January/February 2007
LOCAL SPONSORED RIDES
April 1: Spring Forward
April 14, Two-County Metric
April 14, Dogwood 100
April 21, Komen Nashville Ride
April 28: Crankin Cannon County
May 12: Big Hill Challenge
May 26: The CRAM
LOCAL GROUP RIDES
If it's not raining or snowing and the temper-ature is over 35 degrees, the Yazoo Patrol (hey, that name is better than Fat Old Guys on Bikes as some in the neighborhood call us) heads out every Saturday morning between 10AM and noon on our "pick up" ride on the county roads. We sometimes try to join and keep up with other groups somewhere along the way. Our typical ride is 50 to 60 miles at an average speed of 15 to 16 mph.
Doug Depew is our ride leader. For more information, please contact us at
Hendersonville Town Center
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 Tomorrow 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)
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
With the rapid development along Indian Lake Blvd, along Gallatin Road, and the few remaining wooded parcels of land in and around Hendersonville, the changes in our community bring to mind the sentiment of the song by Joni Mitchell. At times it seems like we are in a race with those who want to convert Hendersonville into the next 100 Oaks. However, the passage this month of the Town Center Concept by BOMA marks a success of the Quality of Life advocates. Kudos to the Town Center Redevelopment Committee who since 2003 has been developing a plan to preserve, revitalize and redevelop the section on town across Drake's Creek from Memorial Park.
The pictures shown here are from their concept plan. They have done a great job analyzing the opportunities and every resident should take time to familiarize themselves with the entire plan. It is posted on the city's Web Site (see URL below).
The plan includes a multi-use greenway path running from Gallatin Road along the lake (as suggested above) and along the southern edge. This greenway eventually run to Sanders Ferry Park in Phase III of Hendersonville's Trail Projects.
Hendersonville Tomorrow
In the final sub-committee presentation on 1/23/07 meeting was clear that aesthetics is important to BOMA and that includes greenways. Although 11 of the 13 members of BOMA were present, only seven turned in priority sheets. They zero'd in on some important issues. They want a new long range general development plan, they want a new zoning ordinance, and they stressed economic development. They were asked to select three items and two cited greenways specifically while others cited open spaces in other parts of the report. There is to be a planning retreat in February, but no date has been set.
Shirley Wilson, 1/29/07
Sumner County Greenways:
Hank Thompson, Andy Holt, and Tom Evans met to discuss Greenway Projects in the County. Tom had hoped he could convince Hank/Andy to sponsor a County Greenway meeting in order to help efforts in Hendersonville, but he failed. Hank and Andy re-emphasized that which Joyce Hoyle and Diane Black had advised the Committee last March. Until we can achieve the level of City Staff support that most towns with active programs find necessary, we are just “spinning our wheels.”
We discussed the County’s plan to build Lower Station Camp Greenway. The northern part will be built on the Hendersonville side of the creek. Just before the bend in the road they plan to build a bridge and cross over to the Gallatin side. Phase I of their plan ends at Saundersville Road. They are not closing Lower Station Camp Road. Phase II would then bring the Greenway down to the vicinity of the CSX rail line. They mentioned that Mike Goff was working on plans to connect Gallatin’s greenway system in that region.
Tom discussed our Committee planning in that area. Hank mentioned that he thought some old agreement existed where people in the Wynbrooke area were guaranteed bridge access to Lower Station Camp. We discussed to two old bridges currently over the creek, but Hank and Andy felt the cost to renovate those bridges was too expensive.
Tom discussed alternatives to connect the eastern terminus of the Halo Greenway to Lower Station Camp. He said the current plan was to continue along the CSX rail line to Saundersville Rd, but crossing Saundersville Road safely was a major impediment due to the heavy traffic. We also felt our two current routes from that point to Lower Station Camp – one along 386-extension and the other along the CSX rail line – where not feasible. Hank recommended a route up Stop 30 across the expressway, similar to the plan Tom proposed in his last bi-weekly Monday Report.
Hank and Andy recommended coming straight across with the proposed extension of Stop 30 to Saundersville Rd and then continuing across the vacant property on the east to Lower Station Camp. They advised that Hendersonville needs to define these greenway right-of-ways immediately before development of the land gets committed.
Hendersonville's Master Plan
The Committee is still reviewing the 2006 Revision of the Master Plan by Hardin and Whitten. The primary focus has been along the proposed route of the Halo Properties Greenway. Our goal is to provide routes that are safe for middle-school students, can be implemented with minimal investment, and provide connectivity to greeways in the county and neigh-boring communities. We continue to have issues with our current routes because they cross areas of high traffic. One problem area is mentioned above (County Greenway). Bruce Day, David Hardin, Frank Bowyer, and Tom Evans have been walking along rail lines and muddy fields looking for alternatives. At this time the above route suggested by Hank Thompson and another further north along Hillview Dr to the Golf Course appear to be feasible alternatives. Also taking Stop 30 south from the eastern terminus of the Halo Greenway across the one-lane bridge provides scenic passage on a one-lane road along Blue Grass Golf Course to the YMCA, the Lutheran, and Baptist Churches.
