Overview

REVIEW OF HENDERSONVILLE'S
2009 LAND USE AND TRANSPORTATION PLAN

Hendersonville's 2009 Land Use and Transportation Plan (copy) contains a section on Bicycle and Pedestrian Planning.  It was derived from the City's original Bike/Ped Master Plan completed in the 2000 Bike/Pedestrian Master Plan and revised in 2006 by the Hendersonville Tomorrow, Bicycle and Pedestrian Sub-committee (aka Greenway Committee) suggestions.  An overview of that planning is shown in the following map.

Since this time the city has undergone significant changes.  The purpose of this website is review these plans and offer recommendations with priorities for future development. 

Existing Striped Bike Lanes

1) Wessington: Potential High Bike Use, moderate traffic, but inadequate - the lane width is substandard and has dangerous storm drains which can result in serious accident if hit.  Fix the storm drains and widen lane width in order to validate as a bike lane.

Proposed Striped Bike Lanes

 
Contrary to the plan nearly all the roads identified in this group cannot be striped for bike lanes. They are too narrow and have no shoulder. Unless stated otherwise below should be removed from this classification.

1) Drake's Creek Road: High bike use and heavy traffic.  Recommend for improvement,  
2) Old Shackle Island: Low Bike use due to heavy traffic and narrow road width. Better alternative is to improve connectivity in nearby neighborhoods.

3) Walton Ferry: Low Bike use due to heavy traffic and narrow road width.  Better alternative is to use Lakeside Park Dr.

4) Sanders Ferry: Bike use is minimal due to moderately heavy traffic and narrow.  Better alternative is to use Lakeside Park Dr.

5) Luna: Suitable for bike use due to light traffic.   

6) Rockland: Dangerous for bike use due to heavy fast traffic.  It has adequate space to improve shoulders for addition of bike lane.  However, nearby Gallatin Rd is a better alternative.   

7) Forest Retreat/Hunt Lane: Section of road in shopping center suitable for bike use. Section of road west of shopping center has moderately heavy, but is hazardous for bike use.  It is rolling with limited sight distance.  

8) Cages Bend: Suitable for bike use due to light traffic and good sight distances.

BIKEWAYS FOR HENDERSONVILLE

    The primary use for bicycles in Hendersonville is for recreation, which means one might find them anywhere.  However, in the design of bikeways the primary consideration is the use of the bicycle as an alternative mode of transportation where it is traffic and relatively safe connectivity is the primary determinant.  

Using traffic terminology we categorize bikeways as follows:
- Freeway - a USBRS route 
- Arterial - connectors to USBRS route 
- Collector - connectors to Arterials 
- Local - everything else

FREEWAYS   

    USBR-23 (U.S. Bike Route) is the only freeway near Hendersonville.  It runs north-south through White House, Goodlettsville, and Madison. It shares roads that were designed for motorized traffic and uses a combination of state, county, and local roads. White House has applied Bike Lane markings to USBR-23.  See the link in the right sidebar for most coverage on internet for USBR23.

USBR23

ARTERIALS

    Hendersonville has two arterials: Long Hollow Pike and Gallatin Road.  They connect with USBR-23 in Goodlettsville and Madison.  Both routes are State roads. See map on H'ville Planning

Long Hollow Pike (SR 174)

    The road is signed as a Bike Route and runs east-west along the northern boundary of Hendersonville from Gallatin to Goodlettsville.  It is the most extensively used bicycle route in the region. Over half of its 10-foot wide paved shoulders has rumble strip which offers a buffer zone to improve safety for bicyclists. 

RECOMMENDATION: Route is suitable as-is. Routine sweeping is required due to construction debri.

Gallatin Road (SR 6)

    The road is signed as a Bike Route and runs east-west through the center of Hendersonville from Gallatin to Madison.  The eastern section is used extensively by bicyclists and pedestrians. Most of the highway has wide shoulders and rumble strips.

    The portion of Gallatin Road in Hendersonville has Bike Lane markings and rumble as specified by TDOT T-M-15A/16.  This rumble has made the road less safe for bike/ped. 

    The section between Drakes Creek and Imperial Blvd has no shoulder and very heavy motor traffic.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

1) Remove and discontinue use of TDOT 2011 T-M-15A/16. Use buffered Bike Lane.

2) Bicyclist should avoid section without shoulders. 

- Use Alternative Gallatin Route - 

3) Improve shoulders on Sanders Ferry Rd on Alternate Gallatin Route.

COLLECTORS

    The city has several collectors which are the basis of our new recommendations on this website. It should replace that in the 2010 Land Use and Transportation Plan. They are the primary routes used by local bicyclists, because of low motorized traffic levels, connectivity, shoulders, and population density.  

Northeast Hendersonville

North Central Hendersonville

Northwest Hendersonville

Sanders Ferry Peninsula

Indian Lake Peninsula

Douglas Bend Peninsula

LOCALS

   We make no attempt to survey local roads.  Virtually all of them pass through residential sub-divisions and are suitable for bicycle traffic.  No resource should be expended to mark or otherwise identify them.  Few roads in Hendersonville have side walks. 
 

It should go without notification or signage that motorists

must share ALL local roads with both bicyclists and pedestrians.