October 2006
HELP!!! We need your help NOW if the work of the Hendersonville Greenways Committee is going to continue. PLEASE read more . . .
Your Participation is Important
We need your involvement in expanding this grass roots movement throughout our city. Please email this newsletter to your friends and family and encourage them to participate. BikeNwalk is our communication to list of friends of the community who are interested in Greenways in Hendersonville. Also visit our Web Site
where we share activities of our Committee. For more information and to sign up to receive this newsletter, contact Doug Depew at BikeNwalk@comcast.net
BikeNwalk Newsletter is edited and distributed by Tom Evans (tom@evanscenter.com)
LOCAL SPONSORED RIDES
Click on the title for links to Web Sites with more information:
10/07, Leaves of Lincoln
10/14, SMW Fall Century
10/21, Cumberland River Challenge
10/21, BRASS #18
LOCAL GROUP RIDES
Team Biker’s Choice
Stinkin’ Fish Thursday
Every Saturday morning a group of us leave Hendersonville between 6AM to 7AM and ride various routes in Sumner County. We try to match the ride to the skill of the participants. For more information, please contact us at
We would enjoy your company.
18'th Annual BRASS
Want a great way to see Sumner County and support some worthy causes? Then join us on the 21'st of October on the Bike Ride Across Scenic Sumner. Sponsored by the Knights of Columbus of Our Lady of the Lake Church in Hendersonville, the event commences at 8:15AM for the 62-mile tour and 8:25AM for the 31-mile tour. For Registration Information and directions to the church just off of the By-pass, please click here or visit The Biker's Choice.
HENDERSONVILLE TOMORROW
There have been two workshops thus far where the sub-committee chairs in specific areas reported to the Board of Mayor and Alderman on their committee's goals. The workshops are informal and are working meetings with dinner served. Each chair is given about 5 minutes to make their report. Mostly they want to hear just the goals, but you may be asked some questions. The action steps aren't necessary and you probably wouldn't have time for them anyway. Two additional dates have been set for the final reports, both on Tuesdays - October 24 and November 28, probably at 5:45 p.m. ending at 7:15 because the regular city meeting will follow. City Character and Culture will be included in the October session. . . . Shirley Wilson
COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES
9/6/06 Meeting of State Senator Diane Black and ret-Dir of Recreation Educations Services Div of TN Joyce Hoyle with Mayor Scott Foster
Results - Great News: Mayor Foster put his ideas with those of Sen. Black and Dir. Hoyle, made some calls, and got the funding to complete the Schools to Memorial Park Project and Drake's Creek Park to Wessington School Greenway.
DRAFT of Bike/Pedestrian Master Plan - 2006 Update is READY!
David Hardin and Timothy Whitten have completely revised the Master Plan for Bike and Pedestrian trails for our town and from my quick look IT'S GREAT. But, don't take my opinion examine it for yourself on our Website (bikinhville.homestead.com/hville_routes.html) or the the City Website (www.hvilletn.org/planning.aspx).
In the 3'rd week of October the committee is meeting (place and time to be announced) to review the plan before forwarding it to the Planning Commission and BOMA. We welcome contributions from everyone who has an interest in this development in our community. If you would like to join us, please send me an e-mail (see bottom of page) and I will give you the where and when of this work session.
RIDE SAFELY
The Methodist Church invited Biker's Choice and the Greenways Com-mittee to conduct Bicycle Safety Instruction for their Kids' Day Event in September. Bicycle safety is David Hardin's "hot button" and he gave Doug Depew and Tom Evans a list of Rules for a Beginning Biker that he expected us to discuss with each child. David may know bikes, but maybe not kids. Once they saw those bikes "rules were for adults" and they wanted to ride. While Doug promoted the activities of our Committee with the moms and dads, I conducted a short quiz with each child, asking just two questions before they got their bike: 1) "What do you always where?" and 2) "On what side of the sidewalk or road do you always ride?"
