Igor Blevin's, "A Native Californian in Knoxville" (Oak Ridge: home sales, buy)

[Igor Blevin]

The Knoxville leadership knows people want more sidewalks and walkability and is addressing it, but it will take time a lot of money. Farragut is building the Town Center, where people will be able to walk to a lot of retail from their townhome or apartment.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxrJ1E_Nqu4



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4NeUKb4ygk

[Marv95]

Doesn't Knoxville have buses? They can't be as ghetto/creepy as SF.

[Adamson865]

Originally Posted by Marv95

Doesn't Knoxville have buses? They can't be as ghetto/creepy as SF.

It was kinda hard to tell, but I think the point of the discussion was walking for recreation, not for necessity. I can't speak for Knoxville, but here in Tucson you couldn't pay me to get on a bus... the city made them all free when COVID hit, and they are still free today. The upshot is that the only people who ride buses here are transients and those who don't have a car and are dependent on buses for transportation. Assaults and unruly behavior on buses are both way up, the drivers are po'd and scared, but the social justice types that run Tucson say that free buses are a "right". Anyone who can take a car has bailed on the buses. Based on that, I think it's a good sign that KAT still charges fares.

[Igor Blevin]

My point about walkability was both for recreation and for running light errands.

Most of us need a car for most things. Most distances between trips are not practical for walking, but cities with wide streets and lots of continuous sidewalks allow for the option. My example of walking to a coffee shop while I waited for my car service is a good example. The distance was short but access is difficult and safety is poor, because there are no sidewalks between the dealership and coffee shop.

[TheShadow]

Originally Posted by Adamson520

It was kinda hard to tell, but I think the point of the discussion was walking for recreation, not for necessity. I can't speak for Knoxville, but here in Tucson you couldn't pay me to get on a bus... the city made them all free when COVID hit, and they are still free today. The upshot is that the only people who ride buses here are transients and those who don't have a car and are dependent on buses for transportation. Assaults and unruly behavior on buses are both way up, the drivers are po'd and scared, but the social justice types that run Tucson say that free buses are a "right". Anyone who can take a car has bailed on the buses. Based on that, I think it's a good sign that KAT still charges fares.

Studies have been done and found that charging for buses is actually a financially losing proposition and that cities that make their buses free in the city core actually save money. I know it's counter-intuitive, but the costs to add, service, and maintain the fare collection boxes, the printing and distribution of transfers, the printing and sales of monthly passes, and the bookkeeping involved, as well as the hassle for the drivers of checking the passes and transfers, and enforcing the fare collection, cost the city more than the city collected in fares. That's why many cities are going to free buses, at least in the city core.

[Adamson865]

Originally Posted by TheShadow

Studies have been done and found that charging for buses is actually a financially losing proposition and that cities that make their buses free in the city core actually save money. I know it's counter-intuitive, but the costs to add, service, and maintain the fare collection boxes, the printing and distribution of transfers, the printing and sales of monthly passes, and the bookkeeping involved, as well as the hassle for the drivers of checking the passes and transfers, and enforcing the fare collection, cost the city more than the city collected in fares. That's why many cities are going to free buses, at least in the city core.

That's why most bus systems automated that function long ago. There's an app for that now.

[mzfroggez]

My main reason I like Knoxville I would term as "low hassle factor". It is peaceful. This may not be true for workers or commuters, but it is true for me. Other thinks I like are proximity to moou


So enjoying your posts and am now working backward from 2023 to 2021. But I have to ask on this is "proximity to 'moou' " - what is moou?

[mzfroggez]

Originally Posted by creeksitter

It's good to encounter someone else who remembers when the chimneys picnic area was a campground. Memories of those camping trips include bears.

I have mixed feelings about the current state of Knoxville. Yes I like that downtown is so vibrant but I don't want us to turn into another Nashville. I'm doing my part to Keep Knoxville Scruffy. I don't want to attract intolerant people like those code snitchers. Eek. It's part of the Appalachian culture that we mind our own business and are tolerant of others and I'd like it to stay that way.

I preferred Sevier ave when it was a shopping street instead of entertainment district. Grocery, hardware, drugstore, etc. I can remember back that far.

I love it "Keep Knoxville Scruffy". We plan to visit Scruffy this week. Prefer that to "Keep Asheville Weird" LOL

[Igor Blevin]

Originally Posted by mzfroggez

My main reason I like Knoxville I would term as "low hassle factor". It is peaceful. This may not be true for workers or commuters, but it is true for me. Other thinks I like are proximity to moou


So enjoying your posts and am now working backward from 2023 to 2021. But I have to ask on this is "proximity to 'moou' " - what is moou?

Truncated sentence due to user era and light keyboards.

"Proximity to mountains". The Great Smokies, and the Blue Rigde Mountains. I am a beach guy, not a mountain guy. Mountains are nearby so I am going to be more of a mountain guy. It is a nice consolation prize. They are beautiful, serene, wild, peaceful, and you can get lost in yourself.

[mzfroggez]

Too funny. I figured it was a typo but wasn't coming up with what it might be/even googled it in case it was an acronym that I was too old to know

I just finished reading all your posts as well as the many replies. Thank you so much for your insight. You covered so many issues that concern us as well.

What would be some good news sources for the surrounding Knoxville area? Local radio or local newspapers/websites/facebook pages?

I've heard positives about good sheriffs in various localities which may be of more and more importance in the coming days, months, years so another thing we'll be checking out.

PS Thanks for the heads up on crime stats.

PSS : Is the area a "I do not comply with anything called a new normal" ? Hope so.