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BPAC urges quicker safety fixes after recent fatal and serious crashes
Summary
Nashville's Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission told council and transportation partners it wants faster quick-build safety projects and more public participation after high-profile pedestrian and bicycle crashes, and said increased transparency and streaming of meetings will help community input.
The Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission urged Metro leaders to move from study to action and to accelerate low-cost safety measures at known high-risk locations after two recent serious incidents at the same marked crosswalk.
Catherine McDonald, chair of BPAC, told a joint meeting of council, NDOT and other commissions that BPAC members and volunteers are seeing unsafe conditions firsthand and want faster, clearer paths from design to construction. "Even after a tragedy that garnered a lot of public attention and even at a location that we all know is unsafe, we are still failing to do enough to prevent people from being hurt and killed on our streets," McDonald said, referring to the death of Dot Dobbins on Third Avenue North and a subsequent serious injury at the same crossing.
McDonald described BPAC's recent activity: the commission was reestablished by ordinance in August 2023 and held its first meeting in May 2024; it currently has 10 members and one vacancy, meets monthly on the third Monday from 5 to 6:30 p.m., maintains three active subcommittees, and helped Nashville regain a bronze-level Bicycle Friendly Community designation from the League of American Bicyclists in January. She said BPAC used last year's application feedback to prioritize work needed to reach a silver rating and has reviewed multiple infrastructure projects including Main Street and Gallatin Pike, Church Street bikeways and East Bank Boulevard.
Vice Chair Matthew Hertz said the commission recognizes the complexities NDOT faces but urged quicker implementation of proven engineering countermeasures. "We have the engineering knowledge to implement proven safety measures. So why are we waiting? Let's prioritize these high risk locations and begin improvements tomorrow," Hertz said. He highlighted long backlogs for traffic calming measures such as speed cushions and said Hub Nashville often records complaints after offending vehicles have already left.
BPAC asked for clearer lines of public input and said it has advocated for meeting streaming; McDonald said BPAC meetings will be streamed beginning in September to broaden participation. Commissioners said they want defined touchpoints in NDOT's charter and design process so the commission can provide meaningful feedback earlier in projects. The group said volunteer commissioners serve as community experts and should be used to amplify local priorities and engagement.
Why it matters: Commission leaders said small, low-cost improvements at known high-injury locations can reduce deaths and serious injuries but require clearer processes, earlier engagement and faster delivery. BPAC members emphasized that community knowledge and volunteer time could be better leveraged if departments accept advisory input earlier in design and if meeting information is more accessible to the public.
