Walking is the most basic form of public transportation. If it felt easy and safe to walk, naturally, public transportation would grow and traffic could ease.

Recently, I had the pleasure to meet The Music City Riders United group whose advocacy work is focused on better public transit in our city.

  Soon after, I had a fund raising dinner party for The Sidewalk Foundation and a deep thinking native Nashvillian friend said, 'walking is the most basic form of public transportation'.  We were discussing, to our eyes, one of the reasons the Transit Referendum did not pass: citizens cannot figure how to get to the bus on foot or where it would be safe and comfortable to wait for it.

People walking to the Bus on Sharondale and Hillsboro

My Bus Stop

  Then, I was listening to the former NYC Traffic Commissioner Sam Schwartz on Fresh Air (NPR, Terry Gross, LINK for full interview) and thought, he nailed Nashville with this description:

 'There are bad public transportation systems out there.  90% of the country has lousy public transportation.  It's called a bus that comes around every 1/2 hour or hour.  It largely serves poor people.  When a system only serves poor people, it's a poor system'.  

Good news, we are not alone, I guess.

Add to this, missing sidewalks on 80% of Nashville's roads (AKA no safe way to walk to the bus) and you get a severely under-utilized public transportation system in the setting of mounting traffic as our city grows. 

Nashville, this needs to change. 

Other cities have made a commitment putting pedestrians first and Nashville could too.  Sidewalks need to go in as a first step.  Naturally, then, public transportation use would grow and traffic could be reduced.

https://www.wkrn.com/news/nashville-pedestrian-safety_20181202215725/1634474589

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'Many scientist have one big idea, which they stick with throughout their career,' writes Daniel M. Davis in The Beautiful Cure.  I feel this way about sidewalks for Nashville. 

'Above all [scientists] aren't afraid of being wrong'.  These thoughts, in this blog, are my own.  I am passionate about helping Nashville transform into a great walking city for the health and safety of its citizens.  This work is voluntary and therefore I may not have all the facts correct from every angle.  What is presented, I believe to be accurate and fair.

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NYC Traffic Commissioner Sam Schwartz Speaks Truth to Common Observations and Frustrations

It is always difficult to know when to speak up when it comes to sidewalks and walkability here in Nashville.  Despite a common sense of desire for and commitment to the ideal of a great walking city, the actual progress feels glacial. 


Former NYC traffic commissioner Sam Schwartz has written a book entitled No One at the Wheel and he raised a number of interesting points for your consideration during a recent interview on Fresh Air (NPR, Terry Gross, see link below for full interview).  These points speak directly to many of my deepest concerns about the way Nashville is:  a car dominate city which is taking small measured steps toward walkability & public transportation.   We are definitely not being bold. 

Despite discussion in the past of 'Zero Tolerance' for pedestrian deaths, we continue, year by year to beat our prior record (Nashville Pedestrian Death Registry). 


Progress is made on NEW sidewalk production but very slowly.  After 5 years of volunteering on this topic alone (The Sidewalk Foundation, #FoundOnFoot, Shade Parade), one still cannot walk from point A to B appreciably safer, quicker or more comfortably. 

 

The interview with Sam Schwartz, former NYC traffic commission highlighted a few key points which I quote and illustrate here.


1) 'I’d like to change the mindset a bit and remember that for hundreds of thousands of years – since the first cities started – it was the pedestrians that were walking and the carriages had to go around them or move at that the same speed.  Somehow we have accepted the idea that we need lots of cars, lots of vehicles, and the intruders are the bike riders and the pedestrians and they should be 2^nd class citizens. 

Nothing makes you feel more 2nd class than literally having no place to walk

2) 'The car is not the villain', JFK.  'BUT, what JFK was calling for was balanced transportation.  'And, that’s what I am calling for.  What we need is a better balance...The pendulum swung in the direction of too many people driving…There is a better way'.

