ANTIOCH, Tenn. (WKRN) — Some people in Antioch feel their voices need to be heard regarding road safety.
Tall pavement markers, known as delineators, separate bicyclists from oncoming traffic on one side street off of Murfreesboro Pike. However, a few nearby residents have said that the delineators pose a safety concern.
"When I drove there, I felt very unsafe," Antioch resident Jennifer Samardak told News 2. "I've been living there. I've driven that road a lot and was super confused when I pulled up to it."
"I was speechless," Priest Lake resident Michele Vetter told News 2.
Samardak and Vetter live near Edge O Lake Drive and have traveled through the side street often. Vetter said that there is a proposal to bring the delineators to her street. However, she said that they are the last thing she wants to see outside her front door.
"Pole after pole, delineator after delineator, it's like — what — every 10 feet," Vetter said.
Samardak added that with delineators placed so closely together, it could be difficult to see where driveways end. Both women said that Edge O Lake Drive is an example of how crowded, dangerous, and confusing the delineators can be for both drivers and pedestrians.
According to District 29 Council Leader Tasha Ellis, the physical barrier between the vehicles and bike lanes increased last year after residents along Edge O Lake Drive voted to bring traffic calming measures to their road.
"I would look to see if [your street] is on the balloting process, and if it is, you actually have to be listed on that street in order to vote," Ellis explained.
Voting is limited to residents of the specific street because those residents are "most directly impacted by any potential changes to the roadway." A Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) representative told News 2 that traffic calming measures are installed on streets with traffic speed issues as supported by data.
The decision for delineators on Edge O Lake Drive was one that some other residents felt they deserved a say in.
"It's time to be heard, and it's time to start protecting and preserving our Nashville community," Vetter said.
Ellis told News 2 that the original decision to put up the delineators was to create a safe method of transportation for pedestrians and cyclists. However, she added that NDOT could potentially consider changing the process when it comes to voting on traffic-calming measures.
Vetter, who drives on Edge O Lake Drive often, said that there are several safety concerns when it comes to implementing these measures in other parts of the district.
"They are quite closely spaced together," Vetter explained. "It's very difficult for mail or delivery people; it's very difficult for homeowners to egress on and off their properties."
Some neighbors said the delineators impact visibility, reduce available street parking, and make maneuvering to avoid a roadblock unsafe.
An NDOT representative explained that traffic calming measures include speed humps, traffic circles, striping, and signage.
"There's delineators, there are armadillos, there's various options when it comes to narrowing that street and making it safer," Ellis said.
Three streets in District 29 — Butler Road, Mossdale Drive, and Priest Lake Drive — are up for a vote for a new street calming design. If approved, Ellis said construction wouldn't start until next February at the earliest.