[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6219451,"mediaKeyId","3622704-5bd23da2819b1decc54b697f4e3b4280","parentId",3622704,"title","Nashville officials present proposed access management manual, seek to consolidate code and tighten safety standards","audioSeconds",999,"startMs",52355,"endMs",1052340,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3622704-5bd23da2819b1decc54b697f4e3b4280&start=52&end=1052","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3622704-5bd23da2819b1decc54b697f4e3b4280/thumbnail_52355.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6219451/Tennessee/Nashville-officials-present-proposed-access-management-manual-seek-to-consolidate-code-and-tighten-safety-standards","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6219451-b97371cf5e2da9f315493a8badd87f43/orig.mp4?Expires=1776394115&Signature=W8VECb2hb4~wcaktDtgQp8UHTifbsrNPPoagHM4mACZPzrHmOJRxcDzzYKhaQVgxwLGKI2Rr7-lBzHL97oEQ0TSyg4dSzU6NCb9gwHxR851Si9w0819wdKZ1n2Uyw15Msx3nZtrgri2XfX1Plgig8tJfCf-3B3KfKrv507~RsBfWkIgD0jL216HZTu5lCtn37FDNwu5CjKenRCo2FDZUdYWvUkfhOT-9xqaE8UHvbv86hKdq2dXxwaDjn6INWAL1RNHHw~Z39lE-4wbgAF9Er8J7W2NSIPedLKy6s7t~EU2pBbslk6~7y7cDBI1ZmGFb9k0Lk4rdD7AbY78kPS4d2w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Nashville, TN","date","2025-05-30T14:00:17Z","article","Melissa Hayes, a traffic engineer with the Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT), and Meredith King, a traffic engineer with Arcadis, presented a draft access management manual to the Metropolitan Council Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, outlining proposed spacing, corner‑clearance and administrative changes to how the city regulates driveways and other vehicle access to public roadways.

The manual, prepared over roughly a year and a half, aims to consolidate requirements now split between municipal code chapters 13 and 17 into a single, authoritative access manual and to prioritize safety and context‑sensitive guidance for urban and downtown street environments rather than relying only on Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) standards geared to higher‑speed state routes. “Adequate access management can reduce conflict points, increase roadway capacity, reduce travel times and delays, and increase property values,” Hayes said during the presentation.

City staff told the committee they identified three primary challenges: access rules are dispersed across two code chapters and contain discrepancies that confuse reviewers and applicants; TDOT guidance focuses on interstates and higher‑classification facilities and does not translate well to downtown and urban contexts; and the current local requirements do not sufficiently emphasize safety or multimodal conditions, a goal tied to the city’s Vision Zero work (Vision Zero action plan strategy 2 was cited in the presentation).

Key technical proposals described in the presentation include:

- Driveway spacing: maintain a 25‑foot spacing on local streets for single‑family and two‑family lots to accommodate smaller lot widths; adopt 30‑foot spacing for collectors and for certain non‑single‑family development contexts. The presenters said a matrix will further vary spacing by whether access is full or restricted and by roadway functional class.

- Intersection/corner clearances: add a required arterial corner‑clearance standard of 185 feet (the code previously specified 15 feet on locals and 50 feet on collectors and had no arterial standard for single‑family access). For non‑single‑family developments the manual uses a matrix similar to TDOT and peer manuals (for example, two connecting arterials would require about 200 feet; two local streets, about 50 feet).

- Interchange spacing: retain a 250‑foot minimum spacing requirement and recommend meeting TDOT ramp and interchange spacing standards where state routes are involved.

- Multimodal/downtown guidance: the manual emphasizes avoiding new access placements at or near bus stops and transit priority corridors, prioritizing alleys and local streets for vehicle access in dense areas, and providing design guidance for high‑pedestrian locations such as garage entrances.

- Waiver and administration: NDOT and the consultants proposed an expanded access waiver process. If NDOT denies a proposed access, a developer may submit a waiver form to Traffic and Parking that documents trip generation, existing facilities, crash history on the frontage and a comparison of proposed vs. required standards to support a holistic review.

The consultants described their research base as five peer jurisdictions, state agency manuals including TDOT’s highway system access manual, and industry resources such as the Transportation Research Board, AASHTO and CHRP. They also noted three internal and three external stakeholder meetings held as part of the project.

When Council Member Allen asked about curb aprons and how apron lip size affects bicyclists and strollers, Hayes said sidewalk and pedestrian details were covered in best‑practice guidance but that the project does not change NDOT’s detailed design standards. Brad Fries of the Nashville Department of Transportation added that loading operations and related curbside impacts are reviewed operationally outside the manual and that staff seek to locate loading on private property when possible. “We do always try to capture as much on private property as far as loading, especially when you're talking about the downtown street network,” Fries said.

