presstalk 671-(TALK)
• I’m very concerned about the width and position of these lanes on Peterson Road. They are very dangerous for traffic and residents. I passed a school bus and it had to be in the oncoming traffic lane because it would not fit its lane. Very dangerous.
• I am a resident of Kingsgate; I have lived here for many years. The “improvements,” or the changes on Peterson Road, I think are very dangerous. I think it is now one of the more dangerous roads in Knox County. We’re not needing to move mailboxes backwards because they need to be able to have the mail delivered, but narrowing those roads — particularly going south up the hill — is a dangerous situation when buses and trucks come through. So I wish that the Town would do something about those lanes. They have made this worse — people are still speeding in terms of that, but it’s not that much speed. Something needs to be done. This is not good, the changes on Peterson Road. … I think something is going to happen, then maybe something would be changed. In the meantime maybe our officials of the Town could maybe have a meeting at the base of Peterson hill and walk up and see how many bicyclers or runners go up that hill. But the thing is, maybe if they had the same thing happen in their subdivisions it might make them think a little bit more about it.
• The new Peterson Road traffic lines create a dangerous situation and do not stop the speeding problem. The road is now too narrow and will cause accidents. It was built as a two lane road at its width for a reason. The new lines narrow the driving lanes for cars in violation of the Town’s subdivision standards. Cars still speed as they did before the new lines, and now they are closer to oncoming traffic. (Town Engineer Darryl) Smith’s reference to ASSHTO guidelines is inappropriate. ASSHTO is a document for state highways, not residential streets. Bike lanes are not a reason. In the past 30 years I saw two bikes on the road. The hill is too steep. This reminds me of the famous humorist Will Rogers’ statement: “I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.”
• I live in Turkey Creek Woods and use Peterson Road all the time. I drive a van and feel like I also am too close to the mailboxes. The issue is that the speeding traffic is mostly downhill, on the way from neighborhoods to Kingston Pike. But that’s where the bike lane is now, so considering there is never any bikers or pedestrians there (at least I’ve never seen any) and no mailboxes/other obstacles, everyone is still speeding on that side because it’s “wider” and downhill.. The uphill side is the one with the mailboxes. Well, no one is really ever speeding there anyway, because it’s uphill. And yes, it feels unsafe for people to be checking their mail and for drivers possibly damaging their cars and mailboxes. Also raises concern about safety in the winter with slippery roads and snow plowing. Would the plowing machine be able to clear that road being so close to the mailboxes? Also raises concern whether the senior citizens would have issues having to squeeze in between the lane divider and mailboxes. Is it a possible solution to at least move all the mailboxes out of the way? Overall I think making the roads narrower in neighborhoods puts all the drivers who are using those roads in a hazardous situation, as well as property owners, because there is no shoulder now and cars are too close to their property. Maybe having random police patrol cars in the neighborhoods regularly giving people tickets for speeding would be a better solution to slow people down. Also installing proper sidewalks, divided from the road by the curb, is another solution for the safety of the residents.
