City Of Nashville: On The Journey To Zero, Metro Wants To Hear From Residents

Press release from the City of Nashville:

6/28/2021

Mayor John Cooper Opens Community Survey for “Vision Zero” Safety Initiative

A community-wide survey is underway to gather ideas from Nashvillians as the city works to eliminate traffic and pedestrian deaths.

As Mayor John Cooper’s “Vision Zero” team builds a plan, they want to hear from motorists, pedestrians, public transit users and bicyclists in a community survey running until August 6.

“A great city is a walkable city and a bike-friendly city,” Mayor Cooper said. “That means – in a city that works for everyone – we must shape our transportation strategies and infrastructure around the safety and wellbeing of every person.”

Meanwhile, Metro Nashville will continue safety projects that are already happening - including improvements at some of the city’s most troubling locations - as a new Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) prepares for its July 1 launch.

“Better traffic and pedestrian safety is achievable in Nashville,” Mayor Cooper added. “A new local Department of Transportation will be central to reaching that goal, as they invest the focus and serious work that a job this important requires.”

More than 40 communities in the U.S. belong to the global, nonprofit Vision Zero Network working to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries and increase safe, healthy and equitable mobility for all people.

Under Mayor Cooper’s leadership, Nashville in January 2020 committed to achieving Vision Zero status.

Since then, Nashville’s Vision Zero team – which will join NDOT in July – has spent a year analyzing local traffic incident data and working with community groups on an action plan.

That strategy – which will include recommendations for short- and long-term safety improvements - is set for public release later this year; results of the Vision Zero community survey will help inform it.

NDOT will expand safety improvements already being made across Davidson County, including:

Additionally, the city in March lowered the speed limit on neighborhood streets from 30 to 25 miles per hour to re-establish a safer baseline for motorists and create calmer, quieter streets for residents.

The Vision Zero community survey takes five minutes or less to complete. To participate, go to hubNashville or visit Nashville’s Vision Zero webpage.

This press release was produced by the City of Nashville. The views expressed here are the author’s own.