The Ijams Nature Center today released a statement opposing the James White Parkway Extension and supporting the No Build option along with improvements to the Moody Ave. connections. Full text of the statement after the jump...
Ijams Opposes the Proposed Extension of the James White Parkway
South Knoxville Organizations Champion Alternatives
Ijams Nature Center's mission is to encourage stewardship of the natural world, and preserving the integrity of Knoxville's Urban Wilderness is critical to furthering Ijams' mission.
Ijams has worked closely with Legacy Parks Foundation and the Appalachian Mountain Bike Club for several years to create greater outdoor opportunities for the community. Ijams now connects City parks, including Marie Meyers Park and William Hastie Natural Area. New trail connections also provide new opportunities for residents in the South Haven and Southside/Sevierville Pike neighborhoods to directly access parks on foot or on bike.
South Knoxville has changed dramatically since the James White Parkway Extension Project commenced in 1977. Preservation of the sector's richest natural assets is now recognized and supported by community members and local government as vital to the area's quality of life and economic growth. To this end, Ijams Nature Center opposes TDOT's proposed extension of the James White Parkway.
Ijams Nature Center supports the NO BUILD option, seeing the natural termination of the roadway as it exists today. However, Ijams' support of the NO BUILD option is made with the belief that necessary improvements be made to the connection of James White Parkway along Moody Avenue and other connecting roadways in the area. These improvements include a complete streets approach, pursuant to the MPC Chapman Highway Corridor Study that improves access to South Knoxville and Knox County for all (vehicles, bicycles, walkers, runners, the disabled, etc.).
Further to TDOT's recently released environmental impact statement on the James White Parkway Extension, a public hearing on this issue has been set for Thursday, December 6 at 5:00 p.m. at South Doyle Middle School. Ijams Nature Center encourages interested parties to attend.
|
Topics:
|
|
Discussing:
- Are Chat bots a waste of time? (1 reply)
- Smith & Wesson noise problem (1 reply)
- Musicians dropping out of President's Freedom Concert Series (1 reply)
- It's time for new blood in Congress, Barnett in - Burchett out (1 reply)
- Burning Down The House... (2 replies)
- Behind Lege Lies (1 reply)
- Peace (1 reply)
- Speak your truth, fight and believe. (1 reply)
- Large banks have too much AI data center debt? (1 reply)
- GOP misleading on federal health care funding (1 reply)
- Feds indict civil rights group (3 replies)
- Georgia issues burn ban, first time in state history (2 replies)
TN Progressive
- Smith & Wesson not a good fit for Blount County (BlountViews)
- Pellissippi Parkway extension delayed again (BlountViews)
- Blount County early voting record turnout (BlountViews)
- Louisville, TN, town center coming soon? (BlountViews)
- WATCH THIS SPACE. (Left Wing Cracker)
- America As It Is Right Now (RoaneViews)
- A friend sent this: From Captain McElwee's Tall Tales of Roane County (RoaneViews)
- The Meidas Touch (RoaneViews)
- Massive Security Breach Analysis (RoaneViews)
- (Whitescreek Journal)
- My choices in the August election (Left Wing Cracker)
- July 4, 2024 - aka The Twilight Zone (Joe Powell)
TN Politics
- Providers scramble as Tennessee tells sick, disabled immigrant kids they will lose healthcare (TN Lookout)
- Bloody UFC cage match on White House lawn marks Trump’s 80th birthday (TN Lookout)
- Local Tennessee officials are putting data center plans on ice to consider regulations (TN Lookout)
- Judge blocks Trump’s ‘anti-weaponization’ fund until government agrees it’s been dissolved (TN Lookout)
- Five laws passed by Tennessee lawmakers in 2026 face legal challenges, so far (TN Lookout)
- Tennessee’s “Nuclear Family Month” is a slap in the face of dads fighting for their children (TN Lookout)
Knox TN Today
- Famous DGG is out there, DeSean Bishop is here (Knox TN Today)
- Thomas Cole: New KFD Asst. Chief, 134th Wing’s Chief Master Sergeant (Knox TN Today)
- Chris Bryant + Winston Fellows + D-Day for Derek Dooley ++ (Knox TN Today)
- Meet Miley, Monday’s Parent-A-Child (Knox TN Today)
- Dr. Conrad Ivie performs first of a kind surgery in the state (Knox TN Today)
