Skip to Content
Streetsblog USA home
Streetsblog USA home
Log In
Nashville

#DontBlockMyWalk Shows What Nashville Pedestrians Are Up Against

A Twitter campaign launched by Bike Walk Nashville is giving people a taste of what it's like to walk the sidewalks of the Music City -- and it's not pretty.

Below are some shots tweeted by local residents using the hashtag #dontblockmywalk that show how Nashville's pedestrian right-of-way gets treated as a dumping ground, loading dock, or construction zone -- with no attempt to compensate people on foot for what's been taken away:

The campaign has captured the attention of local news media. Part of the problem seems to be that fines for blocking the sidewalk in Nashville are grievously low. Nashville Public Radio reports that construction firms that block the sidewalk are charged just $55 for five days, and $10 a day after that.

Last year 19 pedestrians were killed in Nashville, said Nora Kern, of Walk Bike Nashville. Those deaths have been concentrated mostly around major arterials, where the construction work that often blocks sidewalks tends to happen.

"In the past five, 10 years, Nashville's been kind of exploding in construction," Kern. "Besides not having a lot of sidewalks, now half the time when we do have sidewalks they're blocked for construction."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog USA

USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy Is Dead Wrong About Bike Lanes

The Secretary of Transportation says he hasn't seen enough data to believe in the benefits of bike lanes. So we put together an explainer help him out — mostly using information from his own department.

April 25, 2025

Friday Video: Check Out Lorde On a Bike!

The Kiwi singer is on the top of the charts — and in our bike-riding hearts.

April 25, 2025

Friday’s Headlines Dodge Death

Thankfully, traffic deaths have started to fall. But cars and drivers are still killing too many people. Why?

April 25, 2025

Breaking: US DOT is Coming For America’s ‘DEI’ Dollars, Threatening ‘Sanctuary’ Cities With Pulled Funds

Advocates are raising the alarm about yet another vague and disturbingly broad letter from Sean Duffy — and the fierce battle that's likely to follow it.

April 24, 2025
See all posts