April 2007
LOCAL SPONSORED RIDES
4/21, Two-County Metric
4/21, Komen Nashville Ride
4/28, Crankin Cannon County
5/05, 3 State, 3Mtn Challenge
5/12, Big Hill Challenge
5/19, Tour De Nash
5/26, The CRAM
6/03, Tour de Cave
LOCAL GROUP RIDES
Our area is blessed with many Road-Bike Riding Clubs. Since our goal is to promote biking as a sport and leisure activity, many of the clubs send us their schedules, which we share on our Web Site.
If your club would like to share its schedule, please forward it to Doug Depew at
BikeNwalk@comcast.net
OVER-DEVELOPMENT
COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES
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Your Participation is Important
Please write a short note to your Alderman and tell them you support the efforts of the Hendersonville Greenways Committee. Find list at www.hvilletn.org/aldermen.aspx.
The Hendersonville Greenway Committee, which was re-established as a sub-committee of the Hendersonville Tomor-row Committee, has been in existence for a year. However, many of the members of the Steering Committee and Advisory Committee have been active since 1999 when the initial Master Plan for Hendersonville was compiled. Our mission is to promote, advocate, and assist City Leaders in the development for safe corridors for walking and biking for citizens of all ages. In pursuit of that objective Greenways are the best alternative, assuring the tranquility and recreational benefits of environmentally responsible green space for the greatest number of people.
For more information and to sign up to receive this newsletter, contact Doug Depew at BikeNwalk@comcast.net
Visit our Web Site at http://bikinhville.homestead.com. You can find past newsletters there.
BikeNwalk Newsletter is edited, often written, and distributed by Tom Evans (tom@evanscenter.com)
We used this stanza from the song by Joni Mitchell in February's Newsletter, praising a victory of the Quality of Lifers for the Town Center. We use it again this month because most of the e-mail discussion in the Greenways mailbox has been on the overwhelmingly unfavorable clear-cutting of Hendersonville by developers. Many told me of being long term residents and reminded me of the most recent re-election attempt of Hank Thompson when they acted to moderate the pace of change to our city. They are again dissatisfied and recommend comparable political action with the current administration.
Most of the notes were not against growth, but against growth that exceeds the capacity of city and county government to regulate and manage it for the long-term betterment of those who have chosen Hendersonville to be their home for life. They complained about a totally unresponsive City Staff, which seldom acknowledges calls and e-mail from business leaders, committees, and homeowners associations, about a BOMA that feel "Citizens' Comments" waste their time, and about the paucity of government leadership and management skills. They took issue with developers who argue "It is my property and I resent government telling me how I can use it." They asked, "Who is in control and managing our City for the long term?" They repeated, "It is my home and I resent those who are trying to trash it."
Whereas, much of this complaint is justified, we know it is not totally true. We have watched members of the Planning Com-mission fight to assure the aesthetics of the community and its natural beauty, fight to insure adequate greenspace, fight for quality of life amenities in new developments. However, this battle seems to be shifting against our champions. Influence buys friends and silence.
An adage that comes to mind is "We always seem to get the kind of government we deserve." We find most citizens choose not to get involved until it's too late and the odds are overwhelming against success of their goals. We have never met a person that does not support the goals of the Greenways Committee as it strives to find balance between growth that benefits the community and that which debilitates it. However, our calls for "tell your aldermen" seems to fall on deaf ears.
Last month our Stroller Mom asked in her Hendersonville Star News guest column, "Why is it then that the majority of the supporters for a greenway system in Hendersonville are avid bikers?" It is because, like the canary in the mine, bikers are the first to see the damage done by improperly managed growth and have seen "up close and personal" how other com-munities have successfully managed the balance between growth and preservation of culture. Time for life-long residents to participate is now.
Hendersonville Tomorrow
I have tried my best to remain positive about the potential of the Henderson-ville Tomorrow Committee. Its goal was to provide a vision for our City in 2020. When Dr. Gary Kaufman, Past Chairman and Mayor Scott Foster told everyone that implemen-tation of our plans was priority, approximately three dozen sub-committees enthusias-tically offered their ideas on March 30, 2006. Hendersonville Greenways Committee submitted a twenty-four page document that now appears on the City Web and our site. We expected to make a difference.
