Thank you for your interest in Connect Downtown and priority solutions for Downtown Nashville's transportation challenges. You can scroll down or use the menu above to move between sections. If you'd like to immediately provide your feedback, go directly to High-Impact Solutionsby selecting that option on the menu navigation bar.
Photo of Downtown Nashville
Nashville is growing rapidly, bringing more residents, workers, and visitors Downtown.
Nashville is one of the fastest growing big cities in America, with 15% population growth between 2010 and 2020. From 2011 to 2021, there was 1.5 million square feet of office space under construction, and there are 25 construction projects currently underway. With all of this growth, transportation needs have changed faster than our streets can adapt.
Downtown is encircled by the Cumberland River, the Interstate Loop, and historic neighborhoods. While previous plans outlined the needs and opportunities, continued underinvestment in civic infrastructure has limited Downtown’s ability to serve a changing and growing population.
What is Connect Downtown?
Connect Downtown is an ambitious yet realistic 10-year action plan to guide Nashville in funding and implementing projects and programs that meet the mobility needs of Downtown and our region. This plan brings all our transportation modes and functions into a cohesive system, including new and emerging technology.
Keep scrolling to learn more about how Connect Downtown is taking shape and how you can inform our recommendations.
Today, we need your feedback on the specific solutions we have identified to help us shape the final recommendations for Connect Downtown.
Challenges to Address
Our city and region are booming, and people traveling into, around, and through Downtown Nashville are feeling the impact. People driving and taking the bus spend more time in traffic congestion, and fewer people are biking and walking to move around Downtown than 10 years ago. We know that doing nothing won’t work, and Connect Downtown is here to help.
People are Stuck in Traffic
Today, driving is the most common way people travel to and through Downtown Nashville. But increasing traffic congestion means Downtown streets can no longer move people driving and taking the bus efficiently and reliably, and that’s impacting people’s interest in spending time Downtown.
About 10% (23) of Downtown intersections are already failing in the afternoon, which means traffic is often backed up for blocks. Without improvements, that number could triple in the coming years, to 63 failing intersections.
Congestion in Nashville
Travel Options Don’t Match Demand
Today, 80% of Nashville-area commuters drive alone, and driving is increasing. As Downtown congestion increases, people are spending more time sitting in traffic. Today, a driver in Nashville loses an average of 43 hours per year due to traffic congestion.
People driving Downtown want reliable travel choices and better options for getting to, around, and through Downtown. In fact, only 20% of people surveyed prefer to drive alone Downtown—instead, they’d prefer to take the bus, walk, or bike.
The graph on the left presents 2019 American Community Survey data. The graph on the right shares data collected through a 2022 Connect Downtown survey.
Downtown Nashville
Loading Space Has Been a Low Priority
Downtown Nashville has a very high demand for goods and services to support its residents, businesses, and vibrant music and events scene. But today, Downtown lacks dedicated space for delivery and service vehicles, which means that loading activities often block travel lanes and increase delay.
Few blocks have clearly marked loading areas, and minimal enforcement impacts the availability of those spaces. To support local businesses and keep Nashville thriving, a flexible approach to using the curb—and more space for loading and deliveries—must be a priority.
People loading/unloading truck
Nashville is Popular
Over 5 million people attend Downtown events each year, rivaling the crowds in many of the nation’s biggest tourist districts. Events require detours multiple times a week and entertainment vehicles add to congestion, all at the busiest times on Downtown streets.
And it’s not just visitors who are packing the streets! Downtown added 14,000 residents between 2011 and 2021, and there is 1.5 million square feet of office space under construction right now. With more people living and working Downtown, it’s more important than ever to have transportation options that work for everyone.
Today, buses across Downtown get stuck in traffic and are slow and unreliable. Many routes run infrequently and service ends before many Downtown venues close. All Downtown buses are routed through one transit center, which limits options for connecting to other routes and to many parts of Downtown.
The challenges with current service and the lack of priority for transit impact its usefulness, and, as a result, most Nashvillians choose to drive. Faster, more frequent, and more dependable service would attract many more riders.
Streets Don’t Feel Safe for Everyone
Almost two-thirds of people who responded to a Connect Downtown survey don’t feel safe biking Downtown, and most respondents shared frustrations with scooters and micromobility devices blocking sidewalks. In reviewing Nashville’s safety data, we found that 47 streets in the Vision Zero High Injury Network are at least partially within the Connect Downtown study area.
WhileNashville has made progress building new bike lanes Downtown, most are unprotected facilities that lack separation from traffic and aren’t comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. And with over 1.2 million scooter trips Downtown in 2022, providing safe places to ride other than the sidewalk is critical.
This map displays all traffic collisions that resulted in a serious injury or fatality between January 2014 and August 2021.
Scroll down to learn about the solutions we’re considering to address Downtown's transportation challenges.
