(Top Ten Reasons for a Glades Greenway)

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1) Safety: The number one reason for any undertaking of this nature should be safety.  Everyday in Gatlinburg there are people literally walking or biking on Glades Road.  With so much traffic and very little room on each side, it is only a matter of time until someone is injured.

 

2) Property Values:  According to the National Association of Realtors, “property values adjoining or in the vicinity of a greenway, always increase and never decrease” with regard to a greenway.

 

3) Kids and Families:  There are very few places within the city limits of Gatlinburg for families with children to hike or bike.

 

4) More Visitors:  Millions of people throughout the U.S. love to ride bikes.  There are numerous inquiries from vacationers at the Gatlinburg Visitor Center concerning biking.  Most end up in Pigeon Forge, Townsend, or one of several surrounding cities with a biking trail.  A greenway would be just one more reason for them to stay in Gatlinburg.

 

5) More Business:  As any business owner knows, sales are directly proportional to the number of people who walk through the door.  A greenway would bring more people, thus more business in the crafts community, as well as downtown Gatlinburg.

 

6) Aesthetics:  The “going green” movement (reducing, re-using, and recycling) has been growing in most cities in America.  Greenways enhance the appearance and beauty of a community.  They blend with nature and are thought of as being clean, litter free, and GREEN.

 

7) The Trend:  Hiking/biking greenways are the new trend in America with new “bicycle friendly” cities being named every month by national organizations such as “The League of American Bicyclists” and “The Alliance for Biking and Walking.”

 

8) Image:  Virtually every town and city within miles of Gatlinburg has a greenway.  Some have already been designated as “bicycle friendly” cities by national biking organizations. Knoxville, Maryville, Morristown, Sevierville, Townsend, Pigeon Forge, and most recently, Newport have at least one or more walking/biking trails. With Gatlinburg being recognized as a premier tourist destination, and a “Tree City U.S.A.” a greenway would only reinforce the image that these titles invoke.

 

9_ Giving Back:  Once completed, the trail will be part of Gatlinburg history and an example of citizens who came together and gave back to their city during a very difficult time in our cities history.

 

10) Future:  If this much needed greenway can be completed through the Glades area, then the future is only brighter for a possible greenway that links Sevierville on one end, and  downtown Gatlinburg on the other end.