Ritchie Smith & Associates

V&E Greenline website
V&E Greenline

The Vollintine Evergreen Community Association (VECA) pioneered the city’s first rails-to-trails project with its 1.7-mile V&E Greenline back in 1996. At the time, the concept was so new, the neighborhood association couldn’t even get the city’s backing.

“The neighborhood was so far ahead of the curve on a rails-to-trails project, the city wouldn’t even be part of it,” said landscape architect Ritchie Smith of Ritchie Smith & Associates, who helped VECA with the greenline’s master plan back then.

VECA instead took it upon themselves to transform an old, abandoned rail line set up to serve Sears Crosstown into a walking and biking path leading from Springdale near Rhodes College to Watkins across from the Sears building.

VECA has again called upon Smith to help improve the existing soft-surface path. Monday night at the VECA office on Jackson, Smith presented his plans to improve accessibility at the greenline’s nine crossings with city streets. At Stonewall, Avalon, Belvedere, Evergreen, and Auburndale, Smith proposed wheelchair-accessible ramps leading from the path to the street, zebra-striped crosswalks in the street, and new steel bollards to keep cars out of the path.

The Tutwiler and the University/Jackson crossings would also need crosswalks, but because of the way the path connects across the streets at an angle, the striping would deviate from the path a little. The crossing at McLean already has zebra striping, which the city added about two years ago. But Smith is still proposing new bollards for McLean. At the path’s end at Springdale, Smith said a ramp connecting the path to the existing sidewalk is needed. Smith also proposed new V&E Greenline signage along the trail to replace the path’s aging wooden signs.

VECA received a $40,000 planning grant from the Mid-South Regional Greenprint for the design phase of the entrance improvements, but that grant does not cover the cost of construction. Smith estimated improvements at all nine crossings would cost about $250,000.

Mike Kirby, a VECA volunteer, said the organization expects to have to raise some of that amount, but they’re hoping the city will fund part of the construction cost.

“This is a starting point, but I think it’s a really important starting point,” said Kirby of the design phase.

V&E Greenline website
Map of V&E Greenline

A better entrance and paved path will be added to the Poplar and Cooper intersection in Overton Park.

A better entrance and paved path will be added to the Poplar and Cooper intersection in Overton Park.

It’s not uncommon to see cyclists risking their lives in heavy Poplar Avenue traffic to access Overton Park since, currently, there is no paved pathway along the south side of the park.

But that will change by late 2015 or early 2016. Plans for a paved pathway that would encircle most of the park were on display last night at one of two Overton Park Conservancy meetings to address the need for improved walkways and park entrances.

Ritchie Smith & Associates presented plans to install a five to eight foot walkway that would begin at Tucker and Poplar, head east down Poplar, and wrap around the Old Forest along East Parkway. The pathway would veer into the Old Forest near the new bike gate, and it would connect with the paved forest loop. But near the East Parkway/North Parkway corner, pedestrians would have the option of continuing on the existing loop or taking a new path that hugs the edge of North Parkway and heads west. Currently, there are no sidewalks along North Parkway through the park, but a well-worn foot path in the dirt proves that many runners and walkers use that route anyway.

Also planned is a new paved path circling the greensward. It would connect with the path around Rainbow Lake and extend out around the greensward in a loop. At the meeting last night, architect Ritchie Smith told those attending that when the zoo parking situation is resolved, the greensward “can be one of the first improvements” they’ll make.

“We think people would love a path around the greensward, because we know more and more people are using the park for walking and jogging,” said Overton Park Conservancy director Tina Sullivan. “A loop around the greensward would provide more space and more greenery for people to see as they walk around.”

Improved access points are also planned for several park entrances. Currently, pedestrians and cyclists entering the park from Cooper and Poplar are greeted with a standard MATA bus stop and green space. But a new stone balustrade and some benches will mark that entrance, and a small paved “gathering area” will be added. It will connect with the new paved perimeter path.

“Maybe we can add a new bus shelter to replace that standard MATA shelter with its unsightly advertisements,” Smith said.

A pedestrian path is planned the Tucker and Poplar entrance as well since, right now, park users must compete with cars and enter the park through the roadway. Better crosswalks will be added at Poplar and East Parkway, and steps or a ramp will lead park users up the hill into the park. At East Parkway and North Parkway, a 10-foot shared use path will connect with the existing Old Forest loop. And a better crossing is planned for pedestrians entering the park from Rhodes College across North Parkway.

“We already have funding for the Poplar/Cooper connection, so we’ll see movement on that early next year,” Sullivan said. “The perimeter trail will be done in late 2015 or early 2016, and we have funding for that as well.”

The Overton Park Conservancy is hosting another public meeting on Saturday, May 31st at 10 a.m. in the Playhouse on the Square Cafe.