Topic: bike trails

‘Pedal power’ ignored in city development

By Christine Anne Piesyk | June 4, 2008 |

Walking through the downtown area Saturday, on my way to the Roxy Theater to review Tuesdays with Morrie, I took a first hand view of Legion Street in progress, its roads and sidewalk tumbled bits of dirt and broken asphalt. Such things always look worse before they look better.

I couldn’t help trying to imagine a refurbished Legion Street, with a fountain, perhaps some trees and shrubs, a cascade of flowers somewhere. Not bad. Then I wondered, who’s going to use it? Festivals a few times a year?

A block away, Franklin Street holds some if the most interesting shops and building facades in Clarksville. Their back doors and loading zones open to Legion Street. Somehow, it is hard to picture a Budweiser truck unloading beer or a panel truck dropping of carton of clothes or a load of antiques on a street ahead of its time, though I hope its time will come — soon.

I think a lot about downtowns. And downtown development. And community development as a whole. Studied it. Lobbied for user-friendly communities. Found user-friendly communities all over the country, communities that mixed heritage with progress to the benefit of its citizenry. «Read the rest of this article»

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