[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-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",[32,76,88,100],{"_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",6200043,"mediaKeyId","3819850-15caba147ba33aa75b2023a56c19ec8e","parentId",3819850,"title","Transportation commission defers decision on emergency tow zones after dispute over sale and control of local firms","audioSeconds",2405,"startMs",2526000,"endMs",4931000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3819850-15caba147ba33aa75b2023a56c19ec8e&start=2526&end=4931","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3819850-15caba147ba33aa75b2023a56c19ec8e/thumbnail_2526000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6200043/Tennessee/Transportation-commission-defers-decision-on-emergency-tow-zones-after-dispute-over-sale-and-control-of-local-firms","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6200043-d04068eff70d99fd2b5f6f4fc76cd1a5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771205113&Signature=kH-sM0FH-m6JSC~qR3GZEHXFEXm48MGrILYAwZe-B19M7VjL5qsaBqUbcTYdNw32BN7VgUdt-qa7Shfqzq0xSF0dhtOcdpZXIQIMC~5TfiHKht3JZlB5pCEFHEtNdB03zDNgZWTNdX0oTm0CQqZg395t9uS3mD74BWjkmTTrWdoUa5XP2JoUSugWrhmTw3tztMzXgwxnM5hBGrHKCQAo0RR4rzUKnViqmDQBIPu6p~aw5M6RIDGDy~vRSsbhFkef7NOvwermwrD8FIS4FMBQBdLp-HKmYgf8m4cQO25rjz8Jk8VQvJVwg9Vy1EBx8MiPNrgbuyZixzPf81F1jJf1lw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Nashville, TN","date","2025-06-13T08:08:13Z","article","The Metropolitan Transportation Licensing Commission on a motion by Commissioner Anne Butterworth deferred action on its annual review of emergency tow (nonconsent) zones and related company authorizations until its July meeting, asking Metro Legal for a written opinion on whether recent ownership changes count as prohibited transfers of service.

The commission opened an annual public hearing on emergency wrecker zones and heard from Metro Police Department traffic officials and multiple towing company representatives about how zones operate, whether response-time data are reliable, and whether recent transactions involving Dad’s Towing and West Nashville Wrecker Service (announced in press material as tied to Guardian Fleet Services) complied with Metro code. Captain James Williams of the Metro Police Department’s traffic division told the commission that response-time data are currently unreliable because arrival times are recorded through a manual, dispatcher-officer process and that the department is exploring software to capture timestamps automatically.

Why it matters: emergency towing zones are assigned to specific companies for police-initiated, nonconsent tows on interstates and other unsafe locations. Assignments affect public safety (clearing highway incidents) and can confer valuable, exclusive service rights. Commissioners said they need legal clarity and more documentary evidence about recent corporate changes before deciding whether to reauthorize or reassign zones.

Most substantive facts and concerns
- Multiple drivers and company presidents testified that equipment and service remain available across zones; Topo (TowPro) reported 6,816 emergency calls responded to last year, including 245 heavy-duty tows. Through May of the current year Topo reported 2,639 calls and 87 heavy tows (annualizes roughly to 209 heavy calls). (David Williams/Topo)
- Metro police said there were about 18,000 police-initiated nonconsent tows in 2024 and about 7,500 so far this year; staff emphasized response time as central to whether zones are working. (Captain James Williams, MPD)
- Several commenters raised a specific compliance question about whether Guardian Fleet Services’ role with Dad’s Towing and West Nashville Wrecker constituted an approved partnership or an unreported change of control; public commenters supplied social-media and Secretary of State filings they said showed transfers and management changes that the commission had not explicitly approved.
- Company representatives, including Jim Mitchell of Dad’s Towing, said Mitchell remains operationally involved: “I am partners with Guardian, and I will remain partners and operate daily. Not 1 day has passed since that I have not been at Dads at West National.” (Jim Mitchell)

What the commission decided and directed
- Action deferred: the commission voted to defer any action on emergency tow zones, company reauthorizations, and the STR Towing new-zone application until July to allow staff and Metro Legal to review documents and provide a written legal opinion in advance of the next meeting. The motion carried. The commission also asked that Metro Legal provide its opinion to commissioners in advance and consider whether posting the opinion publicly is appropriate.
- Procedural instruction: commissioners asked NDOT staff and Metro Legal to collect and provide documents that bear on whether the November partnership/merger filings constituted a change of control that would require commission approval under the Metro code. Commissioners cited a 2008 precedent in which the commission removed a company after an attempted partner addition was ruled noncompliant.

