrase from driving - walk defensively.  

According to the Nashville-Davidson Country Strategic Plan for Sidewalks and Bikeways '75% of those people who do not walk, attribute this to lack of sidewalks in the area'. Less than half of the 1547 people surveyed by telephone felt that walking 'was safe, convenient and practical way to get from one place to another'.  An overwhelming 81% of respondents 'stated that they would like to have more sidewalks and bikeways in Davidson County'.  

What are the impediments to walking in Nashville?  

'The presence of well-designed pedestrian facilities … influences one's decision to walk for transportation'.  Another way to phrase this is that we suffer from poor urban design.  We haven't paid attention to creating spaces that are human scale in a long time.  

Most of the existing sidewalks in Davidson County are located in areas of the city that were developed prior to World War II - 1939!  New sidewalks exist in development created after mid-1990 due to an amendment that requires, for the 1st time, sidewalks on one side of a new street.  This amendment has been updated to require sidewalks on both sides of any new street.

For the Strategic Plan described above, a sidewalk inventory was performed.  There was 762 miles of sidewalks in Davidson County - nine miles of which was 'missing sidewalk segments' consisting of gaps of 1/4 mile or less in the continuity of the sidewalk.  

Problems included:

• Obstructions 
• Cracks
• Damaged segments
• Missing segments
• Excessive cross slope (ADA states max of 2% grade)
• Missing ramps (64% of current sidewalks lack ramps, 26% of current ramps are not ADA compliant) 

Only 0.5% of sidewalk blocks surveyed were free of problems.

I would argue that lighting and clearly identified cross walks (with crosswalk signs where appropriate) should be added to the list above.  Nashville's intersections, a place of elevated risk for pedestrians, frequently lack overhead lighting.  

Wear reflective clothing.  Carry a flashlight if you walk at night.  Driver error is the main cause of nearly four out of five serious pedestrian injuries according to NYC 2010 Pedestrian Safety Study.  

Shade Parade is committed to increasing walkability in Nashville.  You are encouraged to utilize your feet for transportation whenever possible. Until walkability improves, please walk defensively! 

Sources:  

• Nashville-Davidson County Strategic Plan for Sidewalks and Bikeways (2008)
• NYC Pedestrian Safety Study (2010)