The city’s transportation department aims to make moving through downtown Nashville smoother and safer.
The city of Nashville’s Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) is releasing a mobility plan dubbed Connect Downtown that aims to smooth out the “mess of Ubers, scooters, one-way streets and jaywalking, without clear arteries connecting east to west or north to south” that characterizes downtown Nashville.
As Eli Motycka reports for Nashville Scene, the city is playing “a clunky game of catchup” to adapt infrastructure to new mobility modes and needs. “A damning report from Forbes last month put even more heat on city leaders to figure out the city’s transportation growing pains. The national business magazine ranked Nashville as the country’s hardest commute, estimating that residents lost 41 hours over 2022 to traffic and congestion obstacles.”
Planners are working on long-term projects including a pedestrian-only zone and an “aspirational” bus rapid transit (BRT) line to the airport, as well as shorter-term improvements such as bike lanes. “If it seems like bike lanes are suddenly popping up everywhere, it’s because they’re riding a combination of modern urban design principles and a planning department trying desperately to help Nashville catch up,” Motycka explains.
FULL STORY: City Planners Set on Modernizing Nashville Streets
Lessons From Five Years of E-Scooters
As cities continue to adapt micromobility regulations to address new devices and technologies, what can we learn from Chicago's five years of e-scooter pilots?
Study: Equity in Car Share Programs Requires Low Cost, Broad Coverage
Data from a Los Angeles car share program showed its impact on underserved communities was ‘limited by its small footprint.’
Commentary: Avoiding Ableism in 15-Minute Cities
One author calls on planners to challenge assumptions that exclude people with mobility challenges and other disabilities.
Eugene Ends Parking Minimums
In a move that complies with a state law aimed at reducing transportation emissions, Eugene amended its parking rules to eliminate minimum requirements and set maximum parking lot sizes.
How Paris, Texas Became a ‘Unicorn’ for Rural Transit
A robust coalition of advocates in the town of 25,000 brought together the funding and resources to launch a popular bus service that some residents see as a mobility lifeline—and a social club.
San Diegans at Odds Over ‘Granny Towers’
A provision in the city’s ADU ordinance allows developers to build an essentially unlimited number of units on single-family lots.
DC Launches 24/7 Bus Service
Starting December 17, 14 Metrobus routes will run around the clock to better serve essential workers and visitors.
New York Strengthens Protections for Mobile Home Park Residents
Modular home owners will get the first right of refusal when park owners want to sell residential parks.
Palo Alto Expands Church ‘Safe Parking’ Program
The city is considering adding commercial lots to the program, which provides safe parking and amenities for people living in cars.
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Park City Municipal Corporation
National Capital Planning Commission
City of Santa Fe, New Mexico
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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