Mayor Bill Haslam and City Council broke ground today on the Bearden Village Vehicle Trip Reduction Project, nearly two miles of pedestrian paths that link residential neighborhoods to schools, businesses and bus service.

"Bearden neighborhood associations and businesses came up with the idea years ago to make their community more pedestrian friendly by providing safe and accessible paths and sidewalks that connect Sutherland Avenue and Kingston Pike" said Mayor Haslam. "This greenway will provide children a safer route to Bearden Elementary and West High Schools, provide a pedestrian connection between neighborhoods and small businesses and make bus service more accessible."

Work is already underway on the greenway, which stretches along Sutherland Avenue from Westwood Drive to Tobler Lane. New sidewalks and paths are also being built on Lebanon, Mohican and Mann Streets.

City Council last month awarded a $3.3 million construction contract to Southern Constructors for the work, which includes $1.5 million in utility design and construction that will be funded by KUB.

Greenway and utility construction along Sutherland Avenue between Elementary School and Forest Park Boulevard is expected to be completed by the end of December 2005, with the remainder of the project to be completed by the end of June 2006.