Is Germantown Road Realignment being considered yet again? Take the survey! Talk to Elected Officials!

Germantown Road Realignment remains on the list of the Metropolitan Planning Organization's projects, with a 2020 target date, although I am unaware of any recent action to proactively move this forward. See page 169 of this document.

For those unfamiliar with the citizens' successful fight against Germantown Road Realignment in late 2015, please refer to the website that I created about the issue at that time. Also, here are some old Commercial Appeal articles:

Germantown Road Realignment Draws Standing Room Crowd, Opposition

Germantown Drops Controversial Plans for Road Realignment 

The extensive construction for this project would negatively affect many popular local businesses in the area, including More than Words, Southern Social, The Germantown Commissary, Bumbletees, etc.

Every four years the MPO goes through a required evaluation of transportation needs, and public input is considered. I recently went to a meeting in Collierville that was designed to get that public input. Unfortunately only a few individuals attended. Although particular projects were not discussed in the meeting, we were encouraged to speak with individuals from the MPO later. I took advantage of that, and told the MPO representative that the citizens of Germantown were not in favor of this Germantown Road realignment, and we did not want to have to fight this again. I gave reasons based on some of the goals expressed in the meetings, including preserving neighborhoods.  He responded that we needed to communicate our wishes to our elected representatives, because they listen to their wishes as well as the wishes of the public. He also requested that we all take their survey.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE: The MPO representative did NOT say "Germantown Road Realignment is dead" as some of our politicians like to say. Instead he said, talk to your leaders.

I am asking that you do both of these, no matter what your feelings are about Germantown Road Realignment. 

1. The MPO survey is easy and fun to complete. You can click on various part of the map and make comments.  I clicked on Old Germantown and said we did not need road realignment and gave some reasons. This survey may not be up more than a few days, so please do not delay. I also made some comments on other areas of town. I am well aware that Lamar Avenue still needs work and that this is affecting our ability to promote our area as a true transportation hub, so that was another comment I made. Many of you are aware of other needs in the community and you will want to give feedback on other parts of the county.  

2. Because the MPO representative stressed to me that we needed to communicate with our elected representatives about transporation needs and desires, I am asking that you begin to do so. It is particularly important that during the coming election campaign that you get firm answers from candidates on where they stand on this issue, as well as other transportation issues in Germantown that are of importance to you.  Here is the contact information for our Mayor and our aldermen.