This is important folks. Please come and let your views be heard, either pro or con.

I've got a map of the proposed route. If you don't want to wade through the entire EIS, message me and I'll send it toy you.

The best article I have seen on JWP was in the Metro Pulse in 2002 as a cover story, but I cannot quickly locate it in their archives. I will look later when I have more time.

Jack Neely wrote another good article on it.

Some links regarding this project ...

TDOT to Pave Over Mayor

May not be related, but looking who owns the property at the proposed intersections would be worthwhile
Urban Logging in South Knoxville

Some other related links.

Roads Gone Wild

Living Near Highways Can Stunt Lungs

Air pollution takes a toll on young lungs

How air pollution hurts your kids' lungs

Study: Living Near a Highway May Contribute to Autism Risk

Breathing dirty air may lower kids' IQ

Diesel Exhaust Inhalation Stresses Your Brain

I would like to get Gary Toth, from Project for Public spaces, to give an analysis of this project, and what would be ideal for this area.

Gary Toth profile

I'm against it. Maybe I'll get time later to explain.

Fix the existing infrastructure. A new road is not needed. Closing the Henley Street bridge was practically a non-event.

I traveled the James White Parkway just about every day at varying times of day during tax season and never did notice a substantial increase in traffic. The parkway is a connection to I-40, not to downtown.

Unlike Up Goose Creek, I don't remember Sevier Ave. as being a thriving commercial neighborhood. I recall a small White Store and an service station, perhaps another storefront or two that I don't remember patronizing, but it was a commercial neighborhood center and one of the few in Knoxville. What I do remember were the number of house on either side of Sevier Ave that were demolished to construct the parkway and that changed the character of the neighborhood without generating new economic development.

Agree with Stan that the current JWP destroyed part of a neighborhood in South Knoxville. The current JWP makes it easy to get to the interstate without having to drive through downtown. But it's an ugly highway through small neighborhoods. We don't need to extend the blight across the caves, ravines, and beautiful natural areas that are making South Knoxville a destination for eco-tourism and healthy opportunities for local folks to enjoy. I say fix Chapman Highway instead.

Note: It appears you can't edit a comment once you log out. For those who noticed, it should be houses rather than house.

No need to read the 400 plus page DEIS, support the preferred alternative:

No-Build Alternative
The No-Build Alternative, as the name implies, would mean that James White Parkway would not be constructed and no other major improvements or additional roadway alignments will be constructed in the project vicinity between downtown Knoxville and Chapman Highway. Some Transportation System Management (TSM) related projects,including any projects identified in the 2034 Knoxville Regional Mobility Plan (KRMP), for years 2009-2034 ((link...), KRTPO, 2009) and/or Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) for years 2011-2014 ((link...), KRTPO, 2010), may be implemented to improve existing roadways, including Chapman Highway and connecting roadways. Such improvements may include the addition of turn lanes, signal improvements, and other minor improvements to the existing roadway. In addition, improvements or expansion of existing transit systems in the Knoxville region are being planned for the foreseeable future. Such improvements will also occur under the No-Build Alternative.

Didn't mean to insult the Old Sevier folks. For the record, I did live on Sevier Ave for about a year in the 60's, but being in the military and without a car, we did what many low-income folds did; we shopped at Cas Walkers. When we did shop at White Store, it was more than likely after the other businesses closed and they went unnoticed.

I acknowledged that it was a neighborhood commercial area, but was it thriving in comparison to Frazier Avenue and will it ever be. I like to think that the South Knoxville Waterfront can attract some neighborhood retail to the area; however, I have serious doubts that it will become a destination retail district. It certainly wasn't in the 60's when you had most everything you mentioned available downtown assessable by public transportation.

Where is Frazier Avenue?

We can only hope, as discussed in the Chattanooga thread, that the South Knoxville Waterfront can be a destination retail district, along with a big wonderful park.

Frazier Ave is the commercial area of North Chattanooga connected to downtown Chattanooga by the Walnut Street Bridge.

Not certain that enough space has been included in the waterfront plan for a big wonderful park similar to Coolidge Park, but I for one am pleased to see the city move ahead with Suttree Landing as a public project rather than waiting on a private/public project.