Our Big Moves
Solving the problems we’re facing requires bold action. Although we can combine projects and programs in different ways, the final set of solutions for Downtown Nashville should make six big moves. Those big moves include the strategies described below, some of which are already being implemented in Nashville. You can learn more about these strategies and many others by reviewing the best practices papers on our website.
The curb must do more to support delivery activities, passenger pick-up and drop-off, and business needs. Learn more about curb management and parking management strategies in use around the country.
These investments link the older core of Downtown to the new development in The Gulch and East Bank.
Gulch pedestrian stairs
Bus with people on scooters passing in front
Rendering of pedestrian bridge across Cumberland River
Move More People
Moving more people within limited space requires that we shift people to more space-efficient modes of travel. Learn more about the value of transit priority corridors in our best practices paper. And read the East Bank Vision Plan for more details on new connections.
Bus in bus only lane
People waiting at a bus stop as a bus pulls up
Rendering of East Bank transit services
Organize Lower Broad
Creating a less chaotic Lower Broad means focusing on the modes and uses that make the most sense. Learn more about visitor and event management strategies used by other busy cities.
Transpotainment passing by on street
Sign for Uber/Lyft pick-up spot
Sidewalk in Downtown Nashville
High-Impact Solutions
Our city and region are booming, and people traveling into, around, and through Downtown Nashville are feeling the impact. Connect Downtown is combining new and proven solutions to address Nashville’s trickiest transportation problems. We can build on work already underway by implementing “quick win” solutions to help manage congestion. And combining those investments with high-impact solutions like priority loading areas, transit priority corridors, and mobility lanes will make Downtown work better for everyone.
The Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) is already taking steps to create more reliable trips for people driving.
The traffic management and operations strategies we’re proposing for Connect Downtown are what we call “low-hanging fruit.” That means they can be implemented relatively quickly and will make an immediate difference.
Cars stuck in traffic
Responsive Traffic Signaling: Lessons from Austin
Austin’s Mobility Management Center (MMC) adjusts signals to respond to traffic congestion and special events in real time
Staff use cameras and sensors to monitor travel patterns during peak hours and large events
For every dollar spent by the MMC, the traveling public sees three times the benefit through signal timing improvements to clear intersections, rapid responses to traffic crashes and incidents, and active special event management
Austin's Mobility Management Center
Traffic Management Options
Traffic management tools become even more effective when we use them to complement other strategies—like transit priority corridors and mobility lanes—rather than as stand-alone projects. After all, the most effective tool for reducing traffic Downtown is getting more people to travel by a mode other than driving alone!
From left to right and top to bottom: police managing street closure, adaptive traffic signals, don't block the box sign, Transit app, reversible lanes
Answer two questions to tell us about your priorities for traffic management in Downtown.
Priority Loading Areas
Downtown has few dedicated loading areas, which means that delivery, service, and rideshare vehicles can block traffic and add to congestion on our streets. Priority loading areas are dedicated spaces for people making deliveries to businesses, unloading or loading supplies for events, or stopping to pick up and drop off passengers.
Priority loading areas:
Provide dedicated space for loading and unloading, ensuring that the curb is accessible for local business needs and goods delivery
Support passenger pick-up and drop-off, as well as valet parking for hotels and restaurants
Reduce conflicts, congestion, and safety issues from double parking or unloading in travel lanes
Offer flexibility so that as needs change throughout the day, curb priorities can also change
Diagram of loading area zones
Priority Loading Areas Keep Traffic Moving: Lessons from DC
Washington, DC’s commercial parking program plays a role in managing congestion
The program decreased double-parking violations and passenger vehicles parking in loading zones by more than 50%
Performance measures and robust enforcement play an important role in the program’s success
Parked truck beside protected bike lane
Priority Loading Areas for Downtown
We've heard that some streets in Downtown are especially important for loading and delivery activities. Connect Downtown has identified the need for priority loading areas and flex zones on the following streets, although these aren't the only areas for loading and unloading Downtown:
Broadway
Demonbreun St
Church St
Printers Alley
2nd Ave
4th Ave
Priority loading areas can serve goods delivery needs in the morning, passenger pick-up and drop-off in the evening, and movement of general traffic at other times of day. Using our curbs as “flex lanes” means we get more value out of Downtown's limited rights-of-way.
Zoom into the map below to review the Priority Loading Areas in more detail. Then share your feedback by answering three questions.
01 / 06
Transit Priority Corridors (TPCs)
Making transit faster and more reliable means that more people can ride the bus for more trips. One way to improve service is to create Transit Priority Corridors (TPCs). With dedicated bus lanes and transit-priority signals, our entire regional transit network will be better connected.
A transit priority corridor:
Brings many bus routes together in focused corridors that link transit centers
Provides fast, frequent service and a great customer experience
Makes transit easier to use and more accessible
Supports many uses, including loading and deliveries, general-purpose traffic, and walking and biking
Connects our region and gives people high-quality options
We evaluated dozens of potential Transit Priority Corridors to see which best meet the goals of Connect Downtown, and six corridors rose to the top. We mixed and matched them into three “build” combinations and one “do nothing” option.