3) 'What happened in cities like NYC, Seattle and others that really went, I wouldn’t say all out, but at least in the central business districts provide far more pedestrian zones, far more bike lanes, the total number of cars coming in has gone down.  We can get by with fewer cars.  If we get by with fewer cars, then maybe Chestnut and Walnut in Philadelphia could have different uses.  Maybe the cars go very slowly which they do anyhow.  If you go to many European cities, you’ll see the mix of pedestrians and cars moving very slowly.   We may be able to use examples like that but we have to change our mindset'. 

There is zero need to go faster than 20mph on local/residential streets or when pedestrians are present!  This is also an argument for parking once - then running the remainder of your errands on foot.  This could be the desirable choice IF there is a safe walkable option. 

 

4) ‘Disappointed with the auto-industry reflecting people’s desires to be in bigger cars and to have these front ends that are so high.  That has an impact.  That’s why pedestrian deaths – one of the main reasons pedestrian deaths have soared is that people are getting hit by SUVS.   People are no longer getting hit and developing knee injuries but, and this comes from ER physicians, who note a connection.   In the past, someone hit by a car had a knee injury or a leg injury.  Now, it’s a chest injury and more likely to be fatal'.

5)  'There are bad public transportation systems out there.  90% of the country has lousy public transportation.  It's called a bus that comes around every 1/2 hour or hour.  It largely serves poor people.  When a system only serves poor people, it's a poor system.   Often it's largely people of color.  We have an opportunity to transform public transportation in those areas - not to offer 1/2 hours service - but we could triple the service by using micro-transit autonomous vehicle.  Small buses that are on demand that know where the people are'. 

These are all major issues in Nashville that add to traffic and decreased QOL as they reduce pedestrian comfort and safety.  These factors all have an impact. 








The Revolution Will Be Driverless - Fresh Air

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The federal government released its most dramatic report yet on the effects of climate change - one easy way to help!

One thing that seems clear:  we cannot keep this pace up.  We cannot keep driving everywhere, purchasing whatever.  This level of worldwide consumption needs to be slowed. 


Want to do something?  Try 'Park Once'.  Park once and run all your errands in that area on foot.  Try just walking.  Heading out?  Can you walk there and back safely?


If the answer is no because you do not feel safe, support organization such as The Sidewalk Foundation who are raising money to build high quality sidewalks in Nashville.  So that more can walk safely and comfortably. 

FROM PBS: 


On Friday, November, 23, 2018, the federal government released its most dramatic report yet on the effects of climate change. According to scientists, the country is already experiencing serious consequences from rising global temperatures, including more frequent and severe storms, fires and flooding. John Yang talks to Michael Oppenheimer, professor of geosciences and international affairs at Princeton University.


The government issued its most dramatic report yet about climate change today, and it came with a dire warning.
Scientists said the country is already reeling — feeling major effects of climate change and it has already cost the United States hundreds of billions of dollars.
The report, which was issued by 13 federal agencies, also highlights how climate change is expected to have a significant impact on the future of the economy.
The report links extreme events like Hurricanes Maria and Harvey and longer, more intense, more frequent wildfire seasons. And scientists say there's more to come. The continental United States is already 1.8 degrees warmer than it was a century ago, and the temperature may rise by another 2.3 degrees by 2050.
Unless more is done, the risks and impact of climate change are expected to shrink the U.S. economy 10 percent by century's end.
David Easterling of NOAA, which released the report, suggested in a media call that climate change would damage the country's infrastructure, economy, and human health.







To see and read the remainder of the report:  PBS news report on government report on global warning

PLOGGING - This is YOUR New Year's Resolution and a Fantastic Way to Get Out on Foot!

PLOGGING - This is YOUR New Year's Resolution and a Fantastic Way to Get Out on Foot!

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This is YOUR New Year's Resolution and is such an amazing way to stay active and help. 

PLOGGING! 

Another great reason to get out on foot!

To read the remainder of the article on plogging in the Washington Post by Allison Klein, click on link:  Plogging

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TheSidewalkFoundation.Org

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Despite Budget Shortfall in Nashville, In-Lieu Fees for Sidewalks is Reduced

In addition to information coming out about Nashville's Public Works mismanagement of sidewalk directive, now the in-lieu fee for sidewalks has been discounted.  Watch our dream of a walkable city move further away...

