NASHVILLE, Tenn. Nashville is planning safety upgrades along Third Avenue North from Coffee Street to Jefferson Street after several serious crashes and increased public concern. The changes include trimming trees, adding raised crosswalks, installing yield-to-pedestrians signs, and placing new flashing red stop signs. The goal is to make the corridor safer particularly for pedestrians.
Valeria Martinez of the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) presented the proposed plan during a meeting of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission. She reported that some actions have already begun. Others such as the raised sidewalks are expected to come soon.
NDOT shared data covering the last three years of crashes in that area. During that time there have been 33 crashes and one fatality. Four crashes involved pedestrians. Twenty-one crashes resulted in property damage. Two crashes caused serious injuries. Many of the incidents happened in 2023.
Officials said that originally they had not planned for safety enhancements in that stretch of road. Public outcry following recent crashes prompted them to take action. One of the incidents this summer involved country singer Conner Smith. He was given a misdemeanor citation after a fatal crash this summer.