Diagram of a transit priority corridor
TPCs are Great for Business: Lessons from Boston
Boston’s Washington Street Bus Corridor has improved reliability and reduced travel time by 40%
Nearly 20,000 riders save at least an hour a week
Employers along the corridor now have access to more workers from across the region
Bus only lane in Boston
TPCs: Option 1
Option 1 includes transit priority corridors on 7th Ave, Korean Veterans Blvd/East Bank Blvd, and the James Robertson Bridge. It also includes bus lanes, queue jump lanes, and transit signal priority on select streets.
Here's the amount of service you could expect on the TPCs included in Option 1:
TPCs: Option 2
Option 2 includes transit priority corridors on 8th Ave/Rosa L Parks Blvd, Korean Veterans Blvd/East Bank Blvd, and James Robertson Pkwy and Bridge. It also includes bus lanes, queue jump lanes, and transit signal priority on select streets.
Here's the amount of service you could expect on the TPCs included in Option 2:
TPCs: Option 3
Option 3 includes transit priority corridors on 3rd and 4th Aves, 8th Ave/Rosa L Parks Blvd, Korean Veterans Blvd/East Bank Blvd, and James Robertson Pkwy and Bridge. It also includes bus lanes and transit signal priority on select streets.
Here's the amount of service you could expect on the TPCs included in Option 3:
TPCs: Option 4
Option 4 does not include transit priority corridors. It includes the East Bank and SoBro Transit Centers and a bus-only lane on the new East Bank Blvd. The amount of service will depend on how East Bank transit improvements are implemented.
Zoom into the map below and turn on/off the layers in the bottom left corner to review the different options for transit priority corridors. You can also turn on/off the individual TPCs underneath each option. Then share your feedback by answering the questions below the map.
01 / 06
Mobility Lanes
Mobility lanes provide dedicated space for people biking and scooting, keeping sidewalks clear and separating smaller devices from vehicle travel lanes. They are wider than typical bike lanes and can attract new riders on many types of devices.
Mobility lanes can:
Provide dedicated space for people using bikes, electric bikes, scooters, and other personal or shared micromobility devices
Reduce conflicts between pedestrians and faster-moving travelers on sidewalks
Help Nashville achieve Vision Zero goals by offering safe, comfortable facilities for all ages and abilities
Create a clear network to connect Downtown destinations
Nashville's future core network of mobility lanes adds new safe facilities, upgrades some current bike lanes, and links to the existing and planned Greenways system.
There are many ways to implement the core Mobility Lanes network to meet the goals of Connect Downtown. We mixed and matched the priority mobility lanes into three "build" combinations and one "Greenways only" option based on different levels of investment.
Mobility Lanes Support Residents: Lessons from Atlanta
Atlanta’s Lite Individual Transportation Lanes have improved safety for people scooting and biking
Updating bicycle lanes to accommodate new vehicle types (including 12,000+ scooters) better connects residents and visitors to destinations
Lanes near hotels and key Midtown attractions are among the best used in the city
Mobility Lanes: Option 1
Option 1 includes the largest investment, with 28 miles of new mobility lanes. They complement existing low-stress bike facilities and improvements planned through WalknBike. Additionally, current infrastructure would be upgraded as needed.
Mobility Lanes: Option 2
Option 2 includes a medium level of investment, building a total of 18 miles of new mobility lanes. They complement existing low-stress bike facilities and improvements planned through WalknBike. Additionally, some current infrastructure would be upgraded.
Mobility Lanes: Option 3
Option 3 has a lower level of investment, building a total of 8 miles of new mobility lanes. They complement existing bike facilities and improvements planned through WalknBike.
Mobility Lanes: Option 4
Option 4 includes only the planned greenways and makes no investment in mobility lanes. Existing bike facilities and improvements planned through WalknBike would form the predominant biking and scooting network Downtown.
Zoom into the map below and turn on/off the layers in the bottom left corner to review the different options for mobility lanes in more detail. Then share your feedback by answering the questions below the map.
An Action Plan for Everyone
There are many ways to combine transit priority corridors, mobility lanes, priority loading areas, and traffic operations and congestion management strategies to better Connect Downtown. As we put the pieces together to create draft recommendations, tell us how you would prioritize the following improvements.
Thank you!
We appreciate your input and will use it to inform our draft recommendations, which will be released this summer. Visit our website by clickingthis linkor scanning the QR code below to learn more about Connect Downtown.
The graph on the left presents 2019 American Community Survey data. The graph on the right shares data collected through a 2022 Connect Downtown survey.
This map displays all traffic collisions that resulted in a serious injury or fatality between January 2014 and August 2021.
