You’re probably tired of us quoting WIRED magazine by now but they’ve hit the nail on the head yet again on their Autopia blog. It’s Time for Cities to Favor People, Not Cars highlights cities such as Los Angeles, Atlanta and Phoenix for their car-friendly layouts. That’s not a good thing.
The article later quotes L.A.’s former transportation planning manager who is trying to convince others to begin focusing on people, not cars, to make cities a better place to live.
That has me thinking, what changes can Knoxville make to favor people over cars?
Photo by NatalieMaynor
Comments 6
Well, for one, they could keep I-40 out of downtown. We’d reclaim the part that was cut off originally, reduce noise, and make people’s commute into the city past 640 permanently easier.
Since the 40 closure, the commute hasn’t really been THAT bad on 640, no worse than it ever was before.
Sidewalks, sidewalks, sidewalks!
Agreed, Suzy. We also need walkable communities that put needed services near homes and then connect them with sidewalks, greenways, etc.
Bike lanes! During the last warm spell I tried to bike to work, which brought me up Chapman Highway. I was forced to the sidewalks.
“Ironically” too, it was horrid because of all the exhaust fumes!
Agreed Suzy
Sidewalks need to be 8 foot wide to allow both pedestrians and bicycles. Almost all roads in Knoxville and surrounding areas are too narrow for bike lanes. A good project for Obamabucks!
Agree with the Sidewalks, though width and some level of protection needs to be considered. On Ebenezer there are sidewalks, but I do not feel good about my children walking to Weigals with cars doing 60 mph.
I am actually interested to see if the integrated neighborhood concept is strong. Having access to grocery, small shops and a bar locally would meet most needs (ok, maybe the bar should be first on the list).