|
Comments of those who indicated that they favor the extension of JWP:Thursday Meeting: 1. Intersections of Chapman and John Sevier Highway need to be reworked. 2. Don’t even try to improve Chapman and other roadways. 3. Please build – we’ve waited, studied enough. Let the process begin. Please use the original environmental impact study so we will not have to wait years again for the work to begin. Population is fixing to boom-already started – we need this road to support this boom – and to support what Sevier Co is needed, etc. Chapman Highway will need improving – even with the parkway. The parkway will increase Chapman Highway business, not bypass it. I would like to see the interchange at Red Bud be in the parkway. I have never understood the ‘real’ reason why it was taken out. 4. Build parkway extension from Moody to Gov. John Sevier Highway , with some improvements to Chapman Highway – good, need some improvements to Chapman Highway also, need extension. 5. SAP – Build Freeway 6. As soon as possible – Freeway 7. Build parkway extension from Moody to Gov. John Sevier Highway , with some improvements to Chapman Highway 8. No access except at existing Moody Ave and at John Sevier (Interchange at Island Home Okay) Freeway w/55 MPH makes most sense to average resident. Design for future extension onto County line. Set goal (ambitious) for opening in 5 years. Task Force work excellent! Improvements to Chapman and other roadways beneficial but not enough. Very limited access and 55 MPH speed limit will help reduce emissions that create ozone due to fewer accelerations (accelerations from stops generate about 8-10 times more NOx than constant speed). Knox County ’s non-attainment status would be helped with less Nox. I am on Knox County Air Pollution Control Board. 9. This seems to be the best alternative. 10. A reminder than highway 66 powers that be are already considering another freeway parallel to 66 with exits at Sevierville, Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg to relieve congestion in the future. Don’t build it and then consider the problems in 10 years – Seymour and Sevier County residents will congest Chapman Highway , and it will come to a halt, because of the increased wrecks and road rage. With the counties outlying, population explosion, new schools, it will be built. I am also in favor of the Red Bud exchange, as I see the immense amount of traffic the passes my home, all hours of the day and night. Improve Chapman Highway (against) and in 10 years TDOT will still have to build another road, some where in south Knoxville at a much increased cost. Build parkway extension from Moody to Gov. John Sevier Highway with Red Bud exchange. Ask anyone when it is built, on both sides of Sevierville Pike and south of Red Bud and those within block of Red Bud they will say when built we want the exchange – even if built on the side of the hill. 11. Do it – consider a hybrid but build it. 12. We need to have the parkway extended on out to ease the traffic flow on Chapman Highway . 13. Build parkway extension from Moody to Gov. John Sevier Highway 14. Build parkway extension from Moody to Gov. John Sevier Highway 15. Build parkway extension from Moody to Gov. John Sevier Highway 16. Access to the new bridge would not be improved [if JWP is not extended] Traffic flow on the Parkway is better than is possible on Chapman Highway – It would be great to have parkway completed as well as have Chapman Highway improved. (Mr and Mrs) 17. The only way to go it to bring to John Sevier Highway . By doing so, you will take lots of traffic off Chapman Highway – do less improvements on Chapman. 18. Intersection at John Sevier Highway and Chapman is already overloaded – Improving Chapman and other roadways is not a solution to the problem. Prefer extended to John Sevier Highway with intersection at Old Sevierville Pike thence to Seymour. 19. My first choice is to extend it to Seymour , my second choice is Build parkway extension to Gov. John Sevier Highway . Traffic coming off the parkway anywhere short of the John Sevier extension will create more and more bottlenecks on Chapman. Going at least to John Sevier will disperse a large number of vehicles. It will hopefully stop the heavy traffic on our road (Norton) which is used to avoid the current bottlenecks at Chapman-John Sevier. Extension to Seymour would be best. 20. This extension is way over due, it is time to proceed. 21. Would be good if it were taken all the way to county line. I feel this would improve safety. Improving Chapman might force businesses to move out; but it would greatly improve safety and aesthetics along highway. Prefer build parkway extension from Moody to the county line, but don’t have enough information to decide; what are the project costs for each proposal? Additional meetings needed for map of proposed parkway and its impact on residential areas of Sevierville Pike. 22. Freeway to John Sevier Hwy ASAP 23. Freeway to John Sevier Hwy ASAP 24. reeway to John Sevier Highway ASAP 25. Freeway to John Sevier Hwy ASAP 26. Freeway to John Sevier Highway ASAP 27. Freeway type to John Sevier Hwy ASAP 28. Freeway type to John Sevier Hwy ASAP 29. Freeway to Johh Sevier Hwy ASAP 30. Build parkway extension from Moody to Gov. John Sevier Highway 31. Freeway to John Sevier Hwy ASAP 32. F reeway to John Sevier