Here are their responses from random call-ins from listeners on 3/12/2014. It is hoped that our municipal and county elected leaders along with the heads of various departments will consider these ideas. 

1. Where is the new city park going to be? I've heard a lot of conversation about needing a park in the Blackman community as well as landowners making large acreage available. What decision has been made?

2. As the city and county grow, is there a chance to have a Metropolitan form of government? The listener indicated that they felt it would reduce duplicity in services and save money. They thought it's been too long since this issue has been studied by the community.

3. Church St. and Warrior Dr. coming off I-24; problem with trucks turning into businesses and industrial area on Butler Drive. This listener was passionate about not waiting until a person in a small car is crushed by a large truck trying to maneuver this heavy traffic area.

4. A truck driver agreed with the female caller and said signs need to be installed showing NO HEAVY TRUCKS CAN TURN FROM SOUTH CHURCH ONTO BUTLER DRIVE. Once the signs have been up awhile, give out citations. The traffic tickets will change truck traffic quickly. Truckers need to be directed down I-24 to the Joe B. Jackson exit. Once on Joe B. Jackson Parkway, these trucks can get on Butler Drive. The Joe B. Jackson exit is surrounded by Amazon and other major industries that are built on heavy truck transportation. Whereas, South Church Street is predominantly residential. The truck traffic on South Church will be eliminated and moved to Joe B. Jackson Parway, where a high percentage of the traffic is already big rigs.

5. The South Church and Butler Drive situation is bad, and a listener hopes that all government bodies will work together. However, when the expansion of Joe B. Jackson Parkway to South Church is completed, the situation will get worse. That expanded major connector road will dog leg through subdivisions. Are there plans for a “straight shot” of new roads taking you across town, not dog leg through neighborhoods? A good example of how to properly do this is Nashville's Briley Parkway, it's a straight route. Take off the blinders when we plan.

6. EDUCATION: The schools are not run much differently today from what they were 50 years ago. In today's computerized-high tech world, kids have changed dramatically. We need to consider 3-month theme schools. Go 3 months on one topic (English, math, science, etc.), take a week off, and then the student changes to another topic at the theme based school. (Note: educators might check some private colleges that are doing it this way and see what are the results).

7. Last 15-20 years the area has been all excited of having our children and grandchildren stay here when they grow-up. We need to prepare our children to be aware that their future will not be as bright as the one enjoyed by today's adult residents. We've thought of population growth as being “positive”. We're at a point, where we feel growth should be re-defined. We should now define “positive growth” as more people improving their education, instead of larger population. Focus more on “quality of life”.

8. Re: Wal-Mart that's being constructed on Memorial...how can roads in the area handle the additional traffic? Also, with Medical Center Parkway having no emergency lanes, and now a massive apartment type complex is being built near the Avenue. What will these things do to traffic? What are our traffic controllers thinking?

9. Officials seem to ignore the residents in favor of granting the wishes of big business. We can't just build schools without improving the infrastructure. We need to add new management.

10. RED LIGHT CAMERAS: The ones who oppose it don't realize that they don't just photo people who run red lights, they also help determine cause of traffic crashes and even photo drug dealers and criminals in action. As for as Wal-Mart goes, they don't force people to go there. They keep

11. Are there plans for a traffic signal on Memorial Blvd. at Irongate (beside main post office, Kroger and across from SportsCom)? Can this be done?

12. Intersections that have many accidents, put up a BLACK DOT area warning this is an area of “heavy accidents”. This is done in many parts of the country. The BLACK DOT areas alert motorists to the fact that this area has an above average number of accidents, and to drive carefully.

13. The state needs to consider issuing drivers licenses that shows the person is a previous DUI offender. Tennessee would not have to boldly put it in writing, but could get the message across to alcohol sales clerks by have a different color behind the driver's head shot. The state already uses this "color background" approach on other issues. The fact that ID's are always checked by restaurants and liquor stores before selling intoxicants, this would be another way to reduced deadly DUI crashes.