NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A plan to add sidewalks to a historic street in Nashville is getting push back from some neighbors.
City leaders believe sidewalks are a safety need for pedestrians along Belle Meade Boulevard, but some neighbors disagree and are now suing the city.
The Friends of Belle Meade Boulevard group is taking legal action against the Boulevard Beautification and Pedestrian Plan to add two, five-foot-wide sidewalks along the median of Belle Meade Boulevard. The sidewalks would extend on the Boulevard between Harding Pike and Page Road.
The group's concerns include increased foot traffic on the road and interruption of its integrity and beauty.
According to city officials, talks for the project started several years ago with town halls and listening sessions to get input. In 2022, a city pollfound neighbors were split on the idea. A recent petition from the neighbor group says otherwise, with more than 600 signatures against the sidewalks.
Wednesday night neighbors had the chance to share their thoughts to city commissioners, many concerned the plan won't actually improve safety.
"I actually think it would be more unsafe not only for pedestrians but for automobiles."
"I would also point out, that the biggest risk of walking or running the boulevard is people coming behind me taking a left turn, and that doesn't go away with a sidewalk."
There are neighbors in support of the plan who believe it will encourage people to walk and get out into the community.
For now, the city is moving forward with plans to install the sidewalks sometime later this year.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at amelia.young@newschannel5.com.
My friend and colleague Carrie Sharp had a lot of fun last week, on an adventure to a country more than three thousand miles away! She’s back now – sharing her Adventures in Iceland through stories, and incredible images of this remarkably beautiful and unique island nation (kudos to Chief Photographer Catherine Steward)! But did you know Nashville has something very important in common with Iceland? Tourism! Here, Carrie explains how a volcanic eruption decades ago helped save the country’s economy from collapse!
-Rhori Johnston