Lower Station Camp Greenway
We have been following the development of the Lower Station Camp Greenway by the Sumner County Greenway Committee led by Anthony Holt. Glen Beckwith of Wiser Com-pany has contacted the Hendersonville Greenways Committee and several occasions, seeking input on our vision on how our greenway plans connect with the County Plans.
We told him that our most likely connection will come through the neighborhoods of Wynbrooke in which sub-division streets run within a few hundred yards of an old abandoned bridge across Lower Station Camp Creek. That option appears to be the least expensive means us to provide connectivity to our long range greenway plans. Without a doubt this connection would be a great asset to the sub-division and most likely would improve property values because of easy access to this park. But Wynbrooke property owners need to act to pressure the developer to provide road or trail access to the bridge or they can expect to lose.
FOUR More Reasons to Bike: from 28 REASONS TO BIKE
YAZOO PATROL - WHO ARE YOU?
What’s up Yazoo Patrol? We have an event that will be in need of some “patrol-ling”. Check out the attachments and the site then come to East Nashville next week end for a party on two wheels. Hope you can make it.
Justin Mitchell – O.G.
Team RE/MAX - Yazoo
Ambassadors of Fun
www.teamremax-yazoo.com
RIDE SAFELY - It's the Law
Continuing with David Hardin (The Biker's Choice) to provide instructions important for cyclists to know about the law as it applies to them. David has a long list of rules which we shall share in future issues. Below is his Sharing the Road for Motorists
Drive Cautiously:
> Reduce speed when encountering cyclists
> Don't tailgate, especially in bad weather
> Recognize hazards cyclists may face and give them space
RIDE FOR ADVOCACY
They took all the trees and put 'em in a tree museum
And then they charged all the people twenty-five bucks just to see 'em
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got till it's gone
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
by Joni Mitchell
Just wanted to say thanks to everyone who showed up for the Spring Forward. It was an amazing day for biking in Sumner County. The impact of 100+ riders out riding our local routes in for 2-5 hours was a huge promotional success for cycling in our area. For those riders who weren’t able to make it, you missed a great ride. The 33 mile course let a lot of people know where their fitness was for the season. A tough route for the first 15 miles, then the riders were blessed with a tailwind on the final 8 miles. The 64 mile riders were in for a scenic treat.
. . . David Hardin
Bruce Day stands on abandoned Bridge over Station Camp Creek
Lower Station Camp Creek road running south
to southern terminus near abandoned bridge
Last month we discussed construction of this Greenway with Tim Morgan who noted errors in my report in February's News Letter. To avoid future miscommunication, I asked Glenn for an "official" update. Glenn wanted to wait until after his meeting with the Sumner County Greenways Committee. The plan continues to change as the Committee assesses it options. The best information we have at this time is summarized in Tim's note below:
Thanks for checking into that. I should have emailed you back earlier to tell you that I spoke with Glen last Monday to try to confirm what Hank had told me. Fortunately, he told me the same thing that Hank did, that a big portion of the road will be closed. The portion that will remain open should have so little traffic that it wont be too bad. I would actually would like to convince Hank/Greenway committee, maybe at the public meeting they are planning, to go ahead and close the road from the bend in the road to Jenkins. By going ahead and closing that small portion it would cut out a major portion of the traffic and allow the road to start being used more safely. I'm not sure if they will even entertain that idea but at least the road will ultimately be closed to thru vehicle traffic. Are you going to put an update in your newsletter as a correction so that other readers will know that some of the road will be closed?
In the past couple of weeks a portion of Lower Station Camp Road has been closed to vehicle traffic. The change dramati-cally exemplified Tim's recommendations. Even still as a road we saw families immediately taking advantage of this great route. They were walking and pushing strollers. Kids of all ages playing, riding bikes, skate boarding.
. . . Tom Evans
I use the road for biking and jogging and I can’t see how the new plan is better for everyone if it leaves the road open to vehicle traffic. It sounds more like its becoming a road with a bike lane than a greenway. If the cars are allowed to stay it won’t be nearly as peaceful a setting and we are going to continue to have unsightly trash. I understand the problem with the one family at the upper end of the road but I can’t see the rationale in keeping the rest of the road open to cars because of one resident. The plan he explained to me recently was to keep the section of road between their driveway and Long Hollow open and the rest of the road would be closed except to bikers, joggers and walkers. Since I’m obviously a big supporter of greenways and the road runs behind my house, I’ve tried to gauge the support for the project by talking to numerous people in the area. Almost unanimously, the one exception being the rock wall house, the people I have spoken with are in favor of the road being converted to a greenway. Many people would like to use it currently but said they won’t attempt to use it until it is closed to traffic. So I guess we will see how it all unfolds and hope for the best. I don’t know the level of input that the Hendersonville Greenway Committees has on the LSCC Greenway Project but I do hope you will support the road being closed to vehicles. I realize your progress with greenways in Hendersonville has been tough so maybe if this one is done right and is successful you will start to see more support than you have obviously been getting from government officials within the city.
