By Shannon McFarlin News Director
Paris, Tenn.–At a wide-ranging lengthy public input session, city of Paris and TDOT officials updated the public on steps being taken to address pedestrian hazards in downtown Paris and listened to concerns from interested citizens.
Some 60 people were in attendance at the session, which had been moved to the Krider Performing Arts Center in expectation of a large crowd.
City Manager Kim Foster, TML Associates Engineer Bob Safin and TDOT officials Nichole Lawrence and Antoine Hawkins fielded questions and concerns from the audience, several of whom said they had been among those who have been hit by cars in downtown Paris. The pedestrian safety problem has become a central issue following the recent death of Commercial Bank & Trust employee Kathy Sadler, who had been crossing the street on the way to work.
Grant projects are in the works and proposed improvements include new signal controllers, new signal heads, vehicle detection devices, pedestrian safety counter-measures, curb extensions, ADA ramps at intersections, high visibility crosswalks, and push-buttons at crosswalks that include count down timers with audible components telling pedestrians when it is safe to cross.
Foster noted that the city already has placed barriers to keep cars from being parked nearest crosswalks. That is intended to reduce obstructions to seeing cars coming through intersections. She said even though many feel that is a positive for the city, officials have already received complaints from people upset at having fewer parking places on the court square.
Many in the audience said pedestrians should not have to be the ones holding all the responsibility and that drivers should be held accountable when they hit or almost hit people crossing intersections.
The city will begin installing the red flags at crosswalks this week. The red flags are to be used by pedestrians when they are crossing the street to catch the attention of drivers. “Pedestrians have the right of way but they can’t win the battle with cars,” she said.
The said driver inattention is to blame for the problem and she noted that it seems that “people are just not as kind as they used to be” in ongoing interactions between pedestrian and motorists in the downtown area.
Safin and Foster said the projects scheduled for downtown “are in the design phase right now” and that it is anticipated bids will be let at the end of this year, with construction hopefully starting in January 2024.
Foster noted that the projects have been in the planning stages for some time but that COVID “put a halt to everything. New people were brought in at TDOT and they were working from home and everything slowed down tremendously”. She did say that in recent months, “there has been a huge improvement from TDOT on turnaround times”.
Several people suggested having raised intersections or speed bumps and Hawkins said they wouldn’t be allowed on state roads (which Wood and Market Street are).
Judge Vicki Snyder asked why trucks still come through downtown Paris even though they’re supposed to be using the 218 bypass. “They come into town too fast and they blow yellow lights. It’s a huge safety issue. Why did we build the bypass if it’s not used?” she said.
Lawrence said the state can’t divert traffic from one state road to another.
People in the audience said they wanted the public more involved in decisions and Foster noted that the city always holds public hearings and input sessions on such projects.
Jennifer Mikeska asked, “How do we get the message out there that we are not going to tolerate this any more. How can we hold drivers responsible?”
Police Chief Ricky Watson said there has been an increased police patrol presence downtown in recent weeks but the city simply does not have the manpower. “We do the best we can. I can’t make drivers pay attention,” he said. “If we see it (infractions), we’ll issue tickets, but we can’t put our officers in downtown Paris all day. We do try to do everything we possibly can.”
Foster noted the city is in the process of setting the budget and is looking at different solutions, such as adding officers.
Commercial Bank & Trust employee Jane Sinnema said, “Why are pedestrians being held more accountable than the drivers? Why can’t we put speed bumps on the roads that aren’t state roads—Washington and Poplar?”
Both Foster and Watson noted the liability the city would have if speed bumps were installed downtown and caused damage to cars or caused cars to have more accidents.
In reply to a suggestion from Tammy Walker, Foster said the city will begin posting the status of each step of the grant projects on the city Facebook page.
City Commissioner John Etheridge said, “I’m in favor of more police presence downtown. It’s shouldn’t be on the pedestrians to be the ones who have to jump back and get out of the way” of motorists.
Commissioner Sam Tharpe said, “Kim has been working on this project since 2018 and we’re not going to give up on this. We do what is for the community’s good because that’s where our hearts are.”
Fellow Commissioners Jackie Jones, Vicki Roberts and Mayor Kathy Ray reiterated the comments of Tharpe and Etheridge and said the city is working on solutions.
Photo: City Manager Kim Foster passes the mike to people in the audience, with TML Engineer Bob Safin at the podium. Shannon McFarlin photo.