A proposed update to Davidson County’s plan for sidewalks and bikeways is receiving a lukewarm reception from avid cyclists. They say the revised plan changes the way sidewalks are prioritized for repair, but doesn’t do the same for installing new bikeways.
The proposed plan says that bikeways will be installed in conjunction with road projects to save money – but that could take years. Cyclists say the timeline is vague at best, with some estimates suggesting that it will take 15 years to complete bike paths now slated.
Greg Lawrence regularly cycles from West Nashville to Franklin. He sees some progress in the updated plan, but says it doesn’t go far enough and should include more bikeways.
“If you’re just outside of Green Hills, not quite to Franklin, that area is pretty underserved as far as bike lanes and wider roads. It’s pretty hairy if you’re trying to ride on Hillsboro Road, which unfortunately is kind of the only way to get to the Franklin area.”
Another cyclist, Dan Hensley, sees the revised plan a little more critically. He commutes 22 miles roundtrip to work every day and calls the proposed plan a “joke.” In his experience, bike lanes are often filled with parked cars, and cyclists feel uncomfortable using them. He says he’d like to see more of a push in the proposed update to educate motorists on bicycle laws.
“You could put a thousand miles of bike lanes in, but if people are allowed to park in them and are using them for turn lanes and that kind of thing that keeps cyclists from using them, which creates, it’s just a waste of funds.”
Public comment on the proposed update is open through next Monday, June 30th.
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