NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — There's a new effort to keep kids safe when walking to school.
One state lawmaker has filed a bill that could give districts money to go towards infrastructure improvements for Tennessee's student pedestrians.
"This is something that affects every community," state representative John Ray Clemmons said.
Clemmons introduced House Bill 16, which would establish an account within the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) "to establish and administer a student pedestrian grant program."
"We could direct funds as a state to build sidewalks and walkable neighborhoods around our public schools across the state of Tennessee," Clemmons added.
Clemmons told News 2 that he has young kids, but he didn't have just have own children in mind when he wrote the bill.
"Children are walking to and from school alone or in groups with friends and they're having to walk on the side of the road or they're having to walk in ditches," Clemmons said. "And that's just not safe."
For example, Kaydyn Hamby and her friend were struck by a car while walking to Blackman Middle School in 2022. Just says prior to Hamby's incident, another Rutherford County student died after being hit by a car.
Clemmons said that he co-sponsored a similar bill earlier this year, but it came with a price tag and failed. However, he thinks House Bill 16 is a win-win.
"All this bill does is creates the structure into which funds can flow," Clemmons said. "I hope to receive that same level of bipartisan support this year and, hopefully, that fiscal note won't get attached to it and we can get this passed so that the legislature will have the opportunity to appropriate vital funds to this safety measure."
