Getting from here to there in Elizabethton

Transportation networks have been vital elements in cities throughout history. With them come the positive of economic success and the negative of congestion and constant movement. Transportation networks, both motor vehicle and pedestrian oriented, create the bones of a city. Today I want to talk about different types of transportation in Elizabethton and encourage you to help decide what new types of transportation is needed in our community.

Motor vehicle transportation plays a very important role in our community since 55% of the households in Elizabethton have two or more vehicles. Motor vehicle transportation networks consist of three types of road classifications - arterials, collectors, and local roads.

Arterial streets are the major routes through a community with the simple goal of moving traffic quickly and efficiently. In order to do this we limit the number of business entrances allowed, increase lane widths and speed limits, and space traffic lights ideally a half-mile apart.

Collector routes are in between arterial and local roads and serve to move traffic from local routes to arterial routes. These road types are the major roads through a neighborhood instead of a city and may have some entrances to businesses located along them. On these roads, we strive to narrow lanes and decrease the speed limits to make it more appropriate for neighborhoods.

Lastly, local roads are designed to provide access to property, businesses, and homes. These roads tend to have narrow lanes and will allow unmarked on-street parking. They tend to have many entrances for homes or businesses and very low speed limits. These roads are designed specifically for pedestrian friendliness.

I also want to bring up another type of transportation, which is the pedestrian transportation network. These include elements such as sidewalks, bike lanes, and walking and biking trail systems. More and more we recognize the equal importance of these types of transportation options as much as motor vehicle options. They promote good health, are good for the environment, and best of all, are much cheaper options than a motor vehicle.

We can be very thankful that Elizabethton has our new Tweetsie Trail and the Riverfront Linear Path as safe pedestrian transportation options. We, however, do lack sidewalks and bike lanes in our community.

What do you think? How is our balance of motor vehicle transportation options compared with the pedestrian transportation options? Let’s talk about it!

Vehicles Available per Household	1st Congressional District	Elizabethton
No vehicles available	6.3%	5.9%
1 vehicle available	32.7%	38.8%
2 vehicles available	38.4%	35.8%
3 or more vehicles available	22.6%	19.5%