When Sidewalk Bill 493 is activated, many times, the property owner can building the sidewalk OR pay an in-lieu fee to the city.  Nashville ends up with a piece of completed sidewalk OR money that goes into a pot used to augment sidewalk projects in that particular area.  But, the collected money is not nearly enough to cover the cost, according to Public Works, of an actual sidewalk. 


Despite a booming city, Nashville is experiencing a budget shortfall (see article in the Tennessean).  From the general talk about town, it sounds like we are handing financial incentives to developers and businesses which reduces our ability to cover our essential needs.  Why are we doing this?


Nashville's Public Works estimates that their cost to build sidewalks is significantly higher than the in-lieu fee and dependent on the quality of the road.  Local roads are estimated to cost $901/linear foot, collector roads are $1183/linear foot and arterial roads come in at the most expensive, and some of the highest in the nation, at $1336/linear foot.


All of us can agree that safety and accessibility of pedestrians is a basic civil right a city should provide its inhabitants.  We all have the right to walk. 


Know the facts:  We currently have 81% of our roadways in need of a sidewalk & a pedestrian death ever 2 weeks.  So WHY are we charging property owners such low fees instead of having them build the sidewalk? Many private contractors say they can do this job much cheaper than the city.  And, why have we actually DISCOUNTED the in-lieu fee recently?  It now stands at 11% of the cost the city says it needs to build sidewalks.  Let's not get even further behind...ask your council person to eliminate the in-lieu fee.  Let's build some sidewalks!


This in-lieu fee price was reduced in August 2018 from:

• $178 per linear foot
• to $153/linear foot

For Great Public Transportation -> Step 1 = Sidewalks

 Walking is the most elemental form of mobility and sidewalks are a basic ingredient in a thriving public transportation system.    Without sidewalks, many cannot access the transportation system, such as the bus, safely or simply.

Without sidewalks, there is a barrier to use the bus.

This is why I was so happy to be invited to talk with the Music City Riders United (https://workersdignity.nationbuilder.com/mcru17).  This group is working hard to make riding the bus a better and more practical experience.  

I shared with them a few critical sidewalk facts that make riding the bus difficult for many.

- 81% of Nashville's roadways do not have a sidewalk

- There is a pedestrian death every 2 weeks in Nashville.  Many stories (see https://www.nashvillepedestriandeathregistry.org/) involve those trying to catch or exit their bus.

- We are not building sidewalks at an appreciable rate 

- The sidewalk grid in Nashville has an estimated date of completion ~ 1000 years from now

- The Sidewalk Foundation (http://thesidewalkfoundation.org/) is raising funds to try to make a change in these statistics

- our city government could change this by allocating appropriate funding with a realistic completion date

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Can a Foundation Fund Sidewalks in City Where they are Lacking? AKA Nashville?

For full article:  The New Yorker - Shaking the Foundations


In dealing with HOW to BUILD MORE SIDEWALKS in Nashville for the last 5 years, it has become clear that a foundation is a solution.  A solution with some precedent. 


With this knowledge, The Sidewalk Foundation, a 501 c 3, has been created and is taking donations, directly turning them into micro-grants to those who build their sidewalk triggered by Sidewalk Bill 493.  We currently have (4) $500 grants available - 2 citywide and 2 for Bowling Av.  This project is to express the enduring citizen THANK YOU to those who build their sidewalk instead of paying the in-lieu fee. 


That being said, the major criticism expressed in regards to this non-profit is that sidewalks are the responsibility of cities.  A city is to provide safe access for all.  Private citizens should not be funding them. 


At our current pace, it will be 1000 years to completion of our sidewalk network in Nashville.  81% of our roads do not have a sidewalk. 


Our government funding level and commitment to walkability is wanting. 


For better or for worse, it seems "the more government spending gets squeezed, the more important nongovernment spending will become'.