Nashville Needs Sidewalks on 1,900 Miles of Streets

Nashville has identified 1,900 miles of streets that need sidewalks, but is only building four miles of new sidewalk a year. "Snails move the same distance in one month that one year's worth of sidewalk is built," writes Nancy Amons in an article shedding light on Nashville's slow pace of sidewalk construction.

"Because Nashville historically has been a city where people drive rather than walk, developers and homeowners were not required to put sidewalks in until recently," explains Amons. The main obstacle to faster construction is cost. "If the city builds sidewalks, taxpayers are paying on average $837 per foot of sidewalk."