Hi Chris,
I am not a fan of "short cuts" because I think this is our one shot:
Brian has mentioned that whatever we get will be our greenways for the next 20 years or so.
That's especially true because if we get a grant to fund a "bad" connection now, we cant get money to repeat the route on the "better" route.
One compromise / temporary solution that's acceptable to me is bypassing the "problem area" on TDOT land and Standard Knitting Mill.
I'm not ready to give up the "better" route entirely, but I accept the proposal Brian and Jon have made for a short-term fix.
We need something; it's embarrassing for the City and commission we haven't had movement on this.
I think it's crazy the city has sat on finishing the connection along the creek on TDOT land since the SmartFix40 project "daylighted" First Creek back in 2007.
I'm going to disagree with you on the idea that the route along the creek makes less sense as part of a connected network or potentially costs more.
If we don't build the route along the creek now, using grant money for "safe routes to schools" etc, then we're not ever going to get a route along the creek.
Plus, a creekside route truly is safer - if we force the issue on getting KUB to give us their land as originally proposed for a creekside "KUB Park" that goes UNDER magnolia avenue near KAT garage, (where a bridge already exists), then you eliminate a 4 lane federal highway crossing AND you get the recreational, aesthetic, and health benefits of a more park-like route.
I also disagree that it will cost more - most of the desired route is along an old railroad grade - so a graded path already exists for most of the route.
This is why I cannot understand what's going on with the City and Willow Avenue.
If a path already exists following a historic railroad grade, why is the consultant studying Willow and Jessamine?
If the City is passionate about adding bike lanes, landscaped sidewalks, and striping, great.
Just don't call it a greenway; call it what it is: a streetscape project.
A true Greenway proposal is one that creates a riparian buffer and walking path with views of First Creek.
I've created an overall map of my "preferred route" in Google Earth and uploaded it to my Google Maps:
The route is 1.88 miles long.
When you combine it with the "William Blount" greenway I've also proposed, you end up with an integrated corridor connecting North Knoxville to the Tennessee River and UT Campus.
(You're right, by the way, the "William Blount" greenway should connect to Second Creek along Neyland, I'm just feeding one small connection at a time).
-Tanner
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