September 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.
LOCAL SPONSORED RIDES
Click on the title for links to Web Sites with more information:
09/02, Sunrise Century
09/09, Makin Macon Fit
09/16, BRAT 2006
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.
Sunrise Century
Without a doubt the premier sponsored ride in Middle Tennessee is the Sunrise Century hosted by the Clarksville 'Sunrise Rotary Club. Well planned, well administered, and well publicized this event provides one of the safest, easiest, and convenient means to ride a 100 miles. Shorter routes of 14 and 62 miles are also available. The roads are exceptionally well marked and have many rest stops with drink, energy food, and potties, making it almost impossible to get lost, hungry or thirsty even if you aren't riding with a group. However, it would be a challenge not to find a peloton the matches your capability. This year 531 riders preregistered with 33 for the 14-mile route, 207 for the metric century route, and 291 for the century route. Many additional riders registered on an almost perfect day for a ride. The temperature was in the seventies, the sky was overcast, the wind was always at your back, and the road remained dry.
And, I am pleased to say, unlike the CRAM, the spring version of this event, I completed my first 100+ miles averaging 17.7 mph, with the aid of Bruce Day, Doug Depew, and Barbara Loudermilk.
... Tom Evans
HENDERSONVILLE TOMORROW
Thought I'd give you a report on the HTC meeting on infrastructure. Mayor Foster convened the meeting almost immediately. Gary Kaufman, past chair of HTC, gave a brief report on what was done in the past year and a half by HTC and the mayor gave a brief report on how he wanted the meeting that evening to go. The infrastructure HTC chair gave an overview of the four committees and what they jointly accomplished. Then the four infrastructure committee chairs each gave a brief report on what they considered the most important aspects of what their committee did. They didn't dwell heavily on the details, but rather hit the high spots. The aldermen and women listened and asked questions all along the way. Then Fred Rogers outlined some ideas as to how we might get a consensus of opinion from BOMA as to what they wanted to pursue. The mayor kept everything on track. The entire meeting took a little over an hour and a half. I felt it was a really good meeting. Very informative but it didn't bog down in detail. . . . Shirley Wilson
A Greenway Shangrila
With hundreds of miles of paved bicycle trails through forests preserves, along the lake front, and along abandoned railroads, without a doubt these communities had their act together. A coalition of grassroots advocates and local communities had achieved spectacular goals toward their vision of living in a region where they could step out of their house onto an environmentally friendly, safe route that provided citizens with a healthy way to live, work, and play. They created wonderful connected system of greenway corridors, linear parks and bicycle friendly roads that linked schools, parks, and businesses to residents of all ages and abilities enhancing the resources, health, economics, and quality of life in the area. Where is this Shangrila? Probably not where you would imagine. . . Read more
COMMITTEE ACTIVITIES
9/5/06 Meeting with the Public Works (PW) Committee:
PURPOSE - Introduce myself (Frank Bowyer) and offer input from the Hendersonville Greenways Committee (HGC).
I gave a brief biography and told PW that the HGC and Timothy Whitten (Planning Department) were in the process of updating Hendersonville’s Bike/Pedestrian Master Plan and involving surrounding communities/counties and would seek advice from PW. I expressed my concern over the rapid development of Hendersonville and the ability of the roads to "keep up." I offered my assistance as "free help" for them to review road improvements or new roads as they relate to this Plan.
I suggested that as Hendersonville promotes itself as a "white collar" community, it needs roads suitable to their life style – expect for more joggers, walkers and recreational cyclists. I also noted that I want to allow my own children safely to walk or ride their bikes to school, to the park or to the lake. One PW member also expressed concern or an unwillingness to allow his child to ride/walk to school (Jack Anderson Elementary) due to safety concerns. Several members of PW expressed a similar concern, particularly to the parks.
Mark Skidmore enthusiastically agreed and invited me to "holler" at him any time I feel that the PW is not on the right track. He thanked me and expressed that it is very important for HGC to have input. He gave me his card and requested Jerry Hortontake my contanct information so that I can be included on future information that would need our input. He further expressed his appreciation of HGC’s involvement.
Other discussion involved
- Concerns of PW members to several areas south of Hwy 386/Vietnam Veterans Blvd. We agreed that the areas south of Hwy 386 need improvement and alternatives, such as adjustments to existing lanes or alternative routes through neighborhoods could be used when the cost to retro-fit pedestrian/bicycle access may seem prohibitive.
- Concern to rapid development in areas north of Hwy 386. Whereas PW noted that the developers should include sidewalks and pedestrian/bicycle access in frontage, they need to look closer at bicycle access (e.g. the bike lane which was approved in front of the proposed Willowbrook subdivision on Saundersville Rd) and requested HGC assistance.
- Work of PW to improve sidewalks around schools.
In closing, a citizen was attenting the meeting to discuss matters unrelated to my presentation. He said that he appreciated my presentation and that he would love someday to be able to safely ride bikes with his grandson to Drakes Creek Park or to Shoney's for lunch. I think we have more citizen support than we expect. We need publicity and citizen involvement (there's an election coming up soon).
... Frank P. Bowyer, IV
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
PURPOSE - Identify options to correct problems in TN State Grant application to fund Drake's Creek Park to Wessington School Greenway.
DESIGNING ROADS TO INCLUDE BICYCLE FACILITIES
Frank Bowyer, Bruce Day, and David Hardin have been making presentations to the Planning Commission, during which they have been explaining road designs that incorporate bicycle facilities. Both federal and state highway engineers have established standards for the incorporation of bike lanes and signs on roads. You can find copies of these design manuals, Federal and State Bike Lane Policies, and presentations by the Greenways Committee on our Web Site by clicking here.
RIDE SAFELY Download HOW NOT TO GET HIT BY CARS
The dirty bridge at Indian Lake Blvd over Veterans By-pass was a safety hazard to bike riders. Tired of waiting a year for it to be cleaned, I swept it myself.
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