Thank you for your work and efforts!
In an earlier e-mail Tim made a recommendation that has the support of the Hendersonville Greenway Committee:
In the autumn of 2006 each sub-committee chairman gave a five-minute presentation to BOMA in special meeting sum-marizing its goals. In early March 2007 BOMA had a special planning retreat to consolidate these submissions.
And what has been the communications to the people who volunteered in this effort? None that I, as one of the sub-committee chairmen, know about. What are the plans of BOMA to pursue any of these plans? Same answer. Our sub-committee is very disappointed in how city officials have not nurtured or taken advantage of the great volunteer resource provided by the Hendersonville Tomorrow Committee. When the City officials ask again for volunteers, I am not surprised when people tell me "Why bother!"
4/20 BIKERACE & BAKESALE PROMISE A SWEET EVENT
Team Re/Max Yazoo Brew Cycling announces its 4/20 BikeRace and Bakesale to be held next Friday night at The AlleyCat in East Nashville. Building on the popularity of recent events like last fall’s Brewers Cup, event organizers Justin Mitchell and Sharp Emmons promise even more for the Spring installment. “We packed earlier events, so this year we’re adding a bakesale to help support our suffering,” said Mitchell. “Our guys are traveling and racing high-profile events on their dime... nothing says grassroots fundraising like a bakesale.” For $10, participants get a spoke card and race map, plus access to the band room and show after the race.
Returning to headline the show will be the hyper-soulful sounds of The United Front as well as Tim Chad and Sherry, a musically sensitive experience equated to “finding cash in an old pair of pants.” Also back for another spin will be Clist — the “three-piece musical slaughterhouse” of self-described “mutant punk.”
If Bikes and Punkrock weren’t sweet enough, the Baked goods go on sale at 6 p.m. with music to begin shortly afterward. The secret race itineraries will be distributed and the race will begin at 8 p.m. During a Poker Run, participants ride to 5 pre-determined locations and draw a playing card. Finishers compete for the best hand, as well as the fastest time to win one-of-a-kind prizes, along with Yazoo and team swag. Riders of all levels are welcome.
The AlleyCat Lounge is located in the Historic Five Points at 1008 Woodland St #B, Nashville, TN, (615) 262-5888.
Team Remax/Yazoo Brew Cycling is based in Nashville, Tennessee and competes in regional and national cycling events. Sponsored by Re/Max Choice Properties and Yazoo Brewing Company, the team’s riders can easily be spotted in their distinctive Red and Black jerseys. For more information, visit the “events” section of their website at www.teamremax-yazoo.com.
FAT OLD GUYS on BIKES
The membership of the Hendersonville Chapter of the Yazoo Patrol or otherwise known as Fat Old Guys on Bikes or Beer Belly Bikers continues to grow. We have a "pick-up" ride Tuesdays, Thursdays, and every weekend. and then take time for a little socializing with BABs (Beer after Biking, preferably Yazoo, but we drink what we can get.) Big Looy's is our Biker's Bar. Our next goal is to get Copper Hook replaced by Yazoo Dos Perros. You don't have to BAB's it to join us. Gatorade is an acceptable substitute. But, biking for fun is necessary. Ages range from 40 to 70 and our goal is to help people get into and enjoy group riding. Doug Depew is our ride leader. For more information, please contact us at BikeNwalk@comcast.net.
If you are into Bicycle Touring, Bruce Day sets a standard that is difficult to match. After touring England and Scotland in 2006, he and Bob Schofield are doing South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee from May20'th to June 9'th. They plan their trips in unbelievable detail. Read more at http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/GRITS07
Meet Shannon Hornsby
If you subscribe to the BikeNwalk Newsletter, you have been receiving e-mail from Shannon Hornsby and wondering why. No, we haven't shared your e-mail address. We would never do that. Shannon has sent her notes to us and being the type of information we believe our subscribers would like to know, we have relayed them to you. This month Shannon is our guest columnist and is Executive/Director of Walk/Bike Nashville. We asked Shannon to introduce herself and below is what she says.
