One of the East Nashville projects has caused residents to ask questions about the placement of power poles.
EAST NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) has been working on various sidewalk projects across the city.
One of the East Nashville projects has caused residents to ask questions about the placement of power poles.
Earlier this year, NDOT officials posted an update about the sidewalk project on Delmas avenue. It included the installation of a 5-foot sidewalk and 4-foot furnishing zone from Cherokee Avenue to Gallatin Pike. Additionally, the project was meant to increase neighborhood connectivity to WeGo transit and Gallatin Pike businesses.
Months later, the location of power poles on a stretch of sidewalk has raised concerns among residents. News 2 talked to one resident who just had a hip replacement surgery last month. She didn’t want her face shown on camera, but said that the poles have created obstacles.
“They’re right in the middle [of the sidewalk] and you can’t get a walker around them, so I was disappointed that we couldn’t do that,” she said. “I’ve been doing PT and trying to recover.”
That resident said that since having surgery, she needs to get out and walk about two times a day but has had difficulty. She and other residents that spoke with News 2 said that they have questions about whether the location of the poles is compliant under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
News 2 reached out to NDOT about the issue. Officials didn’t address whether the positioning of the poles on the sidewalk are ADA compliant, but said in a statement:
“NDOT has an active sidewalk project on Delmas at the described located that is still under construction. Currently, there are power poles in the middle of the sidewalk. Those poles will be relocated out of the sidewalk once telecommunications companies remove their lines from the poles. We don’t currently have a timeline for that relocation, but we are actively coordinating with all of the companies involved. Our goal on every project is to ensure a safe, accessible path of travel for everyone, and we’re committed to that result on this project.”
Delmas Avenue residents said that it’s a design flaw and that they wish to see the poles removed.
“I am in favor of sidewalks,” the anonymous resident added. “…If they can just make sure that they do what it takes to make them available for people who are either temporarily or permanently disabled.”