Highway ASAP 33. Freeway to John Sevier Hwy ASAP 34. Freeway to John Sevier Hwy ASAP 35. The extension saves time Freeway to John Sevier Hwy ASAP 36. Freeway to John Sevier Hwy ASAP 37. Freeway to John Sevier Highway ASAP 38. uild parkway extension from Moody to Gov. John Sevier Highway – take to Seymour and access all along Chapman and improvements to Chapman Highway . Improve Chapman Highway and other roadways but do not build extension is terrible idea – not going to help 30 years down the road when development keeps increasing in Seymour. If you think for one minute anybody traveling any road in Knoxville will adhere to a 45 or 55 MPH – better think again. Chapman is a racetrack from Severiville all the way to town. We don’t need pedestrian access. Do not think future generations will walk or ride buses anymore. 39. uild parkway extension from Moody to Gov. John Sevier Highway – See this as best scenario. Improve Chapman Highway and other roadways but do not build extension would not serve long term needs. Also, would make situation next to impossible during construction with no alternative route. 40. Put it on through to Gov. John Sevier Highway with improvements to Chapman Highway . Please remember all the children who are bussed to school. We need safer road ways for all school children. Too many schools have been closed in south Knoxville . We aren’t keeping up with the growth of the rest of Knoxville . South has always been treated like a step-child. (Mr and Mrs) 41. We were so glad to hear that the exit at Ye Olde Steakhouse was dropped, it would have closed our entrance onto our road. Improvements to Chapman will do no good. The number of lights is the problem. People south of Knoxville going to I-40/75 want to get there, they don’t want to shop or struggle with traffic. The interchange at Red Bud is not needed, the Moody interchange is close enough. Woodlawn is overloaded. In improving Chapman Highway , with or without building the road, does this city have any control over the types of businesses? Every week it seems another used car lot appears. Everyone using Chapman is not going downtown to work. They maybe going west or to Oak Ridge . They want to get there fast. Chapman cannot be made to handle all this traffic because of Henley bridge and all the traffic there and everywhere. (Mr and Mrs) 42. Build parkway extension from Moody to Gov. John Sevier Highway – This is the best. I have been on Parkway ext and it gets backed up into travel lanes. Extension needs extended. There are a lot of people who do not stop at stop sign – problem with safety. 43. Build parkway extension from Moody to Gov. John Sevier Highway – but do not come into Chapman Highway , John Sevier exchange. 44. South Knoxville needs the extension to relieve traffic on Chapman highway. Improvements to Chapman Highway will take years. Doesn’t anyone know the traffic that travels to South Knoxville by the blvd and bridge – that used to be on Chapman Highway . Improve Chapman Highway and other roadways but do not build extension is terrible suggestion. Can’t imagine how you would widen Sevierville Pike. Have you traveled what is called Cedar thicket – no way to widen that portion of Sevierville Pike. 45. Build parkway extension from Moody to Gov. John Sevier Highway – this appears to be the best alternative and the most cost effective. A redesign of Chapman Hwy/John Sevier exchange would be needed. Extending JWP beyond the John Sevier interchange to the Knox Co line would greatly help with the Sevier and Blount County traffic. The cost to widen Sevierville Pike would be too great. Sevierville pike is too curvey for high traffic. The cost would be too great to widen Chapman Hwy at Ye Olde Steakhouse. 46. Build parkway extension from Moody to Gov. John Sevier Highway 47. Build the Parkway Extension from Moody Avenue to Gov. John Sevier Highway . Concerned that scenic and neighborhood preservation be addressed at this planning stage. Free from billboards, minimize size and quantity of signage. Consider neighborhood wishes on minimizing commercial development. 48. I would like to see Chapman highway (from bridge to JS Hwy) transformed into a bike and pedestrian friendly corridor including features such as reduced speed/lanes incentives for TND type multi-use redevelopment, re-greening (removing excess asphalt, green-roofs, etc, and mass transit, This alternative combined w/thoughtful planning on Chapman could be a great asset to S. Knox. Whatever alternative is selected, construction processes should use low impact development (LID) practices such as minimal use of impervious surfaces and storm water systems which protect water quality of natural hydrology. I would like to see a continuation of the study which addresses preservation of the character (culture, topography, environment, etc) of south Knoxville/Knox Co in light of expected changes in land development patterns. Build the Parkway Extension from Moody Avenue to Gov. John Sevier Highway , with extensive planning/redevelopment of Chapman Highway w/TDOT, City of Knoxville/Knox County partnership. 49. Build the Parkway Extension from Moody Avenue to Gov. John Sevier Highway – first choice. After 30 years talking – do something about it. 50. refer the freeway – Must build JWP. Must have cross roads. If don’t have exit at Red Bud, then must have another cross road. If the Redbud exit is eliminated, the use of the JWP will be delayed. 