Hit by a Dodge Ram in February 2002 while crossing a road in downtown Austin. Not badly hurt, but very frightened. Realized the importance of pedes-trian safety at that point. Offered a job to work with Trans Texas Alliance, managing the pedestrian safety programs. Was introduced to cycling and fell in love with it.
Been in the nonprofit world for 9+ years. My most recent position was as a special projects coordinator with Public Citizen-Texas. I also served as the first membership director for the Austin Independent Business Alliance, project coordinator for Livable City in Austin, and president of my neighborhood in Austin.
I prefer to walk for transportation, do enjoy riding my bike, and while I do enjoy driving, city driving is not fun and is a waste of resources. I have two dogs, like Nashville so far, and plan to buy my first home here very soon.
What Does Suburbia Have to do with Obesity?
Tennessee has the ability to lead the nation in decreasing obesity and chronic diseases by embracing its resources and changing the built environment. This should be done if for no other reason than ranking sixth in the union for obesity rates. We are unhealthy because we are afraid to be active.
Without a well connected network of sidewalks, greenways, and bike lanes, no city can expect its residents to feel safe and secure, whether they set out to simply drive to the greenway for a quick jaunt around the neighborhood or to bike from home to work.
Our cities have grown away from community sections and into a car culture, partially driven by the onslaught of suburbia. No longer do neighbors sit on their front porches and wave “hello” to one another. Instead we’ve moved to our living rooms and back porches. We no longer walk to the store on the corner. We drive around the parking lot looking for the closest parking spot.
Our isolation has desensitized us and this, along with obesity trends, has grown infinitely the further along we develop housing sectors and move away from neighborhoods and communities.
This trend does not need to continue. The benefits of a walkable, bikeable, more livable city include economic incentive, development opportunities, lower health care costs, greater productivity in the workforce, and quality academic performance. Why then are our outlying cities still embracing suburbia? The potential for Hendersonville is superior to many commun-ities and it is disappointing that more is not being done to create a unique community offering an outstanding quality of life.
What can be done?
All it takes is encouraging active living, which is walking to the store, taking the stairs in stead of the elevator, parking not so close to the front door of the grocery, riding your bicycle to lunch, choosing to move your body at opportunities otherwise regarded as convenient for the car. Active living is also taking the family out on the greenway for a ride or a walk, biking to work or school, walking with friends three times per week, engaging in movement at least 30 minutes per day, which can be broken into 15 or even 10 minute segments.
. . . Shannon Hornsby
You can find more comments by Shannon in The Tennessean in Bicycle riders are changing the traffic culture and Nashville strives to drive more people to walk . She also authored an editorial piece about cycling, City should build on its cycling progress
Yield to Cyclists:
> Bicycles are considered vehicles
> Cyclists should be given the appropriate right of way
> Allow extra time for cyclists to traverse intersections
Be Considerate:
> Scan for cyclists in traffic and at intersections
> Do not blast your horn in close proximity to cyclists
> Look for cyclists when opening doors
Pass with Care:
> When passing, leave four feet between you and a cyclist
> Wait for safe road and traffic conditions before you pass
> Check over your shoulder before moving back
Watch for Children:
> Children on bicycles are often unpredictable
> Expect the unexpected and slow down
> Don't expect children to know traffic laws
> Because of their size children can be harder to see
David Hardin conducts a biking safety class at The Biker's Choice for Den 7 of Pack 404. The Den leader is John Welburn.
Tour de Nash Volunteers Needed
Folks,
Please, if you would, send this along to your groups. We need help and I know that your groups might want to ride in the event...so they could help with route marking or registration or other tasks. It is going to be those who care about biking and walking that actually step up and help pull off an event that highlights and encourages such activity. The groups I would like to contact that are missing from this list (I think) are the Nashville Striders, Murfreesboro Bike Club, Gran Fondo, and Friends of Warner Parks. Do any of you have a contact you can send this along to?
Thanks!
Shannon K Hornsby [walkbikenashville@gmail.com]
Tour de Nash is getting close and we still need volunteers for the event. We would absolutely love to have you on board, so if you're free Saturday May 19th and want to help out, email our volunteer coordinator for the event, Kristen Skruber, at skruberk@gmail.com. There is quite a selection of volunteer positions available, all of them equally fun, so we hope you'll be able to join us!