Sevier Hardware was certainly a destination from the far west end of Scottish Pike. There were many hardware stores in S Knox and downtown but it was the best. Kent drugstore was convenient if you were there anyway.

These days I see everything mushrooms and Borderland studios becoming destinations from a wider area.

Knoxville City Council member Nick Pavlis is circulating the following statement on South Knox discussion forums:

Hello to all. The buzz this week is obviously about the upcoming TDOT meeting set for December 6th. I am receiving phone calls, emails etc. I want to make my thoughts transparent to you all. First off, this is a very politically charged issue because there is strong sentiment on both sides, but I cannot support TDOT's plan to proceed for these reasons.

1. I feel the trail system and the Urban Wilderness theme is South Knoxville's future. It has branded us, and we can capitalize on it in many ways. This attracts folks to South Knoxville to live, work, and play.

2. Because of the trails, an estimated 2 million dollars in private real estate have been purchased in South Knoxville.

3. I have seen first hand the devastating effect that the diversion of traffic from Chapman highway has had on our merchants due to the Henley Bridge closure.

4. Thousands of private dollars, along with donations from many organizations, have been given. Continuation of the present plan would certainly be a disservice to these donors.

5. Lastly, about the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club's efforts: I have never seen such dedication to a project. Literally 1000s of hours of sweat equity have been donated by the men and women of this organization to create these trails, not to mention their individual cash investments.

The JWP extension project had merit in its conception, but since that time everything South has changed for the better with the Urban Wilderness theme and multi-use trail system, and for that reason I oppose the current plans. I look forward to working with the City Administration and TDOT to find a better solution.

I know this will not please everyone, but my decision is to support the long term betterment of South Knoxville and Knoxville as a whole.

Thank you,

Nick Pavlis

Some group was doing a phone survey in Knox County regarding the James White Parkway. A close relative lives in South Knox County, Alcoa Highway side, and an automatic phone bot left a message asking their feelings are about the extension of the James White Parkway. I wonder what residents were targeted for this survey. To someone living around the proposed affected area does it matter what someone in the Alcoa Highway Area thinks about the project.

I got surveyed and live between Chapman and Alcoa Highways. I would be interested to hear if anyone E of Chapman highway got the survey.

This afternoon I drove south on Sevierville Pike to the Lake Forest section of South Knoxville. It’s the first time I’ve driven further that The Roundup in years and I had forgotten how rural the area is. Parked the car and hiked the perimeter trails of the William Hastie Natural Area. I’ve always felt the Knoxville was fortunate to have an accessible area like the Third Creek Greenway close to downtown; however, for a wilderness experience close to downtown, it doesn’t compare to South Knoxville. I probably hiked close to two hours and with the exception of two mountain bikers, I had the area to myself. It’s a little difficult to find the entry points, but well worth the effort. The Appalachian Mountain Bike Club has constructed several challenging, but not extremely difficult multi-use trails.

Came home and took another look at the JWP DEIS. And again, more emphatically, I say NO, NO, NO Build. There is a short trail between the natural area and View Point Drive. It’s a series of switchbacks. From the top, the view of the French Board Valley is spectacular. There is a major elevation change from Moody Ave to View Point Drive with a substantial change between East Redbud and View Point. All three alternatives are plotted to go between the natural area and View Point Drive. I’m not an engineer; however, it appears to me that it would require a major cut with steep retaining walls to route a four lane parkway through that section. It would destroy the area and not benefit folks who live in the area.

Since this is clearly a jobs & road builder profit program - a tunnel would create a lot more jobs....

Just kidding.

A park and ride would create jobs for bus drivers but I expect they aren't as well represented in Nashville. Perhaps new parking lots for commuters could be a consolation prize for the road builders.

But in South Knoxville/County, I'm thinking cable cars rather than buses.

Actually, it appears that Chapman Highway already has a park and ride system with two large parking areas near John Sevier Highway, a direct bus route to downtown, and thirty-minute bus schedules during rush hours. What I suspect it doesn't have are many riders who take advantage of it.

Trying to visualize a project of any sort (or the rejection of such as the case may be) is somewhat difficult because the various maps one might consult (greenways, right of ways, and project maps for instance)

(link...)