51. Build the Parkway Extension from Moody Avenue to Gov. John Sevier Highway . – this would improve south Knoxville , improving Chapman Highway and other roadways is not enough. Raise the speed limit. 52. Add turn lane and Improve Chapman Highway as soon as possible and build the parkway as a freeway with Redbud access. 53. Please fix the highway, it needs to be a six lane all the way to John Sevier! 54. Build the Parkway Extension from Moody Avenue to Gov. John Sevier Highway . Chapman Highway needs turn lanes all the way to Sevier Co line ASAP 55. I am familiar with the environmental problems that the road will cause, namely water quality issues and habitat fragmentation. I would be willing to support this alternative, with several conditions: 1) Development along the road is strictly controlled, no gas stations, convenience stores, etc along the road 2) Mass transit corridors are built into the parkway to accommodate future light rail, 3)rural area are zoned to stay rural, in order to discourage sprawling neighborhoods, this includes the Chapman Highway and John Sevier corridors 4) Investments in areas of south Knoxville close to downtown in order to avoid huge, wasted spaces of abandoned retail centers. Building the parkway without these zoning considerations could turn the area into west Knoxville . 5)Also John Sevier highway should not be widened from the terminus to Alcoa Highway . This will not serve the purpose of the parkway and will simply encourage development. Seems like a narrow minded process. TDOT should coordinate with zoning agencies in order to avoid encouraging development. 56. Build the Parkway Extension from Moody Avenue to Gov. John Sevier Highway – More turn lanes on Chapman Highway 57. Build the Parkway Extension from Moody Avenue to Gov. John Sevier Highway – Taking too long, get on with it – Forget other option – Build as Freeway 58. Both Knox and Sevier Counties have many residents who work in the other County. We need the limited access road to take this traffic off Chapman highway. Chapman Highway continues to be a mix of commercial and residential. This is not going to change for a long time. 59. Build it safe and convenient and get on to it. The other alternative would hold S.K. back. 60. Build as soon as possible and add turn lane to Chapman Highway and include Red Bud exit. 61. Build as soon as the construction allows, repair Chapman Highway , make the area a freeway. Need a stoplight in front of Dick Ford Rd past Ye Olde Steakhouse where Dick Ford enters Chapman. 62. Build ASAP and fix Chapman Highway . Leave Red Bud and make new road a freeway. 63. Keep the extension green with trees – a treed median and only 2 exits including the last one at John Sevier. Turning lanes on Chapman, need a traffic light at Chapman and John Sevier. 64. Complete Chapman improvement first – turn lanes on Chapman 65. Fix Chapman Highway first then complete the road. Then build parkway as a freeway 66. Get the turn lanes on Chapman ASAP then make the parkway as a freeway. 67. Fix Chapman Highway 68. I really like the road that is already finished I especially like what they did to Moody – it makes it much easier to give directions to my house. Fix the rest of the road just like the other part. Add sidewalks to Chapman highway. Need to get speed up on the parkway. 69. I have rental property and it would certainly be convenient to finish JWP to John Sevier. Travel convenience and safety are my issues. Improving Chapman and other roadways is not enough. Prefer freeway. Mail, fax, and other meetings: 70. Regarding the extension – Build parkway to County line with no improvements to Chapman Highway (Mr and Mrs) 71. A turn lane at Chapman Highway would be very helpful. I don’t really care for extra lanes of traffic on Chapman Highway . A turnlane from Woodlawn south to Bayou Bay at minimum. Joe Hultquist is really on the ball and does a great job. His community leadership is appreciated in this area. No matter what you do 50 precent of the people won’t like it. So the best you can for the most people to help all of us for 30-50 years down the road. 72. This is a better way to solve the problem. Dumping out traffic out at Ye Olde Steakhouse would be a nightmare, nor would I put it at the Gloria De Church. At John Sevier it would be more feasible than any where else. Improve turn lanes on Chapman Highway. 73. I have live in south Knoxville for 52 years and used Chapman Highway quite extensively. I am in favor of this design over the original (Ye Olde Steakhouse) but I am strongly in favor of one of these designs. Sevier County people need a way to get into town besides coming in on Chapman Highway . This will eliminate many accidents. This will make it safer for us who use Chapman Highway daily. I want to do away with a white elephant that we now have. Finish the parkway. With a good South Knoxville bridge we now have a road that doesn’t go anywhere. We need to extend the parkway. 