The Natchez Trace Parkway Association is working with
Adventure Cycling Association and NPS to develop a pilot cycling safety
program for national parks (that will also have carryover benefits for urban
areas). One of the first two test sites will be between Leiper's Fork and
Nashville. The second will be in Tupelo. ACA signed an
agreement with NPS to become its cycling partner for national parks, and they
selected the parkway for the first pilot program. We are hopeful that
this program will direct a lot of resources and attention to cycling on the
parkway, in addition to developing programs to make cycling safer everywhere.
One idea is to develop a sharrows ("Bikes may use entire
lanes") to improve awareness and then to test the
effectiveness. Focus group sessions will be developed as part of this
pilot program for cyclists and motorists to provide feedback and help find some
solutions. If successful, the work we put into this
program here in Tennessee as well as Mississippi and Alabama will help save cyclists'
lives across the country in both park and non-park settings.
The association has also developed the Gary Holdiness Cycling Fund as a memorial to the Oxford physician struck and killed while cycling on the parkway two years ago. It has raised about $20,000 so far to be used for cycling safety programs. The Little Mountain Ride in Kosciusko raised funds for it last year, and we created a Colbert 20 ride with the Shoals Cycling Club in Alabama to raise funds for it. A high-vis green t-shirt was developed for cyclists to wear in non-ride situations with a message to make motorists aware of cyclists - we give those in exchange for donations. A more significant program is being considered to purchase LED cycle lights for park rangers to lend to cyclists who do not have lights on their bikes on the parkway. We know we won't get some of them back, but we anticipate that most cyclists will be supportive of the program.
The parkway presents some unique
safety challenges for cyclists. It was built to standards that were
modern in the 1940's, but its lanes are narrower than modern lanes and the
roadway does not have shoulders. The background of tree leaves
often camouflages cyclists, especially those wearing dark clothing. The
curves and sunlight angles make it difficult for motorists to see
cyclists. Motorists are busy looking at the scenery and they are not
alert. If we can figure out how to make it safer for riders on the
parkway, a lot of other areas will be less challenging.
We also hope that this program
will bring new attention to the parkway as a resource for cycling and help
provide other amenities to provide services to make it more convenient for
cyclists on the parkway. This program has NPS support, and that
makes it a good time to get other things that are needed. ACA will
encourage its membership nationwide to participate.
Our association was founded in
1934 to encourage the federal government to build the parkway, and now we are
working to develop the park experience. Having a national park in our
back yard is a great asset, but only if we take advantage of it.
These are areas we are needing
help with:
1. We want to schedule a
ride for Sept. 27 from the northern end as part of our annual
meeting in Nashville. It will be the 80th anniversary of our
association. We expect that the ride will coincide with an announcement
about the pilot program and the need for motorists to be alert for
cyclists. An important part of the program will be public
awareness, and a media event will be an important first step.
2. We need participation in
the focus group sessions. This would be a chance for your
members who have a strong interest in safety issues to have their voices heard
and make cycling safer for everyone.
3. We need help determining
what additional resources we need to make cycling on the parkway a better
experience. We are likely to develop some interactive smart phone/mapping
programs.
4. We want to connect
cycling groups along the parkway to encourage support for rides and to build a
coalition to help our association improve the cycling experience on the
parkway.
We have a conference call with
NPS and ACA today, and I will know more after that call. It
is very early in the discussion stage with NPS and possible partners, but we
may also develop a wellness/fitness program for the parkway. Cycling will
be part of that program.
If you or any of your members
have an interest in any of these areas, please let me know. Our
organization is 100% volunteer. I work in Franklin, and I would be happy
meet with you or others to talk about this in more detail or feel free to give
me a call.
Tony L. Turnbow,
Natchez Trace Parkway Assocation
615-418-2105
No comments:
Post a Comment