Hillsboro Pike - a MAJOR corridor in Nashville. You tell me, where can one walk here???
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We need creative and low cost options in Nashville to quickly alter our low quality infrastructure. Our roadways were mostly completed in the cheapest fashion possible - lacking sidewalks, curbs, gutters, and proper pedestrian level lighting. There is infrastructure such as telephone poles, guide wires, rock walls, landscaping etc placed directly in the path a pedestrian would use. I argue that now is the time for a sidewalk infrastructure plan with consistency in design and a completion date.
Things are bad for pedestrians, Nashville -> let's get creative!
AUTHOR: TIM DE CHANT.TIM DE CHANT PERSONAL FRONTIERSDESIGN
DATE OF PUBLICATION: 10.28.16.
TIME OF PUBLICATION: 11:00 AM.
16 WAYS TO DESIGN A BETTER INTERSECTION—AND BETTER CITIES
MIKE LEE
IF YOU THINK the only purpose of intersections is to move cars past each other, you solve problems like a plumber: with bigger pipes. But wide, barren streets full of traffic don’t make a livable city. One solution would be nothing. No lights, no curbs, no sidewalks—just colored pavers. It works. Accidents decline, traffic slows, and property values rise. “You’ll never do as good a job as two people using body language and eye contact,” says Sam Goater, a senior associate at the Project for Public Spaces. But don’t rip out the infrastructure just yet. Urban designers have a good set of tricks to turn a city intersection into something more like a plaza and less like a freeway interchange. Cars pass, people walk, bikers bike, and everyone’s lives flow more smoothly.
The more Nashvillians walk, the better. As you go about, consider taking photos of poles, guide wires, conduit, an other barriers. Send them, with cross street or address to @MayorMeganBarry.
Rightfully so as there is rapid development leading to big changes - too many of which involve clear cutting.
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When planting, please consider the future sidewalk if you do not have one. Learn where the right-of-way is so that you can locate your beautiful new tree in a place where it will not need to be moved when you finally get your sidewalk. For clarity, trees really help when walking - Nashville is HOT in the summer! We want trees between the cars and the sidewalks as they make a fantastic green buffer. Be smart in the planting. One thing that can significantly stall a sidewalk is when one neighbor has invested in infrastructure or has planted trees in the right-of-way. No one wants to create bad feelings but having to tear out someone's rock wall or cut down their tree when the sidewalk finally comes.
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Don't plant all the way to the road so there is literally no place for pedestrians.
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A property survey is the only absolute way to determine property boundaries. One way to generally check boundaries is to use our interactive mapping site with parcel line data on top of aerial photographs. Here’s how you do it.
3.Zoom into the area of town you are interested in or Click on the magnifying glass in the upper right hand corner. You can enter either the Parcel ID or Address.
4.Once you are zoomed in close enough or typed in an address, the parcel lines will show up on the map.
5.Click the box in the upper right hand corner that has four smaller boxes in it.
6.Select the “2014 Aerial Imagery.” You should now have an aerial photo of that area that you can compare with the property boundaries.
Mayor Megan Barry of Nashville is asking for photos of POLES IN SIDEWALKS - Here are a few more of my favorites.
One bit of constructive criticism: yes, we want these poles out. They are silly, limiting and ridiculous in their placement choice. But do NOT neglect building NEW sidewalks. A sizable proportion of NASHVILLE IS WAITING!!! Remember, these places with their nutty poles ALREADY, at least, HAVE SIDEWALKS. They might be awful and make accessibility a serious concern but they do have them.
It is time for a uniform and well-designed sidewalk plan with an completion date. No more poles, meters, guide wires, etc in sidewalks. Again, we have really waited too long to commit to this major undertaking in earnest.
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We need your help on this one. Mayor Megan Barry (@MayorMeganBarry) has specifically requested that you send her photos of telephone poles in our sidewalks. She is reporting that she is going to, one-by-one, eliminate them.
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***These are pictures collected over the last few years...I am pretty good with locations but some may not be correct. If you recognize it as incorrect - please let me know.
Brightwood Av, on north/west side, at Lombardy Av
New Natchez, on Vanderbilt's campus, east side of street
We need your help on this one. Mayor Megan Barry has specifically requested that you send her photos of telephone poles in our sidewalks. She is reporting that she is going to, one-by-one, eliminate them.
Just a few of my favorites below....
Hillsboro Pike, Green Hills, at Trader Joe's
Hillsboro Pike, Green Hills at Abbott Martin, north/west corner
New Natchez from Vandy campus to Woodlawn is full of poles in the sidewalk - both sides! This is on New Natches, at Linden, south/west corner near the modern house.
Hillsboro Pike, Green Hills
Hillsboro Pike, Green Hills
Hillsboro Pike, Green Hills, across from Glen Echo near the south/west corner near the CVS
Hillsboro Pike, Green Hills
Woodlawn west of Hillsboro Pk, on the north side of the street, before New Natches. This 'Stop Ahead' sign was moved quickly after being called into Public Works...Now, if we could just get rid of the mailboxes all the way down!
Hillsboro Pike, north of the 440 intersection, at Woodlawn. East side of street.
New Natches Tr, between Blair and Woodlawn, east side of street.
Green Hills Village Dr...at Crestmoor Rd, south-east corner. There has been redevelopment here in the last year or so - may have improved.
Blair at Hillsboro Pk, north/west side of street
Charlotte Pike, near new Health Dept, north side of street.
Sent in to me from East Nashville
Powell Rd, at the Home Depot, south/west corner.
Sent in from East Nashville
Cleghorn in Green Hills
Bowling Av between Brighton and Alder Ct on the west side of the street
Elliston at 23rd, south side of street. This one was particularly disheartening because these are new (with the last year)!
We want, what few sidewalks we have, back. Thank you to Mayor Barry for taking this on.