74. We have a new bridge and a road that goes nowhere – we need to get something done. Most businesses are close to the highway now and their parking lots – it seems that widening Chapman Hwy would be more expensive than completing JWP. 75. This is a better idea for the road – traffic does not need to be dumped out in the middle of Chapman Highway , Dishman’s curve or Little Switzerland. Turn lanes on Chapman, 76. This is the best thing to do – Go ahead! Do not put an interchange at E. Red Bud Dr. It is not needed. Improving Chapman and other Roadways will not take care of the traffic needs for the future. Build the parkway extension. If you do this Chapman Highway will see less traffic and will not need widening. Good work Task Force! 77. It would be a waste if it does not go past John Sevier Highway . As far as possible. We need a turn lane the entire length of Chapman! 78. Destruction of animal habitats, displacement of animals, destruction of vegetable and natural environments. Speeders and tailgating that daily jeopardizes safety on Chapman Highway by commuters from Sevier and Blount Counties . This is a fact because I read there license plates daily as they whiz by me – 96% are from Sevier Co, 3% are from Blount, and 1% from Knox County – these rough stats date from 1992 to present. Do not want to see Chapman Highway with more lanes! 79. Finish the parkway. This is a 30 year old project that needs to be finished quickly to relieve death on Chapman Highway . Chapman Highway has the worst death rate of any road in Knoxville . Finish the road. 80. If south Knoxville and South Knox County is to be a viable part of Knoxville , the parkway must be built. It is badly needed to carry traffic now and in the future – Chapman Highway will only become more congested in future is parkway is not built. I feel the parkway should not only connect Chapman Highway and John Sevier but should continue on the western side of Chapman to Sevier Co and Blount Co to continue a new route to Pigeon Forge. South Knox and South Knox Co. will become the areas that people will want to avoid if a blight area is created because there is no highway access. South Knoxville will become a slum area if we continue to say no to things that are needed. Those who appose the parkway do so for selfish reasons. Build parkway ASAP. 81. We need the extension now – 20 years ago would have been great. Highways are built for the future and not present time, The freeway should be built to Pigeon Forge. All with controlled access. Improving Chapman Highway would be very expensive and destroy too many houses. Chapman Highway has too many ‘T’ intersections to improve. Build as a freeway. 82. Can we really believe this much needed highway will ever be built? It has become a political football for twenty years or more. We have lost hope and confidence in our elected officials who have tossed it around for years. Is this another ploy for delaying? You cannot improve the traffic. Anyone who lives where there is no traffic light access to Chapman Highway spends as much as thirty minute s trying to get on Chapman Highway . Build it at once. We needed it years ago. We need this highway desperately now. What is holding it up? 83. Concerned about traffic flow generated by closing Chapman lanes during improvements. I appreciate you making yourselves available to members of the community to inform and answer questions regarding this proposal – also considering their (our) thoughts and concerns in the determination of this project. Thanks for your time. 84. This is the best option. The extension is needed to help growth and traffic flow to be satisfactory in the south and east of Knoxville ’s Downtown. 85. John Sevier Hwy outlet to Downtown needed! 86. In reading the South Knoxville Packet article I was forced to express my opinion to you and anyone else that may be against the continuing of the parkway. Anyone against it must have never been stuck in the traffic on Chapman Highway at anytime from 7:00AM until 9:00AM or 11:AM until 1:00PM or 4:30 until 6:00PM and Gob forbid if there is an accident and an emergency vehicles are trying to get to the scene of the accident. Traffic on Chapman Hwy. is so bad now and getting worse as Seymour is booming. I know this as I live one block off Chapman Hwy and it is rare not to hear the fire department and then police and ambulance go to wreck or fire in the peak of rush hours. We need this road and we need it now, not five years or 20 years from now. We need it now. Please, please work to get this going. The most important thing is to save lives and the ambulances need the roads to get to the sick or injured. We all must think about the poor souls that need to get to the hospital fast or need medical help fast and we all will need this very thing at one time or other. When traffic is at its peak and an emergency vehicle is trying to get to you the fastest way possible because the traffic is so bad it could cost you your or your loved one’s life. We need that road and we need it now. 87. I wish you would finish the Parkway...We gave up a good grocer store now under the bridge... and because we had to give up our store, my Mother had a stroke, because she lost her store which she had been in for 50 years.. broke her heart too. I would like to see you finish what you started.. It is a shame it deadends and goes no where... Finish It!!!!! 88. This is definitely the alternative I would choose. The intersection of John Sevier and Chapman Highway needs improvements presently – the extension of the prkway to John Sevier would enable this to be done first rate. Chapman Highway needs some improvements (more turn lanes mainly) either with or without the parkway extension. Many thanks for all your hard work on this. 89. This is the very best alternative – traffic from Knox to Blount and Sevier counties will continue to increase every year. Plans should include extending to the Knox County line and beyond. Several intersections of Chapman need turn improvements, but the bypass is essential. 