A new group in Collegedale is being formed to help the city determine where new sidewalks are needed most.
At a recent meeting, Vice Mayor Tim Johnson and Commissioner Larry Hanson brought up the concerns of residents who live close to the city's greenway, but do not have sidewalks to help them access it.
"It just seems to me that those residents have come to us so frequently or often, the sooner we can get this going the better," said Commissioner Katie Lamb. "We want to meet their needs up there as well as others'."
In response, Kelly Martin, the city's planning and economic development coordinator, is in the process of putting together a sidewalk task force to help determine where sidewalks are most needed and in what order they can be completed.
"It was my understanding we were going to see what the task force brought forth," said City Manager Ted Rogers. "They can come to us and say 'This is where a sidewalk should be next and then here next.'"
One thing Martin said is important to note is the fact that formal sidewalk proposals that must be approved by the Tennessee Department of Transportation require more than just a simple sketch.
"They want a detailed, ready-for-construction plan before they will act on this," he said. "I was not aware of that until [it was communicated] to me this morning. What they want is a pretty robust plan. There is definitely some work to be done in that area."
Implementing new sidewalks may take longer than people think, but Martin said he is moving forward with the sidewalk task force.