A safer, slower Riverside Drive through design
Ensuring safe, convenient and joyful access to the river is a priority for Memphis River Parks Partnership.
As currently configured, Riverside Drive encourages fast driving. Average speeds on the street are close to 50 mph — with many traveling even faster — even as the posted speed limit is just 35 mph. While Tennessee state law requires drivers to stop for pedestrians in all crosswalks, that accommodation is routinely disregarded by drivers who are traveling too fast to slow down.
In September, 2020, the Partnership held a community meeting to identify safety priorities for Riverside Drive. See a recap of that meeting here.
The Partnership, along with the design team for Tom Lee Park, has worked alongside the City of Memphis engineering department to develop solutions for a safer, slower Riverside through design. These new features will be installed with the new Tom Lee Park and are in line with the Mayor’s mediation agreement that included a provision mandating four vehicle lanes be maintained on the street.
The strategies include:
Parallel parking
Parallel parking will be added to the west side of the street. Adding parallel parking encourages slower speeds by ensuring that drivers must be aware of vehicles pulling in and out of parking spaces.
Scooter and bike “fast path”
A separated pathway dedicated to scooters and bikes will run parallel to Riverside Drive along the eastern edge of the park. Diverting fast-moving vehicles from park pathways will minimize conflicts between pedestrians and other, powered travel modes.
Enhanced pedestrian crossings
The pedestrian crossing at Vance — the site of the Cutbank Bluff — as well as at Huling and Butler will be made safer with:
- Raised pedestrian speed tables
- Mid-crossing pedestrian refuge ‘islands’
- Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) Pedestrian Signals
- Pre-crossing speed humps
- Post-crossing speed humps