90. My family and I have lived in south Knox County and south Knoxville since 1950 when my father finished building his house on Maple Loop Road, just a couple of blocks off of W. Redbud Road. My brother still lives in that house. In fact, he is presently president of the Colonial Village neighborhood association. My wife and I left south Knoxville in 1970, then returned here in 1986. We have lived in three different houses in south Knox County continuously since then. I can remember years before we returned to south Knoxville that the south Knoxville bridge was built and a limited-access roadway was promised to the people of south Knoxville . The bridge remained a "bridge to no-where" for a long time because there was no road of any significance connected to it. The people were promised an easy access to downtown and to I-40 so many years ago that I can't remember exactly when it was. Several people sacrificed their land and homes for the section of James White Parkway that now exists. Of course, only about 1/4 mile of the Parkway even has a 55 mph speed limit on it, so as a "parkway" it is somewhat useless. And if you drive to where it ends today, it obviously was meant to be continued. At present, the "parkway" dumps traffic out several blocks and two traffic lights away from Chapman Highway , making it rather worthless as an access to either downtown or I-40. The completion of the Parkway that was promised people of south Knox County many years ago has been discussed and re-discussed for so long it has become dis-gusting! And now consideration is being made to never complete it! Do you mean that the people who sacrificed their land and property for a modern road to ease their traffic problems, are now going to be told their sacrifice was unnecessary because some beauracrats have decided not to finish the road? The James White Parkway must be completed! It was promised to us long ago, and the people who promised it should be held accountable! By the way, we now live in a area that would be affected by the originally-proposed tailend of the Parkway. And, yes, traffic would be somewhat increased in our area, and the construction mess would be an inconvenience for a time. But all of that would be tolerable, if we could finally realize our promised easy access to I-40 east. At the present time, to reach I-40 east, we must take a rather circuitous route over several two-lane side roads or city streets and through several traffic lights to get there. We need and expect the Parkway that was promised to us long ago. I know that some sensitive, undeveloped areas would be impacted, and several more homes and pieces of property would have to be relinquished. But the same was true several years ago when the Governor John Sevier Highway was graded and completed. I'm sure many people hated the sacrifice that had to be made at that time. But, can you imagine the traffic in south Knox County today without John Sevier Highway ? It was much needed and has served our community well, taking a lot of pressure off of Chapman Highway . The completed James White Parkway would do the same. My great-grandfather, Washington Fletcher Francis and his brother Jesse, in the latter part of the nineteenth century, sacrificed part of their land and actually did the grading across their farm land to give a more convenient access from Middlebrook Pike to Amherst Road in west Knox County . Today, Francis Road conveniently connects parts of bustling west Knoxville and gives access for the West Hills residents to Kingston Pike and I-40. We need the same kind of convenience and access in south Knox County . Please promote the completion of James White Parkway as it was promised to the people of south Knoxville decades ago!! 91. (Phone call on 10/13/04 to MPC) I do not live in Knoxville – I live in Seymour, I read the article in that paper and want to provide my input. I cannot even conceive of the idea of not finishing what was started. The State of TN built a multi-million dollar bridge to no where – it makes no sense. Mayor Ashe and some homeowners decided it wasn’t needed. Building it wouldn’t impact businesses on Chapman – we could patronize them by going that direction. A nice expressway taking you to interstate is a great idea – the I-40 junction is going to be finished. Want to stress that I just can’t conceive of the parkway not being finished!
Added 10-26-2004 92. I strongly favor “completing93. Since the John Sevier/Chapman Highway intersection needs to be redesigned anyway, try to bring it out there and kill two birds with one stone. Also, try to make a decision on the path by next summer, otherwise many more developments will have started on John Sevier and the opposition and outlet options will be more difficult to deal with. Issues with the other alternative – spend millions of dollars to build a bridge to cross over a river to run an extra mile and a half – please say you are joking. We could just go climb 94. Build the extension to |