- Mission Monday: Today’s focus on YWCA Knoxville’s Victim Advocacy Program (Knox TN Today)
- 6/15 HEADLINES: News and events from Knox, World, USA, Tennessee & Historic Notes (Knox TN Today)
- The Knox County Sheriff Primary will stand. Here’s what the GOP board was really deciding. (Knox TN Today)
- Knoxville Street Medicine seeks to support the unhoused (Knox TN Today)
- Vols win 4×100 relay, team is third in NCAA track (Knox TN Today)
- PAT the play returns to the stage in June (Knox TN Today)
- Easy Bacon & Swiss Quiche: Breakfast meal prep (Knox TN Today)
Local TV News
- 17-year-old accused of killing Lenoir City teen indicted (WATE)
- Where does the Summer Wells case stand, five years later? (WATE)
- 'It's gotten complicated' Farragut residents divided over potential permanent closure of Boring Road (WATE)
- 'A lot of questions' Cleanup continues in Morgan County after train derailment (WATE)
- Federal rules complicate push for I-75 noise wall for Knoxville neighborhood (WATE)
- New chapter for Chilhowee Park starts July 1: Here’s what’s changing (WATE)
News Sentinel
State News
- Lawyer Meredith Mochel launches campaign for Red Bank city judge - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Teen charged in connection with disappearance of Collegedale man - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Vols’ new strength coach may play key role in Baylor star DGG’s decision - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
- Chattanooga’s July 4 drone show needed federal approval due to Spanish national team - Chattanooga Times Free Press (Times Free Press)
Wire Reports
- Israelis denounce Trump’s deal with Iran - The Washington Post (US News)
- Gov. Gavin Newsom Says Trump Is Investigating Him and His Wife - The New York Times (US News)
- Fox to Buy Roku at $22 Billion Value in Streaming Video Push - Bloomberg.com (Business)
- Eight feared dead after US Air Force B-52 bomber plane crashes in California - BBC (US News)
- Nvidia to raise $25 billion in first corporate bond sale in five years - Reuters (Business)
- Live updates: Odds increase for tropical trouble as life-threatening flood threat targets Gulf Coast - FOX Weather (US News)
- SpaceX IPO raised $10bn more than thought - BBC (Business)
- Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery Merger Has State AGs Seeing More Than Just Antitrust Issues - Deadline (Business)
- Stock Market Today: Nasdaq Opens Higher, Oil Drops After U.S.-Iran Deal - WSJ (Business)
- Challenger with same name as US Sen. Dan Sullivan is ineligible for Alaska ballot, official says - AP News (US News)
- Centene to offer buyouts to some employees as health insurer cuts costs - CNBC (Business)
- When will gas prices go down? What to know after Trump’s Iran deal. - Yahoo Finance (Business)
- The 8 unresolved questions in Trump's Iran deal - Axios (US News)
- Thune is ‘hopeful’ Mitch McConnell will return this week - Live Updates - Politico (US News)
- Trump’s Anthropic shutdown just made the case for non-American AI - The Verge (Business)
Local Media
Lost Medicaid Funding
Search and Archives
TN Progressive
Nearby:
- Blount Dems
- Herston TN Family Law
- Inside of Knoxville
- Instapundit
- Jack Lail
- Jim Stovall
- Knox Dems
- MoxCarm Blue Streak
- Outdoor Knoxville
- Pittman Properties
- Reality Me
- Stop Alcoa Parkway
Beyond:
- Nashville Scene
- Nashville Post
- Smart City Memphis
- TN Dems
- TN Journal
- TN Lookout
- Bob Stepno
- Facing South

Wonderful. Wonder what it
Wonderful.
Wonder what it takes to stop a road such as this. The Knoxville bypass was discontinued/stopped, remember the orange route. Who's lack of interest stops such a project?
A good start
I think the Ijams statement is a good start. A huge part of the issue is that (as a west Knoxvilleian) my journeys to south Knoxville do not tend to be often or concentrated enough to form an intelligent opinion on the issue. Statements by the mayor and Ijams (as well as map study and sought out opinions on land use and what lies in Knoxville's as a whole as well as south Knoxville's best interest) have lead to my decided opinion that the Ijams solution is the best for all concerned, but getting that word out would be the function of media outlets, government officials and P.R. firms. Aside from being the right thing to do, it's a position that could be spun from any angle.
