Driving south on Chilhowee Drive last Friday morning, I held my breath as I passed the intersection near Shady Dell. A mom pushing a twin baby carriage had to move off the sidewalk and curb onto the shoulderless road to avoid a wooden light pole and a mailbox that obstructed passage along the sidewalk. Her young daughter was with her. No one to hold her hand during the awkward curb-hopping maneuver. And, behind Mom, to the south, a car was approaching on Chilhowee. All I could think was, “God, I hope he sees them!”
In what kind of world does this obstructed path pass for pedestrian safety?
This barely 5-foot-wide curb and sidewalk is the only sidewalk in Holston Hills (part of the school’s 1-mile parental responsibility zone). There are 9 mailboxes planted in the middle of, and obstructing passage, on this walkway. There are also 2 wooden telephone poles and a fire hydrant. Morning walkers and joggers regularly face these obstacles.
Wake up, Knoxville! Does it take a horrible accident to finally address such design flaws or inadequate safety practices? Citizen safety is a crucial responsibility of the city government.
It’s time to move those wooden poles and the hydrant, and relocate or otherwise accommodate what is now obstructing mailboxes. Alternatively, widen the sidewalk where (for reasons unknown) those obstructions can’t be physically moved. For example, mailboxes might be grouped across the street, like they are further down the same road. Citizen safety is a crucial part of the city’s mission.
Nick Della Volpe is a lawyer, a gardener, and a former member of the Knoxville City Council.
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