RIDE SAFELY - It's the Law
Actually it is not the law in Hendersonville, but David Hardin of the Bicycle Shop would like to make it the law. In fact a review of the city's municipal code finds almost no laws related proper use of bicycles. David pulls out a copy of the Share the Road Guide - A Guide for bicyclists and motorists published the Bicycle Advisory Committee City of Tucson as an example of what could be done. PLEASE use this link to read this Guide and find some simple laws and some pretty steep fines for bicyclists (and motorists) that violate those laws.
A big issue with David is riding a bike with the direction of traffic. David says, "the police should give tickets to any bicyclist that rides against the flow of traffic." This rule
is common sense because motorists turning onto the road the bicyclist is riding look in the direction of traffic. They will not see a bicyclist on the wrong side. Riding with traffic on the open road is also important because it gives the motorists added time to see and adjust to a bicyclist, which is extremely important on roads with blind turns and hills.
Tucson law (28-735) also states "When a motorist overtakes and passes a bicycle, the motorist must leave a minimum of three (3) feet between it and the bicycle." The fine for failure is $500. Their law also says "do not use your horn when following a cyclist. A sudden loud blast may startle and cause the cyclist to swerve into traffic. The motorist can be cited for causing a crash." A similar law must apply to morons that yell through windows or hurl objects while passing cyclists.
Another law (28-815) important to the interation between motorists and cyclists is "the cyclist may 'take the lane' if it is not wide enough for both a car and a bike." The corollary is -- cyclist have the same rights to the road as the motorist -- a fact that does not seem to be commonly known by most motorists.
Bike Lanes on New Gallatin Road Bridge?
We are routinely asked, "Will the new bridge being constructed on Gallatin Rd near Memorial Park have bike lanes?" Gallatin Road is a State road and it is the policy of the Department of Transportation for the State of Tennessee that ALL new road constuction have bike lanes and this bridge is no exception.
In the last BOMA meeting Mayor Foster answered this question by stating the new bridge with have ten (10) foot wide lanes on either side of the road suitable to walking, biking, or fishing.
RIDE FOR ADVOCACY
The following info is still preliminary, please check with The Biker's Choice
The Spring Forward Tour is a Ride for Advocacy. Our goal is to refresh or expand everyone's cycling knowledge. Please find many quick links to key problems and issues for all levels of cycling at the League of American Wheelmen and How you can ride better.
On April 1st, we'll be leaving from Station Camp High School at 1PM for the Metric Century and 1:15 PM for the Half-Metric-Century. We will have well supplied rest stops to help with hunger, exhaustion, maps; a well marked course; a sweep mechanic monitoring the rest stops; and food and beverages at the finish.
Walk in the Park with Mayor Purcell
What makes a successful Greenway Program? All we have to do is look around us. City after city are discovering the value of Greenways. According to Mayor Bill Purcell "Nashville's park system keeps getting better. We want to celebrate our parks and encourage people to get out and enjoy the scenery from the Highland Rim beauty of Beaman Park to the banks of the Cumberland River and the Stones River. After opening our great new Public Square park this month, we will spend the next eight months exploring more parks, trails and greenways." To promote his vision Mayor Purcell walks for about an hour on the first Saturday of each month on a different trail and the public is invited to join him.
According a May 15,2003 article in the Nashville City Paper by Judith Tackett, high support for greenways has occurred under the leadership of Mayor Bill Purcell and Metro’s Greenways Commission has gone into high gear to complete as many projects as quickly as possible. He initiated the Metro Parks and Greenways Master Plan, which recommends that the city add nearly 2,000 acres of parks and greenways in the next 20 years with the goal that a majority of residents live within two miles of a greenway. The plan includes 210 miles of trails during a 25-year time frame at the estimated cost of $172.4 million.
The Greenways Commission has involved the community every step of the way by establishing a steering committee made up of neighborhood people and stakeholders who identify what they would like to see and where the greenway. access points, destinations, and connections should be.
Safe Routes to Schools
In December's Newsletter we talked about the National Center for Safe Routes program andTDOT grant from Federal Funds that do not require local match. The goal of the program is to increase levels of walking and bicycling to school among elementary and middle school students. Unfortunately, only municipalities and not Greenway Committees can apply for this Grant. Tom Evans discussed the idea with Mayor Hank Thompson, who advised that in Tennessee this grant was targeted for communities other than those in Sumner County and the chance of our getting one was very slim. However, it is interesting to note what other communities have done.
Pima County and the City of Tucson initiated a pilot program at seven elementary schools aimed at encouraging children to engage in more physical activity, and reduce traffic collisions involving children. It began in the fall of 2005, and will last for two years and then extend the program to other schools. The first phase focuses on the education and identification of infrastructure improvements needed for pedestrian and bicyclist safety. The following links provide a sampling of their work:
Traffic Safety Quiz Show; Stop, Look, and Listen; Helmet Safety; Walk Around the Block; and The Walking Schoolbus Challenge Guidebook
FOUR More Reasons to Bike: from 28 REASONS TO BIKE
