Knox County, Tenn. (WOKI) – This week, a new walking path was debuted at Whittle Springs Middle School (WSMS). The goal of the project was to create a safe route for students to walk to and from school.
Nearly 30 percent of students who attend WSMS arrive and depart on foot via White Oak Lane. This stretch of road contains blind curves and hills and is without sidewalks. In the last nine years, five students have been hit by vehicles while walking to school.
“This project offers a creative solution that will allow students to bypass a dangerous section of road on their way to and from school, said Madelyn Howe, program manager at the Knox County Health Department. “This effort represents multiple groups coming together to create an actionable solution to improve the lives of our children in Knox County.”
In 2024, the Knox County Health Department was awarded a grant from the Tennessee Department of Health to construct this pathway with additional funding provided by the Siddiqi Foundation and United Way Greater Knoxville. Through collaboration with the Safe Routes to School Partnership, Community Schools, Knox County Schools, Knoxville Parks and Recreation, Bike Walk Knoxville, Legacy Parks Foundation and KCHD, the project was completed this fall.
About Knox County Health Department
The Knox County Health Department is the first health department in Tennessee to achieve national voluntary accreditation by the Public Health Accreditation Board and is dedicated to ensuring the conditions in which every resident can be healthy. For more, visit www.knoxcounty.org/health or download the free app here.
