Nashville Sidewalks

[Nashvillain]

I'm sure it will happen, but in stages and over many years. The main thing driving such a project is the age of the infrastructure. Like the Demonbreun viaduct, much of the roads and sidewalks and utilities in that area are way old. I have a buddy at VU's campus development and he said that the sewers in all of midtown are 80+ years old. And they were originally built for residential use. They were "expanded" in the late 70s, but it was done piecemeal. He said they will need to be completely replaced within the next 10 years. On that note, you can even smell runoff at certain parts around the campus on a hot, sultry day. On those days, it's not V-U, but Pee-eeewww instead.

I just don't understand why Purcell put sidewalks out in Antioch (literally between nowhere and noplace), while WestEnd and Church, et.al. have been bursting at the seams. Oh!!!! That's right... politics. Stupid me!

I'm not sure about the utility of the sidewalks in Antioch, maybe the Fieldmarshal can expound on that, but I would argue that there is a great need for sidewalks in south and southeast Nashville. I used to work off Harding Industrial and driving down Harding Pk. from Nolensville to Harding Ind. I would see lots of unfortunate pedestrians clinging to the side of the road as they trekked down Harding Pk. from their apartments or the neighborhoods bordering Harding down to the markets and convenience stores, etc. between Linbar and I-24. A significant stretch of this path is bounded by trees and embankments which don't allow much space as cars fly by. Really dangerous and scary. This situation is repeated along significant stretches of both Nolensville Pk. and Murfreesboro Pk. as well as the whole Hickory Hollow area. Anyway, just remember that Mayor Purcell is responsible to the citizens of the whole county, not just those in the more urban areas.

[fieldmarshaldj]

I just don't understand why Purcell put sidewalks out in Antioch (literally between nowhere and noplace), while WestEnd and Church, et.al. have been bursting at the seams. Oh!!!! That's right... politics. Stupid me!

They haven't exactly been johnny-on-the-spot with building sidewalks out my way. Una-Antioch Pike has needed sidewalks for (at least) 15 years, and nothing has ever been built. I live off of it, and you take your life into your own hands walking along it. The surrounding subdivisions near me, which were built beginning in the '80s, lack for sidewalks (at the time, it was considered an "out of style" nuisance for developers), forcing you to walk in the street and dodge idiots that think it's OK to do 45-50 MPH in a 25 or less zone (the ultimate example of anti-pedestrian development, even making it so that if you wanted to visit your next-door neighbor, you get in your car and drive over). All except for a very small stretch of a subdivision nearby that was built just in the past 2 years has a sidewalk (and it abruptly terminates at either end, and there is no feasible way to extend it without destroying the front properties of the existing homes beyond).

When my family first moved down here from New York City in 1974, this area was rural, so it least it made little sense to put in sidewalks at the time when there was nothing but hilly dense woods and swampy cow-paddies along U/A Pike, but it was always incredible that we'd have to drive all the way over to Glencliff to see ANY sidewalks (all pre-'70s, of course). Our fear is they ever expand my street to Murfreesboro Pike proportions (4-5 lanes), which has been a proposal on the books for 20 years, it will be a disaster for my area and likely cause us to move (I'm sure then they'd finally build the sidewalks, of course !).

[Nashvillain]

They haven't exactly been johnny-on-the-spot with building sidewalks out my way. Una-Antioch Pike has needed sidewalks for (at least) 15 years, and nothing has ever been built. I live off of it, and you take your life into your own hands walking along it. The surrounding subdivisions near me, which were built beginning in the '80s, lack for sidewalks (at the time, it was considered an "out of style" nuisance for developers), forcing you to walk in the street and dodge idiots that think it's OK to do 45-50 MPH in a 25 or less zone (the ultimate example of anti-pedestrian development, even making it so that if you wanted to visit your next-door neighbor, you get in your car and drive over). All except for a very small stretch of a subdivision nearby that was built just in the past 2 years has a sidewalk (and it abruptly terminates at either end, and there is no feasible way to extend it without destroying the front properties of the existing homes beyond).

When my family first moved down here from New York City in 1974, this area was rural, so it least it made little sense to put in sidewalks at the time when there was nothing but hilly dense woods and swampy cow-paddies along U/A Pike, but it was always incredible that we'd have to drive all the way over to Glencliff to see ANY sidewalks (all pre-'70s, of course). Our fear is they ever expand my street to Murfreesboro Pike proportions (4-5 lanes), which has been a proposal on the books for 20 years, it will be a disaster for my area and likely cause us to move (I'm sure then they'd finally build the sidewalks, of course !).

Yeah, so not to be a dink, but what are you talking about ATL?

[ATLBrain]

I'm referring to the area around Hickory Hollow where there are countless housing developments and where I guess a vast majority of the residents use their cars to go just about everywhere. This is an assumption based on what I know of similar areas in Atlanta.

Granted, I'm not familiar with the SE corner of the county. I base my point on limited experience in the area and most recently in March when traffic was backed up on I-24 EB. I got off the highway to find an alternate route. Of course, I didn't know where the heck I was going, but managed to find a winding way to M'boro road. There were sidewalks along those twisting, narrow roads through. And they were brand spanking new!!

My first thought was to wonder why they put them out there? I didn't see one person walking on them. Then I thought that with all the vehicular traffic on those roads (b/c I simply followed the flow to "find" my way through there), why did Metro put the sidewalks down before the roads would need to be widened anyway?

