Regional Bike and Pedestrian Planning

The Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is seeking citizen participation in the development of a comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan. Residents of Davidson, Rutherford, Sumner, Wilson and Williamson counties – plus the cities of Spring Hill and Springfield – are invited to complete an online survey located at www.nashvillempo.org. Residents are asked to share their thoughts and priorities for making their communities more walk and bike friendly.

Regional Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan Will Be Developed
Through Community Involvement
Survey Seeks Input from Residents in Five-County Area

Nashville, TN - A comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan for the greater Nashville region is currently in development by the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO). The MPO is working with local governments, businesses, non-profit organizations, and the general public to prepare the plan, which will help establish bicycle and pedestrian transportation priorities for Davidson, Rutherford, Sumner, Wilson and Williamson counties, plus the cities of Spring Hill and Springfield.

Citizens can quickly and easily share their input on the project by participating in an online survey. The survey, located at www.nashvillempo.org, provides an opportunity for residents and others in the region to share their thoughts and priorities for making communities in the greater Nashville region more walkable and bike-friendly. Data collected from the survey will be used to plan future bike routes, bike lanes, sidewalks, and greenways and highlight existing facilities in need of improvement.

Bike lanes, bike paths, greenways, sidewalk improvements, and interconnectivity of existing non-motorized transportation routes are all part of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan that will be developed over the next several months. When completed, the plan will become part of the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan that will set funding and project priorities in the region for the next several decades.

“Bicycle and pedestrian transportation facilities are important in any growing region,” explains Leslie Meehan, Project Manager with the Nashville Area MPO. “When you consider the congestion on Nashville’s highways, taking a percentage of travelers off the road by creating safe routes for those who want to bicycle or walk to work, school, or on shopping trips is vital. More than 40% of car trips nationwide are two miles or less. Most people can bicycle two miles or walk one mile in 15-20 minutes. So, walking and bicycling can be convenient, healthy, and environmentally friendly all at the same time.”

Development of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan is being conducted by the MPO with assistance from RPM Transportation Consultants, LLC. Firms on RPM’s team are Hawkins Partners, Inc., Sprinkle Consulting, and Varallo Public Relations, LLC.

“Community involvement is an essential part of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan,” adds Meehan. “Two rounds of public meetings are scheduled in each county to gather feedback from citizens living in the community. The first round of meetings will be held in February 2009. These meetings will help the MPO understand each community’s existing walking and biking opportunities, areas within the specific local area that would benefit from bicycling and pedestrian facilities, and obstacles to non-motorized transportation.”
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Location and time of each meeting will be announced locally in each county and has been posted on the project website at www.nashvillempo.org. Additionally, a “blog” has been created as a forum for discussion of bicycle and pedestrian issues; it can be found at http://walkbikeforum.blogspot.com.

The Nashville Area MPO is the regional planning organization federally established to carryout transportation planning within the greater Nashville region. The MPO’s policy board is comprised of local elected Mayors and County Executives which guide federal and state funded transportation projects such as roads, bridges, sidewalks and bikeways, and transit within the greater Nashville region.

RPM Transportation Consultants, LLC, provides traffic engineering and transportation planning services to a wide range of public, private and institutional clients. A recognized leader in bicycle and pedestrian planning design, RPM has established a reputation over the past 20 years for providing innovative solutions to non-motorized transportation projects.