The relatively small number of people that deal with the area on a regular basis likely have an opinion so whoever tries to sell a solution would be well advised to remember that they are selling to the largely ignorant. That can be a good thing, or a bad thing.
Does pedestrian and bicycle
Does pedestrian and bicycle movement come under TDOT's purview?
Yes.
Yes.
theoretically...
theoretically...
Promoting 'Park and Ride' South Knoxville & beyond
Hello there,
I grew up in South Knoxville decades ago, and watched the increasing use of Chapman Hwy by commuters and visitors from Sevier and other counties, (and vice versa, many coimng from Knoxville and heading out to Sevier County for their reasons).
I highly recommend and promote the use of DOT funds to promote and develop PARK AND RIDE facilities throughout South Knoxville and surrounding counties, in order to lessen vehicular traffic on Chapman Hwy and other routes coming into Knoxville from the southerly direction.
There are already many parking lots which could be utilized for Weekday Park and Ride locations. MANY churches along the route have large parking lots, Many businesses have large parking lots. We can utilize areas are already paved for parking lots, instead of paving over any more of Nature to create communter parking lots. THE POSSIBILITIES ARE MANY! Greenways could also connect to the Commuter Parking lots, so that others could use Park and RIde buses to come into town.
LET's celebrate these types of possibilities and spread the word far and wide to create Park and Ride facilities in South Knoxville and the neighboring counties.
MAY we find the most beneficial ways of helping everyone and maintaining the integrity of neighborhoods and Nature.
Here are a few comments concerning the Robocall poll:
grew up in South Knox's comment:
What about Park & Ride MASS TRANSIT Out CHAPMAN HWY...
Submitted by grew up in South Knox (not verified) on Wed, 2012/11/21 - 1:17pm.
...for the commuters/visitors from outlying neighborhoods and other counties?
Let these folks become more innovative with Transportation DOLLARS.
Let the out of county commuters/visitors from Sevier and other counties create their own Park and Ride/businesses in their own counties so that they can commute to downtown Knoxville or wherever they desire to go?!?
THis idea would save commuters money and time. They could spend time on a Park and Ride bus resting, relaxing, computing, and saving wear and tear on their own vehicles.
I lived in the metro Denver/Boulder Colorado area in the 80's and 90's. They have developed a wonderful mass transit for Park and Ride commuter/visitors. I could catch a regular bus in my neighborhood in east Denver to downtown Denver. Then, transfer to a commuter bus to go visit friends and shop in Boulder. I SAVED SO MUCH MONEY and could relax. The entire trip only cost $2.00 one way.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WHy do some folks think it is necessary to destroy other people's neighborhoods, in an area where they only drive through, in order to make their lives faster by three minutes?!?
LET THEM SPEND THEIR MONEY to create car pools and buses for Park and Rides. THey don't even stop to shop on Chapman Hwy unless it's out near John Sevier Hwy and the big box chains.
AND the world is going to be different in a very short time, after PEAK OIL, during and after the energy descent.
We are finding ways to be more productive whilst leaving neighborhoods intact. We are becoming more innovative and creative.
WE ARE the ones we've been waiting for. Let's create and maintain a GREAT PARK AND RIDE system out Chapman Highway! Let there be a Park and Ride station out near John Sevier Hwy and Chapman Hwy And others along Alcoa Hwy and other main thoroughfares.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stan G's picture
On a Somewhat Related Note
Submitted by Stan G on Wed, 2012/11/21 - 1:18pm.
I am pleasantly surprised to see Google updated its map to include the South Knoxville Wilderness Trails. May have to do a little hiking tomorrow.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Treehouse's picture
Yes!
Submitted by Treehouse on Wed, 2012/11/21 - 2:02pm.
Thank you, thank you, for the Park and Ride promotion. All of Knox County and the surrounding counties could use this but it would be particularly helpful for South Knoxville and South Knox County. It could even help get folks to and from Pigeon Forge without so much danger in driving on Chapman Highway. We need Park and Rides all over!
New Businesses flourish with the Park and Rides
One more thing:
Just think of the jobs created and maintained with the creation of Park and Rides. This could even help with tourism between counties. Infinite possibilities.