Context and next steps
- Commissioners repeatedly emphasized they do not yet have reliable time-stamped response-time data; Metro PD and the Department of Emergency Communications acknowledged current data collection is manual and imperfect and said they are exploring an app-based system that would timestamp requests and arrivals and make response-time metrics auditable.
- The commission scheduled review of the legal definition of “change in control” and whether Metro code or MTLC rules require submission of partnership/joint-venture agreements before a partner can be added or a controlling interest transferred. Metro Legal will prepare written guidance for the July packet.

Ending note: the commission kept the annual hearing record open until July so that Metro Legal, NDOT staff, and towing companies can submit documents about ownership, corporate filings, and operational data for review before the commission considers reassigning zones or acting on pending applications.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","06/12/25 Transportation Licensing Commission","oneSentenceSummary","The Metropolitan Transportation Licensing Commission on a motion by Commissioner Anne Butterworth deferred action on the annual review of emergency towing zones to its July meeting and asked Metro Legal to issue a written opinion about whether recent ownership changes at local tow companies should be treated as prohibited transfers of zone service.","taxTitle","Transportation Licensing Commission Meetings, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee","taxId",73014,"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},6200029,"NDOT presents draft fee study; staff to return with proposed phased fee adjustments and required council resolutions",470,7805000,8275000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3819850-15caba147ba33aa75b2023a56c19ec8e&start=7805&end=8275","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3819850-15caba147ba33aa75b2023a56c19ec8e/thumbnail_7805000.jpg","/articles/6200029/Tennessee/NDOT-presents-draft-fee-study-staff-to-return-with-proposed-phased-fee-adjustments-and-required-council-resolutions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6200029-402397421cc689900e6a5cc282f4a11d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771205113&Signature=LE7F6vBrbg4fCIOOyTa8Z2wGzN0-ajOv9ctVMmDaBrQoC07H46WaLyW8UsmCO2a7vNGsMfyZ4yD~g4AWS7kutYcKEyfWJh1-GyOw~BmnO2Sg4hVXqJ0dVq83BtpF2OPJf3JbGWG8OiOKwBEdwg0z1RlwMACwWXEvPy-T68xtmT2KxzSNkvhWpkrq~9OW9TYo-H0CMzT8uB883361FmcFQEufo~fj4VRYwyJmpYKwkQyC3-GJM-HiBT2NYe0m8ftLkisZHr3-XzwusnGBC8RK-6tdxYQ47lz60w3uk9D8nYrtkiB1w2IVDuQxgHz1uEOEqqxQU58Q4r1AN7NyI5CSHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","NDOT staff gave the commission an update on a draft comprehensive fee study that captures the department’s cost to review and process permits and recommends phased fee adjustments over roughly a three-year period.

Assistant Director Brad Free said the study used a bottom‑up methodology to capture labor, materials and logistics costs and included benchmarking against other cities. The draft used 2023 activity to estimate current revenue and to model possible adjustments. Free told commissioners the study is near final draft and that staff will present specific fee amendments for the commission’s review in the coming months.

Key points
- Phased approach: NDOT said some proposed increases would be implemented in step increments over three years rather than a single large rise, to reduce immediate hardship for regulated businesses.
- Approval path: Certain fees (for example some LSV and passenger-vehicle-for-hire related provisions) may require council legislation and resolution; others fall under the commission’s fee authority. NDOT expects to coordinate with the commission and Metro Legal on the statutory path for each fee.
- Public hearing required: Staff confirmed that proposed fee changes will require notice and a public hearing before adoption.

