Tonight, the Metro council will consider a bill that will require accommodations for pedestrians and cyclists when construction blocks a sidewalk or bike lane.
For months, Nashville pedestrians and cyclists have been tweeting #dontblockmywalk, begging the mayor and Public Works to not allow sidewalks and bike lanes to be indiscriminately blocked:
No sign on the corner. No warning. All day. Every day. I am over it. #dontblockmywalk @walkbikenash @NashvillePW pic.twitter.com/490RRJFmPD
— victoriacumbow (@victoriacumbow) May 9, 2016
Only sidewalk open on Demonbreun and then there's this #dontblockmywalk #downtown #nashville pic.twitter.com/ZzGeBm1WMS
— Tyler Scott (@live_laugh_golf) May 3, 2016
So I guess this is going to be a long-term thing on 21st, @askRegions ? #DontBlockMyWalk pic.twitter.com/XVTJakgHny
— GH (@Gheegh) January 17, 2016
The bill states that
it is in the best interest of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County to authorize the Director of the Department of Public Works (the Director) to adopt rules and standards addressing the care to be taken by such permit applicants with regard to bicycle and pedestrian safety and accessibility in the public right of way and to require that a temporary traffic control plan be submitted by such permit applicants when the duration of such permits will exceed twenty (20) days.
Walk Bike Nashville, an advocacy organization, sent out an email to supporters asking them to “contact your council person to let them know that you strongly support ORDINANCE NO. BL2016-240 and the accompanying Public Works Regulations.”
The legislation, sponsored by Councilmembers Burkley Allen and Jeremy Elrod, will go through its second reading at this evening’s council meeting.