Breaking News! The Sidewalk In-Lieu Fee is Increasing!

Really great news for Nashville!

  

The sidewalk in-lieu fee is increasing!

When a developer adds homes to an existing property, for the most part they are required to build a sidewalk out front.  

When you see a house torn down and 2 or more pop up in its place - these are the properties that should have a shiny new sidewalk out front like the one above. 

All too often, the houses appear over night but sadly, without the sidewalk out front.  Instead, an in-lieu fee allows developers to pay a markedly reduced amount into The Sidewalk Fund.  

Essentially, they could pay 6% of the total cost to install the sidewalk via this fund or pay 100% & do the work.  Herein lies the reason for the lack of sidewalks in front of these developments.  

Now, this fee, although still not up to market value of $250 per linear foot, is making a step in the right direction. The fee is increasing from $15 to $96 per linear foot starting Oct 30th.  

Thanks to Public Works & Planning for making this change!  The walkers of Nashville are thrilled & hope that it equates to more new sidewalks.

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I still very much encourage you to call the developers as soon as you see the sign go out front on these properties & ask them to NOT pay the fee BUT TO BUILD THE SIDEWALK.  

As Nashville grows, we need significantly better options for walking & this is one way to get it.

For more info: 

https://t.e2ma.net/message/x1nsi/lgf2fh

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Shade Parade Nashville & The Sidewalk Foundation are dedicated to improving access to high quality sidewalks in Nashville.

Contact:  thesidewalkfoundation@gmail.com

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I hope you all are planning on coming out TOMORROW for Pedestrian Paradise - an event to reward the walkers (soon to be walkers & bicyclist can come, too) of Nashville in honor of Walk Month Nashville!

For more info, to share on your Facebook Page, and to RSVP:

https://www.facebook.com/events/422357221238242/

PEDESTRIAN PARADISE, This Sunday, 3-6pm at Elmington Park

Just a few views of the beautiful field like park that is waiting patiently to be 'art bombed'.

It is going to be a beautiful fall evening on Sunday at Elmington Park at the corner of West End & Bowling Av…

Come out and celebrate Walk Month Nashville!

Bring a picnic blanket.

Come hungry!

For more info on Pedestrian Paradise, to share this info (invite others) and to RSVP:

https://www.facebook.com/events/422357221238242/

#Walkgreenhills & Pedestrian Paradise (THIS SUNDAY!!!) - Events Made For You!

The rain is over.  Sun coming out in Nashville tomorrow and through the weekend.  Plan to walk Green Hills, take photos and share them on Instagram with hashtag #walkgreenhills.  Quoting The Scene, if you 'have to brave the sucking hole of Green Hills traffic' (definitely NOT MY WORDS) - give getting out on a foot a try.  You can't loose and you may win a prize (See https://www.facebook.com/TGHAP for more info)!

Green Hills is surprisingly walkable.  The distance from say, Whole Foods or the Y to the public library is about a 10-15 minute walk.  Very doable especially when motivated by Walk Month Nashville!

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Very importantly, and I cannot stress this enough: 

Pedestrian Paradise is THIS SUNDAY, October 19th from 3-6p!!!  

Come hungry.  Enjoy a picnic early dinner from Steaming Goat, the best coffee after dinner coffee from The Feisty Goat and dessert from Itty Bitty Donuts.  

Note the goat!

Coffee roaster installed in a van

Walk Bowling Av in its current state.  Note the difficulty that the students of West End Middle experience trying to get to school on foot.  If you live in the neighborhood - WALK to this event!  Walk down Bowling and see why a completion of the sidewalk grid would be a huge benefit to all.  Know the rules of the road:  Walk against traffic, wear bright/reflective clothing.

Consider crossing over to the north side of Bowling Av, on the north side of West End and see the HUGE difference a sidewalk can make to create a flourishing community. 

Stroll through 'Art Bombed' Elmington Park.  Take a free yoga class at 5pm.  Register to vote.  Stop and engage with jugglers, print makers, the creators of Little Libraries.  Create a profile with Smart911.  Sit in a parklet made from pallet furniture.  Spread your blanket and have a meal.  Hear a jazz band and a singer/song writer belting it out in the plein air.  

People watch!

Enjoy the late fall afternoon in Elminton park!

RSVP, SHARE! and read more at:  

https://www.facebook.com/events/422357221238242/

#walkgreenhills

The Green Hills Action Partners have posted a walking challenge!  For Walk Month Nashville, they are asking you to photograph what it is like to walk in Green Hills and post to instagram with the hash tag #walkgreenhills.

Please participate!

