NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)
Commissioner John Schroer announced Safe Routes to School funding for the City of Fairview
totaling $176,380 for improvements near two local schools. The Safe Routes to School Program is a
statewide initiative designed to make bicycling and walking to school a safer, more appealing and
healthier alternative for students in kindergarten through eighth grade. 

“Safety is a crucial component in our efforts to promote a healthier lifestyle for Tennessee children,”
Haslam said.  “The Safe Routes to School Program helps create safer walking and biking
environments for students and funds activities to encourage children and their parents to increase
their physical activity.”

Fairview will utilize the Safe Routes to School funds to construct sidewalks and crosswalks
improvements, and install new signage near Fairview Elementary and Fairview Middle Schools.
Funds will also be used to provide an educational program focused on bicycle and pedestrian safety
and promotional activities to encourage walking and bicycling as a safe and healthy initiative. The
project will support the city’s commitment to build, manage, and maintain and effective and safe non-
motorized transportation program. 

The grant is made possible through a federally funded program administered by the Tennessee
Department of Transportation.  

“Safe Routes to School is an innovative program that provides an opportunity to work closely with
schools, the community, and local government to create a safe environment for children to walk or
bike to school,” said Commissioner Schroer.  “Since 2007, these grants have funded more than 50
different improvement projects across the state.”

This year, TDOT provided more than $1.6 million in Safe Routes to School funds to 10 municipalities
for projects across the state. 

State Sen. Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), State Reps. Glen Casada (R-Franklin), Phillip Johnson (R-
Pegram), and Charles Sargent (R-Franklin) represent Williamson County in the Tennessee General
Assembly.

Today, Tennessee Tourism Commissioner Susan Whitaker officially launched The Jack Trail. The sixth of 16 self-guided driving tours in the Discover Tennessee Trails &Byways program, The Jack Trail features 328 tourism sites spanning across nearly 350 miles in the mid-state, highlighting parts of Nashville, Davidson County, Murfreesboro, Bell Buckle, Wartrace and several other counties brimming with history, music, horses and whiskey making.

The trail officially begins at the Downtown Nashville Visitors Center where guests can pick up brochures, maps and coupons before heading out to discover Tennessee’s back roads. However, guests can choose to begin their journey at any site along the path. Once on the trail, guests can explore the historically-significant towns of Smyrna and Murfreesboro, visit the renowned Jack Daniel Distillery, not-so-typical American rum-making Prichard’s Distillery, and explore the home of the world famous Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration.

Led by the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development, The Jack Trail is the result of multiple state agencies working together, as well as city and county officials in Davidson, Williamson, Rutherford, Cannon, Bedford, Coffee, Moore, Lincoln, Franklin, Giles and Marshall Counties.

The special launch event was held at select trail sites, including Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Oaklands Historic House Museum in Murfreesboro and Martin’s BBQ Joint in Nolensville. Murfreesboro is celebrating its 200th year when the Tennessee Legislature agreed on Oct. 17, 1811 to establish Rutherford County’s seat near where Lytle and Town creeks meet, few dreamed it would become the metropolis it has become.

Participating dignitaries in the unveiling of the new trail included Tennessee Tourism Commissioner Susan Whitaker, Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer, Kix Brooks, Rutherford County Mayor Ernest Burgess, Williamson County Mayor Rogers Anderson, Franklin Mayor Jimmy Alexander and Lynchburg Mayor Sloan Stewart.

The Jack Trail is a road trip through Tennessee towns linked together by the history, music, horses, whiskey making and the lands that connect them. Visitors of the trail will be able to tap into their pioneer spirit at the many historical museums along the path, transcending themselves into another era by exploring the sites that witnessed the events as they unfolded.However, guests won’t be stuck in time—next stop, Manchester, home of Bonnaroo, the music festival that continues to gain popularity and one of the 50 moments Rolling Stone magazine said “changed the history of rock and roll.” Other attractions along the journey include three different distilleries and the towns that made the high-stepping Tennessee Walking Horses world-famous.

The Jack Trail is the perfect blend of what makes Tennessee fascinating, showcasing our state’s unique heritage including hundreds of miles full of historic sites, preserved homes and museums that bring the region to life. This trail will draw visitors to Tennessee from across the region and across the country, distinguishing our state as a must-see and ideal place to play and work.

The Jack Trail tagline “Sippin’ to Saddles” offers everything in between, including home-cooked Southern cuisine, a nationally-recognized barbecue joint, quaint lodging facilities, historical landmarks, downtown honky tonks, and music icons such as the Ryman Auditorium.

Among the many popular stops along The Jack Trail is the Jack Daniel Distillery in Lynchburg, Tenn. It is the oldest registered distillery in the United States and continues to use the same process Mr. Daniel used back in 1866.

Many of the historic sites along the 348-mile Jack Trail require advance reservations, admission or both. Several of the historic sites along the trail are preserved homes, so guests are asked to please be respectful of those sites which remain as private residences.

For more information on The Jack Trail, contact Cindy Dupree at or visit www.JackTrail.com.

The Department of Tourist Development provides marketing support and branding starter kits for each new trail, including development of trail logos, design and oversight of the award-winning Discover Tennessee Trails &Byways website at www.tntrailsandbyways.com and creation of a comprehensive trails brochure highlighting attractions, culinary, agritourism, outdoor recreation, shopping, history, culture, music and much more, along the trail.

The mission of the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau is to maximize the economic contribution of the convention and tourism industry to the community by developing and marketing Nashville as a premier destination.

Vice Mayor/Alderman Ken Moore will be sworn in tonight as mayor of the City of Franklin.

Mayor John Schroer is resigning tonight after being appointed Commissioner at Tennessee Department of Transportation by new Gov. Bill Haslam.

Ken is a retired orthopaedic surgeon who moved to Franklin six years ago to live in his wife’s hometown of Franklin. Since his election in 2007, he spearheaded a transportation summit in 2008 and will be involved with a second similar event in 2010.

His work for the first two years has been toward making Franklin a “top twenty-five green city” in its demographics. He co-chaired the Sustainability Task Force and currently sits on the Mayor appointed Sustainability Commission. In 2009 he chaired the Budget and Finance Committee.

His outside interest concentrate on State and National health policy. Other outside activities include medical volunteerism overseas, golf, photography, collecting, civic activities, and travel. He is a member of the Franklin Rotary at Breakfast and is a regular teacher in the Voyager Class of First United Methodist Church.