Nashville residents and safety advocates gathered Monday to call for stronger action on dangerous roadways as Metro begins its budget discussions.
The demonstration followed a recent rise in traffic deaths, including 58 year old Billy Ray Swaner, who was killed on May 4 after being struck by a semi-truck near East Trinity Lane and Gallatin Pike. Swaner, who was unhoused and worked with The Contributor, is one of 14 pedestrians killed in Nashville crashes this year, along with two bicyclists, six motorcyclists, and 21 vehicle occupants, according to nashfatalcrash.com.
Protesters briefly blocked the intersection at Second Avenue North and Junior Gilliam Way, where bicyclist Larry Smith was killed in April. Demonstrators called for faster safety improvements and more funding for street redesigns, with signs highlighting concerns about bike and pedestrian safety.
The protest comes as Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget includes a reported $8 million reallocation from Metro’s Vision Zero program. City officials say the funds were unused surplus dollars from previous years and are being redirected to other projects, while current safety work continues as planned.
Vision Zero advocates, including Metro advisory chair Charlie Weingartner, criticized the pace of safety upgrades and urged quicker action at high-risk intersections. Metro Councilmember Jacob Kupin, who attended the protest, also said roadway safety funding should be a higher priority during budget negotiations.
The mayor’s office said the city’s Choose How You Move initiative represents the largest investment in transportation safety in Nashville’s history and emphasized that ongoing Vision Zero projects are not on hold.
Budget talks are expected to continue in the coming weeks as Metro Council reviews spending priorities and transportation funding.