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Report of 9/27/06 Meeting requested by Timothy Whitten with members of Greenways Committee.
1. Indian Lake Village Multiuse path. The Master Plan has the proposed greenway along the north side of the rail line - from Stop 30 westward to Drakes Creek, where we have the option of crossing the creek and connecting to the multi-use path around the soccer fields, if a bridge can be built (probably not in my lifetime due to the expense). Lacking this critical bridge, the route would turn north-east along the east bank of the creek and connects with the proposed vehicular bridge linking Wessington to Indian Lake Blvd.
2. Sanders Ferry Road. Timothy requested our input to prioritize improvements to Sanders Ferry road. In the past the city has submitted grant requests and been turned down. They plan try again with a more limited request. Frank (Bowyer) and I suggested working on the portion from Canfield Place to Connie Drive. The northern most part close to Gallatin Road already has a pretty good sight line and traffic is slower approaching the Gallatin Road intersection. Also, the Town Center and Old Hickory Lake Shoreline projects in the works could make this portion more cycle friendly. Once to Connie Drive a cyclist can divert and proceed to Lakeside Park and Sanders Ferry is a bit more bike friendly toward the south.
3. Other stuff. Timothy feels a path connecting Veteran's park to Durham farms is an eventual certainty. He is positive the connector from the soccer fields along the north bank of Drakes creek to Veterans park will be constructed soon. The long awaited connection from the Soccer fields to Memorial Park and the High School had to be cut-back to a few ordinary side-walks.
Unfortunately with the thousands of projected new residents, our city has some major challenges assuring Stop 30, Forest Retreat and Jones Road can safely handle the additional traffic.
. . . Bruce Day
Realizing the issue with this creek bridge, the developers have proposed a more direct route to connect to Wessington. About a half-mile east of Indian Lake Blvd, they want to run the path north to the new Mear (?) Parkway, and then westwardly along it to Wessington. The problem with this alternative is that it forces users to cross a busy Indian Lake Blvd through four lanes of traffic and travel in close proximity to traffic on a potentally very busy parkway.
As a compromise we proposed running the path along the rail line and under Indian Lake Blvd overpass as in the Master Plan, but not continue all the way to the creek. In our version we proceed a short distance west past the overpass and then proceed directly north to connect to the proposed Parkway bridge. Timothy is confident about having adequate for bike/ped facilities on this bridge and building this bridge to Scotch St has the full support of everyone.
All three proposals have a spur path that connect to the new library.
We were pleased the developers of Halo Properties asked for our recommendations and believe they have a genuine inter-est in doing right by Hendersonville.
Jamie Clary has been active in promoting Greenways in our Community since he and David Hardin were part of the Committee that prepared the 2000 Master Plan. However, Mayor Foster tells us,
"Jamie is just one of twelve Aldermen with special interests. I need to hear from the others."
So we are asking you, please write a short note to your Alderman and tell them you support the efforts of the Hendersonville Greenways Committee and ask them to tell the Mayor they support us as well. You can find a list at www.hvilletn.org/aldermen.aspx.
Far too often the silent majority remain silent and only get involved when they are moved to protest. So when good opportunities are avialable, like State-funded greenways, that money goes to other cities because our leaders didn't realize the citizens were interested. Believe me; it's true!
Please send your note today, tomorrow, and often and ask your neighbors to do the same.
“This project will complement Hendersonville’s existing transportation, which is predomin-antly automobile oriented. It will tie the area surrounding Nannie Berry Elementary, Ellis Middle School, and Hendersonville High School to Memorial Park and Drakes Creek Athletic Facility. These areas are geographically close yet difficult to access by anything other than autos,” states Jim Harrison (past director of Public Works) in his 2003 Transportation Enhancement Project (TEP).
If you live in Hendersonville and have kids, then you are a part-time chauffer and empa-thize with this sentiment. Getting to our parks and schools takes a car, requires extensive parking facilities, and creates traffic jams. Surely, we have alternatives. Read More ...
