Commissioner Mike Walker

Here we are at another beautiful summer start in Tennessee with a very familiar problem. We live in the county and we have many visitors wanting to see the Great Smoky Mountains. Who can blame them? It's stunning! Of course, except for the familiar problem I mentioned. We all want to share the beauty but we need to know how to do this safely for all parties. Living in the county, most of us work elsewhere, needing to commute by car or truck. Our county roads are curvy and with limited views due to our hardworking farmers and tall agriculture. This is not the problem. The problem I'm speaking of are the bicycles. Some of them are courteous and stay to the side, however narrow the side is. Some are not. Some ride down the middle and will not narrow their trail to one lane so automobiles can safely pass them. This causes traffic tie-ups and accidents. When our agriculture growth is at it's peak, it is impossible to see what's around one of our curves. You are startled by an abrupt slowdown or met with a bicycle head-on. We have a wonderful bicycle trail in Townsend but it is not used by most bicyclists. Also another in town at the Greenbelt. It is also not used by most bicyclists. Most bicyclists and those holding races choose to use the curvy, narrow, limited-view county roads. Why? Who is liable in an accident? Do we have laws to protect the bicyclist and the automobile driver?