The staff proposal to implement the manual included striking the access provisions currently in chapters 13 and 17 of the municipal code and adding an authorizing statement in chapter 13 to make the manual the controlling requirement, with a companion statement that describes the waiver process. Hayes said staff hope to submit formal code changes by the end of the month, pending review by Metro Legal, and to publish the manual on NDOT’s project webpage (nashville.gov under NDOT). She also offered a one‑page flyer summarizing the matrices for committee members and said the full manual and peer‑city review materials will be available on the project web page.

The presentation was for committee information and no formal action on the manual or code changes was taken at the meeting. Committee members were invited to review the matrices and follow up with staff with questions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","06/02/25 Metropolitan Council Committee: Transportation & Infrastructure","oneSentenceSummary","Melissa Hayes, a traffic engineer with the Nashville Department of Transportation, and Meredith King of Arcadis presented a draft access management manual to the Metropolitan Council Transportation & Infrastructure Committee proposing to consolidate access rules now located in municipal code chapters 13 and 17 and to tighten spacing and safety guidance for urban streets.","taxTitle","Transportation & Infrastructure Meetings, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee","taxId",69319,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6219446,"Transportation & Infrastructure Committee approves consent agenda including In‑N‑Out donation and multiple water/sewer acceptances",359,1136789,1496670,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3622704-5bd23da2819b1decc54b697f4e3b4280&start=1136&end=1496","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3622704-5bd23da2819b1decc54b697f4e3b4280/thumbnail_1136789.jpg","/articles/6219446/Tennessee/Transportation-Infrastructure-Committee-approves-consent-agenda-including-InNOut-donation-and-multiple-watersewer-acceptances","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6219446-a55bdcfcde74df086baa44671e3a2fdd/orig.mp4?Expires=1776394115&Signature=hUZtjk-Ftxv5YG37dI-15bq5jcILfylYcAS7D~87nPCvYfB4CZIUPg5iGz5TW5UBPPinnHek0JR2DaGZWxoRpEWNDpJfjj8y6JpTjMUOM2shPHddCzM7OAopTDrr~GbAAmJOPILR4gCi2BUDmOZaFIRtZLF8x2Z0JMf5lbJzCqjpCPftyd1w4TtTxEqDiopgtVgkeUTQ2DgVXspEc6MLBY6QKZXKs5aVOFjXp-hgWhGt3A6oMW9tLw85HcFvAyFvErqcyEpbvjtfxi-~1fUK9jdsPPtm6pUgDsnTwcbTA0STeqaSOy3NhSszof51vjlapX4rYPu4Du~tk0ZNzwE55w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Metropolitan Council Transportation & Infrastructure Committee voted unanimously, 8‑0, to approve its consent agenda, clearing a package of resolutions and ordinances that included a $300,000 donation from In N Out Burger for infrastructure improvements and multiple actions to accept or abandon public water and sanitary sewer mains and easements.

Committee members heard the captions for 15 items placed on the consent agenda. The items included resolutions and ordinances authorizing the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County to accept new public sanitary sewer and water mains, sanitary sewer manholes, fire hydrant assemblies and easements for multiple properties (for example: RS2025‑1281 for Chickasaw Village, RS2025‑1282 for 3509 Charlotte Avenue, RS2025‑1283 for Robertson Avenue properties), an item to abandon and replace utilities for properties on Misty Cape Cove (RS2025‑1284), and other sewer and water infrastructure items. Committee members also considered second‑reading ordinances, including BL2025‑840 (donation of a 1.88‑acre parcel, access and parking easement and participation agreement for park improvements at 300 Conair Drive) and BL2025‑842 (an agreement with Cumberland River Compact to continue funding initiatives arising from the consent decree with the U.S. Department of Justice and the State of Tennessee).

The committee chair called for a motion and second to approve the consent agenda; the motion was moved and seconded on the record and the committee voted 8 in favor, 0 opposed, with 0 not voting. The chair announced the recommendation for approval.

No items were pulled from the consent agenda for separate discussion. The meeting moved on to routine committee business and a brief set of announcements about the administration’s transportation advisory committee meeting and upcoming open‑streets events.

The committee did not hold separate debates on individual consent items at this meeting; the recorded action is a single committee vote approving the full consent package.","The committee approved a consent agenda 8‑0 that accepted a $300,000 donation from In N Out Burger for infrastructure improvements and cleared a package of water and sewer acceptance and abandonment resolutions and several ordinances on second reading.","actionData","errors"]

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Nashville officials present proposed access management manual, seek to consolidate code and tighten safety standards

Transportation & Infrastructure Committee approves consent agenda including In‑N‑Out donation and multiple water/sewer acceptances