Here are the details:

Walk! Green Hills Challenge

October 1 – 31

We’re putting a new spin on “Walk Green Hills” this year! Instead of a one-time event, this October we are launching a month-long challenge to put more walking in your daily routine in and around Green Hills. We challenge you to choose NOT to use your car—use your feet instead, at least once a week during Walk Nashville Month—and join us as we create an Instagram gallery via @walkablenashville and#walkgreenhills to document walking in Green Hills.

Throughout the month of October, area residents are encouraged to walk from work, walk from home, walk between errands, walk to the movies, walk to the YMCA, walk to school, and walk to their favorite restaurants and stores. Anyone can accept the challenge anytime by choosing NOT to use their car and using their feet instead.

If you are on Instagram, 1) follow @walkablenashville 2) take a picture anywhere that you walk in Green Hills 3) post your picture to Instagram—your caption must tag @walkablenashville and add the hashtag #walkgreenhills.

Help us document the good, the bad, the ugly, the beautiful, the improvements and the problems. What’s it like to be a walker in Green Hills? Where do you walk that is not safe? Where do you walk that you enjoy? Where would you like to see a sidewalk or crosswalk? Let the community know with #walkgreenhills and keep following @walkablenashville as our walking photo gallery develops.

Not on Instagram? No problem, you can email a picture along with text for your caption to angie.emery.henderson@gmail.com and she will post it to Instagram for you. Or simply e-mail her a few sentences that share your Green Hills walking story.

Prizes: Everyone who participates in the challenge with a picture or story during the month of October will be eligible for a November 1st drawing that includes two $25 Parnassus Books gift certificates and two $50 gift certificates from Fleet Feet Sports! We appreciate the support of these great Green Hills businesses! Let’s show the world what it’s really like to #walkgreenhills. See you on the sidewalks!

https://www.facebook.com/TGHAP

http://walknashvillemonth.com/walk-green-hills-challenge/

Shade Parade Nashville & The Sidewalk Foundation: Voted the Best Community Organizer from The Nashville Scene!

Big THANK YOU to The Scene for voting my work to be that of the best community organizer!

Go Nashville Go

Go on Foot!

BEST OF NASHVILLE 2014

« Best Race That Stayed Positive  |  Best Election Night Coverage »

Media & Politics

Best Community Organizer 

Stacy Dorris

By STEVEN HALE @IAMSTEVENHALE

Writers Choice

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When it comes to the lacking quantity and quality of sidewalks in Nashville, awareness is not the problem. But turning anecdotes into action takes some organizing, and that’s what Stacy Dorris has been up to. Dorris was rallying her West Nashville neighbors around the need for more sidewalks (and complete ones) before a Metro Council debate in February brought it to the forefront. Since then she’s helped keep the issue on the local media radar.

Tags: Media & Politics, Writers Choice

Previous Winners

(Sorry, no information is currently available for other years in this same award category.)

Sources:  
http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/best-community-organizer/BestOf?oid=4721250

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Walk [Your City] spotting!

Walk [Nashville] Signs in Green Hills!

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Walk [Your City] signs are up in Green Hills as of late Thursday night!

Keep an eye out for them.  Each has a QR code and you can track how many scans have occurred at each sign via:  www.walkyournashville.org

Happy Walk Month Nashville!!!

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Reminder:  Pedestrian Paradise is coming soon…Sunday, October 19th, 3-6p

Walk Bowling Av/Enjoy Art Bombed Elmington Park on Foot

For more info & to RSVP:

https://www.facebook.com/events/422357221238242/

Mayoral Candidates Discuss Solutions to a More Walkable City

The Mayoral Candidate Coffee on Walkability was a big hit.  Very impressed by the amount of effort and time each candidate put into understanding the issues of pedestrians in Nashville.  Thanks to statistics such as Nashville being the 15th most dangerous city in the US as a pedestrian in the setting of also being described as an 'it city' our lack of walkability is finally ripe for discussion (and hopefully well designed and expedient action!).  

It feels like the desire to walk safety and pleasantly in Nashville has reached a critical mass quality.  

I hope you made it.  All 5 mayoral candidates participated.  This was a unique opportunity to hear each candidate's take on walkability and infrastructure in Nashville.  

If not, expect a trancription of the event over the next coming weeks on this blog.  

Standing room only

Estimates of 140-180 citizens

(From left to right)

Moderator: Bobby Allyn, from Nashville Public Radio

Linda Rebrovick

David Fox

Megan Barry

Jeremy Kane

Charles Robert Bone

Links:

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2014/10/08/mayors-race-forums-begin-talk-sidewalks/16920295/

http://nashvillepublicradio.org/blog/2014/10/08/nashville-mayoral-candidates-mull-walkable-city/