(link...)

(link...)

(link...)

(link...)

don't overlap. So, like my previous sentence, it can be difficult to imagine a cohesive project in the area based on best use practices, because no one has stepped up and put a best use forward. Here is the official city map, but it doesn't have greenways.

(link...)

If you've actually taken the time at this point to look at all these maps and go Hmmm.......
you will have noticed a point the Rachel made about the Gay Street bridge being the best/most obvious commuter route to downtown to be true. You will also notice that it spurs from the greenway to do so. This is an obvious plus for a multi-use system since it allows the bicyclist the option of going to center city or continuing on the lower density green ways. It also allows the city a selling point for both businesses and tourists. It allows real estate agents a marketing technique for whole neighborhoods south of the river and it allows businesses access to a potential stream of customers (For example, rather than go downtown for lunch during an all day ride, Frussies can market its access to the greenway as a reasonable alternative.).

The obvious problem with the south Knox Greenspace is the lack of strategic parking and access to restroom facilities. If one was to consider the road plan a potential greenway trail and put parking and facilities and the south side of the JWP bridge and at the field near Decatur and Moody, it seems that we would have a best use proposal on the table.

It would provide an ongoing destination for tourists. It would provide vendors the opportunity to generate economic activity. It would allow restaurants and retailers along the spur a revenue stream. It could provide part-time jobs in landscaping and maintenance for the Fleniken Housing project. And its cost would be significantly less than 100 million dollars.

Just a thought and my 2 cents.

I'm going. Are you?

Joe Hultquist: Parkway process offers opportunity

John Bohstedt: TDOT needs to join us in the 21st century

(If I'm not mistaken, John Bohstedt is a U.T. history professor and a Rhodes Scholar with a B.A. and M.A. from Oxford University and a Ph.D. from Harvard University.)

Estimate 500 people registered attendance at this meeting.

"Will kill progress in SoKno."

61 vacant buildings along Chapman from town to john sevier.

We live on Morton Ln.standing in our front yard now you can hear birds singing,you may see a large buck deer and a doe or two,we have flocks of wild turkeys,coons, squirrels ,chipmunks by the hundreds, doves, box turtles all kinds of wild crittres you would have to go to the Smokeys to see.
The songs of the birds ,the chirping of the chipmunks the barking of the squirrels and the sounds of the critters scurrying and rustling around will all be changed once this huge screaming gash of noise and certain road kill is installed in our little quiet corner of nature we have been so lucky to have.
I've been told Chapman Hwy has an air polution problem.Why do we need two problems. One around an existing highway and send another through quiet forest? Is this really progress?

Still at meeting, more later...

Victor Ashe bought land for Mary Myer park to block jwp ext.

League of Women Voters against JWP Ext.

Hultquist: SoKno paid a heavy price for the existing 1.2 - 1.5 miles of JWP.

Just heard from spouse. He says he counted 700 seats in the auditorium, and although all the seats weren't taken, there were folks standing around the walls, so he figures close to 700.

The Mayor and Councilman Pavlis spoke against. Sentiment is apparently strong on both sides, with the "nos" outweighing the "yeses." The "pros" apparently booed some of the "antis." I do hope the anti side was more polite. (Update: just heard from 2 sources that they were/are. Good.)

He also said 60 people signed up to speak and they are only at around 25. Wow.

So sorry I missed it, but I've been working physics practice tests since 4 and just got to the point where I feel reasonably comfortable. So I'm glad I stayed home to study.

Looking forward to Randy's report.

It would be interesting to know Chapman traffic by hour.

With the vast commercial expansion in Seymour and Sevier since JWP was proposed, there is likely fewer folks in the area driving to Knoxville for shopping and eating.

If Chapman's heaviest flow is work related, better use of traffic lights from 7-9am and 4-6pm could ease congestion.

I thought the most interesting revelation of the evening was that 75% of the traffic along the corridor to Knoxville is to access I-40 and I-75. In other words, JWP is an access ramp.

The most articulate "pro-Build" comment was made by a PhD. (Doctor something ..) who argued that his business near Seymour on Chapman Highway was hurting because of inadequate access to Knoxville and the interstate.