Local
Nashville plans turn-on-red restrictions and pedestrian signal changes at 13 intersections
Nashville’s transportation department plans to ban right turns on red at seven intersections and give pedestrians an early crossing signal at seven others, with one location receiving both changes. The measures will move ahead after Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda withdrew legislation that had stalled in committee.
Nashville’s transportation department plans to introduce right-turn-on-red bans at seven intersections over the next two weeks, alongside signal changes that will give pedestrians a few seconds to enter crosswalks before drivers receive a green light.
The changes will affect 13 intersections across Davidson County. At 25th Avenue South and Children’s Way, both measures are planned. The Nashville Department of Transportation said it will assess other locations for pedestrian safety improvements over the coming months.
The department’s plan will proceed without legislation from Metro Council. Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda, who sponsored a bill on the issue, told colleagues Oct. 19 that discussions with transportation officials produced a plan she said would make the city safer. The bill had been repeatedly deferred since mid-September and was withdrawn.
“We are saving lives at the end of the day,” Sepulveda said. “We are going to save pedestrians and we are going to save cyclists, and the city is going to be better off.”
The right-turn-on-red ban is planned for these intersections:
- Smith Springs Road and Old Murfreesboro Pike - 12th Avenue North and Broadway - Third Avenue North and Commerce Street - Fourth Avenue South and Korean Veterans Boulevard - Rosa L. Parks Boulevard and Church Street - Nolensville Pike and Welshwood Drive - 25th Avenue South and Children’s Way
Leading pedestrian intervals, which give people walking three to seven seconds to start crossing before vehicles get a green light, are planned at:
- Ninth Avenue North and Buchanan Street - 17th Avenue North and Jo Johnston Avenue - Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Boulevard and Jo Johnston Avenue - 25th Avenue South and Children’s Way - South Seventh Street and Main Street - South 10th Street and Woodland Street - 49th Avenue North and Charlotte Pike
The initial set is much smaller than the approaches considered during the council process. An earlier version of Sepulveda’s proposal would have prohibited right turns on red throughout Nashville’s Urban Services District, while a later version focused on dozens of intersections, mostly downtown and near schools. The department said it will continue studying where additional pedestrian safety measures may be effective.