If you haven’t heard yet, the bill to ban cyclists on River Road was put to rest for the time being. This is great news, and thank you to everyone who raised their voice on the issue. It is important to remember that the bill could resurface in the future, so let’s continue to stay proactive and make sure that Nashville continues to become bike friendlier.

On February 24th, the Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (Nashville MPO for short) had its first round of public meetings concerning the future of bicycle and pedestrian traffic in Nashville. Several Halcyon folk attended the meeting, and we saw lots of familiar faces in the crowded room. The meeting proved to be informative and a good jumping off point for discussions.

The scariest bit of information to me was a map of Nashville that was shown. Roads that are currently considered “congested” were highlighted in red. Not too bad looking, though any congested road is a bad thing in my mind. Next, however, was a projected map of Nashville in 2020, again with congested roads highlighted. Literally all of Nashville was highlighted! It was very concerning, and for me, it hit home on why alternative modes of transportation are so important.

The meeting was a good start, yes. My hope is that the MPO understands that to make Nashville a truly walk/bike friendly city, huge changes are required. Call me biased, but I think Nashvillians are ready for that change. Bike lanes and greenways are fantastic, so let’s build more. Now is the time to implement better forms of public transportation. Every neighborhood needs to have sidewalks. These are the type of steps that Nashville can take now, and I doubt there would be little resistance. It all comes down to money.

So, let’s continue to work together and stay proactive! More MPO meetings will occur in the coming months, we will keep you updated.

Nashvillians, there is a bill in our state legislature seeking to ban bicycles on River Road in Nashville. If it passes, precedence will be set  for future bills banning bikes.

This is a terrible mistake! We need to let our state officials know that this is a bad bill that will hinder the growing bicycle community in Tennessee. Please take a few minutes to send an email and let your opinion be heard!

Bicycle Ban Gaining Momentum

A bill to ban bicycles on River Road in Davidson County (House Bill 0342 and Senate Bill 0276) is proceeding through the Tennessee Legislature. River Road is a typical state rural highway with light to moderate traffic and no paved shoulder. There have been no bicycle-car crashes on this road in the last 5 years. If a ban is successful, many such roads across the state would be likely candidates for a ban as well. All bicyclists are urged to contact their representatives and members of the House Rural Roads Subcommittee. Bicyclists are also encouraged to attend the subcommittee meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 1:30 in Room 31 of Legislative Plaza.
It is critical that everyone makes an effort to reach these representatives, regardless of where you live. We will keep you posted about future developments or you can visit the websites below.
Please contact Rep. Johnson, the subcommittee chair, at

rep.phillip.johnson@capitol.tn.gov

or call 741-7477.

The other subcommittee members are listed at

http://www.capitol.tn.gov/House/committees/sub-rr.html

To find your own representative, visit http://www.capitol.tn.gov/legislators/

You may also contact the bill’s sponsors:

Rep.  Gary Moore

rep.gary.moore@capitol.tn.gov

741-4317

Senator Joe Haynes

sen.joe.haynes@capitol.tn.gov

741-6679

Walk/Bike Nashville statement is as follows:

Walk/Bike Nashville strongly opposes any legislation that would ban bicycling from state and local roadways. Our roadways have historically been public corridors open to a variety of transportation modes that have changed throughout the years. Bicycling is becoming increasingly popular as a mode of transportation and as a means of healthy recreation. Bicyclists are legal users of the roadway in all 50 states, and Tennessee should not head down the path to become a state that is unfriendly to bicyclists while many states and cities are improving accommodations for bicyclists.

While we advocate for better road design that makes it easier for motorists and bicyclists to share the road, current law, including the recently-adopted 3 foot passing law, adequately addresses the safe use of our roadways by all users. We strongly oppose any attempt to ban legal and responsible bicycling on our highways for the benefit of a very small minority of motorists who are unwilling to obey the law and drive in a safe manner.

No doubt about it, Nashville is a pretty rad place to live. Front porch livin’, loads of creative, friendly folk, honky tonks, and just the right blend of ‘city’ and ‘small town.’

But how often have you heard, or said, “Nashville is not bike friendly” or “You have to have a car to live in Nashville”? There are a lot of people trying to change those perceptions, from individuals who choose to pedal or walk instead of drive, to government leaders looking to change the way Nashville works.

The Nashville Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is asking that residents of Davidson, Williamson, Wilson, Rutherford, and Sumner counties and the Spring Hill and Springfield communities share their ideas on how Nashville can be more bike and pedestrian friendly. Take a moment and go to www.nashvillempo.org and let your opinion be known.

There will also be a series of public meetings on the subject; the schedule is listed on the MPO website.

If you care about Nashville’s future for cyclists and pedestrians, please take a moment to let your voice be heard.

So, the alley cat races that have graced Nashville over the past couple of months have been a huge success. The next ‘race’ in the alley cat series is open to anyone and everyone who can pedal, whether it is fixed, mountain, road, or otherwise…

On Saturday, January 31st, Springwater Supper Club will be the site for Nashville’s first open sprint race! What does that mean? Four racers at a time, spinning on mounted fixed gear bikes (trainer, anyone?), all linked up digitally. It will be a mad dash to the virtual race line. Expect good music and friendly people. Bring your friends and your vinyl if you want to contribute to the soundtrack. Prizes will be awarded, and the after party will surely be a group ride all over town.

A note from the organizers:

Now the fine print: We’ll have bikes in varying sizes to ride at the
event that will be attached to the rollers. You can swap your bike, or
bring your own pedals if you have clips, but you must be rolling a
48×16 with 160cranks. No unfair advantages, but I’m sure that some
emergency wrenching will be going down to get the bikes to spec.

Spread the word!

our good friend mike was kind enough to document our grand opening party on december 13th. you can view them at our flickr page