Next steps
- NDOT plans to finalize the draft and present fee-change proposals to the commission for review, then submit the necessary resolutions to Metro Council where required. Staff estimated a two‑month timeline to return with formal proposals and supporting documentation.

Ending: commissioners asked to receive the draft study in advance of any meeting packet and were told the draft will be shared before formal action is scheduled.","NDOT told the commission it has drafted a bottom-up comprehensive fee study using 2023 data and proposes phased increases over three years; some fee changes will need council approval while others fall to the commission.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6200033,"Commission approves docked bike share RFQ; hears Lime present a seated 'glider' pilot concept",340,6070000,6410000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3819850-15caba147ba33aa75b2023a56c19ec8e&start=6070&end=6410","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3819850-15caba147ba33aa75b2023a56c19ec8e/thumbnail_6070000.jpg","/articles/6200033/Tennessee/Commission-approves-docked-bike-share-RFQ-hears-Lime-present-a-seated-glider-pilot-concept","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6200033-fc9fbaed7d732de375d9b2932beccd54/orig.mp4?Expires=1771205113&Signature=Ro9srlzwonFoDdWVs~K46CQ7SrUyl1EluwfQz8r-PY45NmpM5lS1ehLGTBu1Dx9xvBylj41Asc9ijNkvPA3maHvXzO6Eo5BQVTXNrt2h6FCcMja6fMiJEbwsNhwrNj0wsBPZFvoMtyz8U-o49DOmUvsHHl3GOBZ5c9vLnQER2WlS3THq13YmCd0CJywvumHq2RwtIQBh-2rpmnjwNHoJCpJdUjrYeR61UZo7A-ZQbZuUSg1Y1dvaMh3XM8ukMwNbTerNBy1BY3NjqShEV3QDGGO3uyfdqixCh0gF00yf6cATdzQa-Lgy1kghv8IO4vH62QZ2e9Y8QG3TfoKqz6g1TQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Transportation Licensing Commission approved the published request-for-qualifications (RFQ) seeking proposals for a docked countywide bike-share system and discussed a separate micro-mobility development: Lime’s seated electric “glider” vehicle, which company representatives proposed to pilot in partnership with WeGo.

Commission staff member TD told the commission the docked-bike RFQ had been published, was closing today at 2:00 p.m. and would be evaluated by staff; respondents would be scored and commissioners would be asked to approve a recommended vendor before contract negotiations. Commissioners voted to approve the RFQ as published.

Lime representative Lily (last name in packet) described the glider as a seated, throttle-controlled micro-mobility vehicle with a maximum speed limited to 15 mph, a stated battery range of up to 43 miles (70 kilometers) and heavier construction than stand-up scooters. Lime proposed staging roughly 25% of any pilot fleet at designated WeGo bus stops outside the downtown loop and offering a 70% discount for eligible riders (for example SNAP beneficiaries) at those stops to support last-mile transit connections. Lime said the vehicle is deployed in a small number of U.S. markets and that pilot data in other cities show longer trip lengths and broader demographic reach than conventional scooters.

Policy and operational points discussed
- Response-time obligations for SUMDs: staff said docked systems inherit the same clearing and response rules used for SUMDs—operators have two hours to respond to standard notifications and 30 minutes for ADA-blocking cases.
- Classification question: commissioners and staff discussed state vehicle definitions (Title 55) and whether a seated, 20-inch‑wheel vehicle should be regulated as a scooter, a moped, or categorized separately. Staff said they will review state law definitions and the commission’s rule language before any pilot approval.
- Operational pilots: Lime requested preliminary endorsement to pursue a pilot; commissioners asked staff and Metro Legal to research how the vehicle should be classified under state law and MTLC rules before bringing any pilot authorization back to the commission.