You're probably right. I must have picked the one day when there wasn't a soul using the sidewalks to get lost.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Granted, I'm not familiar with the SE corner of the county. I base my point on limited experience in the area and most recently in March when traffic was backed up on I-24 EB. I got off the highway to find an alternate route. Of course, I didn't know where the heck I was going, but managed to find a winding way to M'boro road. There were sidewalks along those twisting, narrow roads through. And they were brand spanking new!!

My first thought was to wonder why they put them out there? I didn't see one person walking on them. Then I thought that with all the vehicular traffic on those roads (b/c I simply followed the flow to "find" my way through there), why did Metro put the sidewalks down before the roads would need to be widened anyway?

You're probably right. I must have picked the one day when there wasn't a soul using the sidewalks to get lost.

Actually, for this area (Antioch), in newer areas, aside from very isolated areas, sidewalks weren't built from perhaps the late '60s clear until recently. It sounds like what you are describing, correct me if I'm wrong, but those were new subdivisions you went through, in which case those sidewalks are very recent developments (and built by the folks in charge of developing the subdivisions, as opposed to Metro themselves). My frustration with most of them is that they're "out in the middle of nowhere" (or at least just in front of maybe a few dozen homes), isolated sections that don't connect with major thoroughfares.

The large subdivision across the street from where I live, which began being developed around 1991, didn't build a single solitary sidewalk aside from a recently (2004-06) developed isolated section along a roadway (which I mentioned yesterday connects with nothing, and there'd be no way to extend it towards Una-Antioch Pike or Murfreesboro Pike, without massively disrupting and destroying chunks of property in its wake, since most of the homes along there only have dinky little front yards, and they'd be forced to give up perhaps an additional 20% of their front yards for a decent sidewalk -- which although might prove helpful to the pedestrian, would be a nightmare for the homeowners themselves).

I'd also add that there might not be any particular day you'd see many using those said sidewalks, save for those living directly in front of them. For those that don't like dodging traffic in the street or being forced to walk in a narrow grassy median with cars whizzing a foot from your ear, they are a welcome relief, but they are simply too isolated and almost ridiculous to justify in some cases (at least if Metro, and not the subdivision developer is responsible), since 95% of everything else has no sidewalk. A case of too little, too late.

[LA_TN]

It's sad that sidewalks were not required years and years ago. I'm sure that the 'sidewalks to nowhere' today are ridiculed as much as the 'sidewalks to nowhere' 40 years ago - but today they have the gaps filled in and are a part of the urban fabric; so I say keep building them.

Even in subdivisions it should be required to have sidewalks everywhere. Although this may be hard for some to believe, but some suburbian people actually get out and walk/jog, in which case, the sidewalks are definitely needed

[rocky top buzz]

I live in a newer subdivision that does not have sidewalks and I love it! You don't need sidewalks in areas with low traffic going at slow speeds; sidewalks are need along busy roads.

[nashvillwill]

I live in a newer subdivision that does not have sidewalks and I love it! You don't need sidewalks in areas with low traffic going at slow speeds; sidewalks are need along busy roads.

It's inevitable that your quite little street will eventually be a higher traffic road. This is the problem we are now facing in the Antioch area. What once was a distant exurb has become a crowded suburb. Now that there are many pedestrians the area is in desperate need of sidewalks, however many area's would be so expensive due to poor planing that it is almost impossible. Try walking under I-24 on Bell Rd....It's suicide, however hundreds of people do it everyday.

[NewTowner]

I live in a newer subdivision that does not have sidewalks and I love it! You don't need sidewalks in areas with low traffic going at slow speeds; sidewalks are need along busy roads.

10-year-olds and old folks need sidewalks in areas with low traffic going at slow speeds. But, given that your subdivision is likely nowhere near anything worth walking to anyway, you are probably right that building pedestrian infrastructure where you live would be a waste of time, money, energy, and civic initiative.

[Lukin]

10-year-olds and old folks need sidewalks in areas with low traffic going at slow speeds. But, given that your subdivision is likely nowhere near anything worth walking to anyway, you are probably right that building pedestrian infrastructure where you live would be a waste of time, money, energy, and civic initiative.

Well said. I don't think there is any good reason not to have sidewalks. Even in neighborhoods with speed bumps and low traffic, it's still significantly safer for joggers, children, elderly who walk, and moms pushing strollers. Sidewalks promote exercise and being outdoors...i think its ridiculous that people are actually suggesting that they aren't needed.

The only good reason not to build them would be money...and I think you can only use that argument for so long

[Hankster]

Well said. I don't think there is any good reason not to have sidewalks. Even in neighborhoods with speed bumps and low traffic, it's still significantly safer for joggers, children, elderly who walk, and moms pushing strollers. Sidewalks promote exercise and being outdoors...i think its ridiculous that people are actually suggesting that they aren't needed.

The only good reason not to build them would be money...and I think you can only use that argument for so long

I think sidewalks add tremendous value to any subdivision, and are difintely worth the cost. I just wish that we would add bike lanes as well. Sidewalks and bike lanes. Now, that's when you are beginning to really promote more outdoor activity.

[Lukin]

^^^ I agree 100% Hankster...I would seriously consider biking to work each day if the roads between my apartment and work all had bike lanes...

[LA_TN]

I live in a newer subdivision that does not have sidewalks and I love it! You don't need sidewalks in areas with low traffic going at slow speeds; sidewalks are need along busy roads.

And I didn't even have to reply to this...Thanks everyone!!