Bike Walk Knoxville works to improve biking and walking opportunities in the Knoxville community. We work to make sure all ages and abilities in the community have safe and accessible streets for walking and biking.
Updates
3/24/20
Bike Walk Knoxville asked you to complete a survey about bicycle/pedestrian collisions and near-misses on February 27th on our social media, website, and email communications. The survey was quickly overwhelmed by the news of the pandemic, so responses were understandably low. But we did hear from more than 50 people about 37 separate incidents (some respondents reported no incidents).
By comparison, when we did the same survey 1 year ago, we heard about more than 160 incidents.
The survey asked about traffic collisions they had experienced in the last 12 months while walking/bicycling, and also about near-miss incidents (if a person was almost hit while walking/bicycling).
Of the 37 incidents reported, 3 were crashes and 34 were near-misses. 60% of all incidents reported involved people bicycling, while the remainder were walking, running, or using wheelchairs.
Of the 3 crashes reported, 2 involved serious injuries and were reported to the police. The other crash was a minor injury and was not reported.
Almost all of the incidents occurred in Knox County, with one in Blount County and another in Sevier County.
Respondents provided additional details about the incidents, including the closest intersection and some specifics about what occurred. Many accounts describe driver inattention due to use of phones while driving. Staff from the Knoxville Regional TPO will review the details and share them with local engineering and law enforcement staff so that they're aware of locations where changes to street design and/or enforcement may be needed. All information about respondents will be kept confidential.
TPO staff will also randomly select respondents for prizes and contact the winners via email.
Thanks to everyone who responded!
3/20/20
Due to concerns about COVID-19 and with guidance from the CDC regarding mass gatherings, which recommends that until May 11, 2020 all gatherings of 50 or more people either be postponed, canceled or held virtually,Bike Walk Knoxville is postponing Open Streets Knoxville to Sunday, June 14th.
Open Streets will still take place in South Knoxville, closing down Sevier Ave. from Atchley St. down to Suttree Landing via Foggy Bottom St.
We are still looking for sponsors for this fun event! Consider helping Bike Walk Knoxville bring our streets alive. Check out our sponsorship packet and learn more about the benefits you can receive by becoming a sponsor.
We are also still looking for Activity Providers! Open Streets Activity Providers enliven the street by hosting fun activities in the street for participants to enjoy. Being an Activity Provider is a great way to promote your business/organization while engaging with the community. Consider becoming an Activity Provider for the 2020 event!
United Way Workplace Giving Contribution Designation
Did you know you can designate Bike Walk Knoxville as the recipient of your United Way Workplace Giving contribution? United Way of Greater Knoxville supports our Knox County Safe Routes to Schools program that gets kids walking and healthy!
Don’t have workplace giving? You can always give through our website at bwknox.org/donate.
Upcoming Events - Save the Dates
Open Streets Knoxville
Sunday, June 14, 2020
TN Bike Walk Summit
Thursday and Friday, September 24-25, 2020
Support Bike Walk Knoxville
Our ability to affect positive change in Knoxville is only as great as the number of supporters we have. We invite you to support bicycling and walking in Knoxville by making a tax-deductible gift. If you would like to make a donation, click below.