Next steps
- Staff will evaluate RFQ responses and return to the commission with a recommendation for vendor selection and contract negotiation.
- For the glider, staff will research state classification and bring pilot details and any proposed contract language back to the commission for formal consideration.","The commission approved a countywide RFQ for a docked bike‑share system and discussed Lime’s proposed seated electric ‘glider’ vehicle for a targeted pilot tied to WeGo bus stops and discounted fares for eligible riders.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6200038,"Commission adopts quiet-hour rule changes for pedal and low-speed vehicles after museum sound study",5943,113000,6056000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3819850-15caba147ba33aa75b2023a56c19ec8e&start=113&end=6056","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3819850-15caba147ba33aa75b2023a56c19ec8e/thumbnail_113000.jpg","/articles/6200038/Tennessee/Commission-adopts-quiet-hour-rule-changes-for-pedal-and-low-speed-vehicles-after-museum-sound-study","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6200038-227d72620a081e2925291f47ae77c33a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771205113&Signature=nZs4kJWqWHBpUOJIANWQPg6FCdoTS~TU4wtzNxnyUrGOSVubgiNpemecEGrkUJuafeGgl79S5W7OFRkmM4T~~Kv1oDIySEAS1kOe7~J5T~3ffPT6zEzIbHhP2sxkfIEaKC0XRMZ4rue4Dvh53HBT1mxcX6mo6y-uf2nMOx44A29Uu-06V79LSCz5x12JfV83QruuBd1hUGp7ewUaE2Ii9bIDG1qoJJgSnRIV4vaSYntExhz0nofPtOaul6zY5JAaixXiw6qKmQnUlcPDmNowM9gaHuPEvXdHpX8g1J12RTNJJRE2g-JiVD6YU764-nTLJxV92KdqY8Bl5sCWteBneg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Transportation Licensing Commission voted to approve amendments to MTLC rules and procedures extending operational restrictions for low-speed vehicles (LSVs) and pedal vehicles to address noise impacts near cultural and educational institutions.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum representative Nina Burkhart told commissioners the museum conducted a roughly six-and-a-half-month sound-measurement program and “captured over a thousand instances of sound measurements in excess of 85 decibels,” with most incidents originating more than 50 feet from the museum. She said the museum included charts and security-camera illustrations in the packet submitted to the commission and that the museum’s reaccreditation visit in July made the matter time-sensitive.

Nashville Pedal Tavern co-owner Angie Gleason urged a more targeted approach. Gleason said the company “voluntarily adjusted our routes without being required and stopped operating near the school during school hours Monday through Friday,” and asked that any operational restrictions be tied to the stated business hours of affected institutions so operators could identify impacted businesses and adjust routes accordingly.

What the commission did
- Approved proposed changes to MTLC rule 6.06 (low-speed vehicles) and rule 7.04 (pedal vehicles), incorporating the operational-hour restrictions consistent with recently adopted ETV rules. Motions to approve each rule change passed by voice vote.

Context and supporting details
- Nina Burkhart said the museum conducts education programs that engage more than 100,000 local students each year and hosts more than 1 million visitors annually; the museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is undergoing reaccreditation in July.
- Burkhart acknowledged the sound study could not always distinguish whether the measured noise came from pedal taverns or electric transport vehicles but said photos and security-camera captures at points where readings exceeded 85 dB included both types of vehicles.
- Commissioners discussed enforcement challenges for subjective standards such as “clearly audible” and noted the 85 dB / 50-foot measurements the museum provided as more objectively enforceable evidence.

Commission rationale and next steps
- Commissioners said the rules align operating hours across ETVs, LSVs and pedal vehicles to reduce late-night noise impact on schools, museums and other sensitive sites. Staff will include public-comment materials and the museum’s packet in the record.

Ending: the commission approved the amendments and closed the public hearings on the proposed changes for LSVs and pedal vehicles.","The commission approved amendments to MTLC rules 6.06 and 7.04 extending operational restrictions tied to noise concerns raised by the Country Music Hall of Fame, which provided a sound-measurement study showing instances above 85 decibels. Pedal tavern operators urged narrower hour restrictions and offered voluntary mitigation steps.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Transportation commission defers decision on emergency tow zones after dispute over sale and control of local firms

NDOT presents draft fee study; staff to return with proposed phased fee adjustments and required council resolutions

Commission approves docked bike share RFQ; hears Lime present a seated 'glider' pilot concept

Commission adopts quiet-hour rule changes for pedal and low-speed vehicles after museum sound study