NDOT proposes speed cushions on Fairfax Avenue; residents split ahead of mail ballot

Amy Burch, a traffic engineer and consultant for the Department of Transportation (NDOT), told neighborhood residents on a virtual meeting that NDOT plans to install speed cushions on Fairfax Avenue between Marlborough Avenue and Natchez Trace and will send a mailed ballot to property owners before any construction. The cushions in the current design would be placed in a series — about 400 to 550 feet apart — with four sets shown in the most recent plan, but staff said they will revise that plan based on neighborhood feedback.

The proposal matters to neighbors because NDOT designed the neighborhood traffic‑calming program to reduce vehicle speeds on residential streets and thereby lower the severity of pedestrian crashes. "There's a strong correlation between vehicle speed and a pedestrian's chance of survival," Burch said, noting national data NDOT uses to compare crash severity at different speeds. NDOT measured an 80th percentile speed of 33 miles per hour on the Fairfax segment under discussion; the posted residential limit on that block is 20 miles per hour. Daily two‑way traffic volume was measured at just under 1,500 vehicles, and the street is about 36 feet wide with bike lanes and on‑street parking.

NDOT showed before‑and‑after comparisons from six other streets where cushions were installed: average speeds dropped from about 31 mph to 22 mph and 80th‑percentile speeds from 37 mph to 25 mph on average. Burch described the cushions as modular devices (one pictured was 10.5 feet long with a 3‑inch maximum height) that allow emergency vehicles to straddle them more easily than older full‑width speed bumps. The plan also overlays flexible white delineator posts between the travel lane and the bike lane so drivers cannot easily drive around the cushions and intrude on the bike lane.

Residents asked about alternatives and side effects. Several participants asked whether a four‑way stop at Marlborough or at 30 Second Avenue could replace cushions; NDOT staff said stop signs are governed by a separate warrant process and "we don't use stop signs for traffic calming," and that federal guidance and NDOT policy require data‑based warrants for permanent stop sign installation. Staff also said the stop‑sign process is separate from the traffic‑calming ballot. Neighbors raised concerns that cushions cause noise from braking and acceleration and can alter traffic circulation, potentially diverting traffic to other streets. One resident cited winter icing on the steep uphill block near 30 Second Avenue and said cushions there could impede vehicle travel in icy conditions.

Burch described the NDOT neighborhood process: residents apply in semiannual windows; NDOT scores candidate streets using five criteria (vehicular speed 45% of score, volume 25%, trip destinations 5%, non‑driver accommodations 15%, and a 10‑year crash history 10%). Fairfax ranked in the top 25 when it was selected. After concept and field design phases, NDOT will mail unique ballot postcards to eligible property owners (residential properties, churches and schools) with a six‑week online ballot window. The ballot counts 66% approval of ballots cast (not 66% of all eligible properties) as the threshold for moving the project to the construction queue.

If the ballot fails, Burch said NDOT typically prepares a "plan B" of nonphysical measures such as radar feedback signs or other signage and pavement markings rather than installing cushions. She also said speed‑feedback trailers are managed outside NDOT (typically by the police department) and are deployed for short periods; they may not collect representative data.

Neighbors at the meeting were split. Some asked to reduce the number of cushions (several speakers urged returning to a three‑cushion layout rather than four), while others, including Anne Pope, a resident near Natchez Trace, said she supported cushions "to slow down the speed" for people walking. Council Member Cash was referenced several times as having discussed the matter previously and as being involved in prior requests, and NDOT staff agreed to revise the plan to reflect the meeting feedback before mailing ballots.

NDOT said residents should expect postcards in the coming weeks and that the full plans and meeting recording will be posted on the program site trafficcalming.nashville.gov. If the ballot reaches the 66% approval threshold among votes cast, the project moves into the construction queue and NDOT will schedule the contractor and materials; if not, NDOT will pursue nonphysical measures or other alternatives.

"We want a plan that is liked by the most people and is still effective," Burch said. "If the ballot doesn't get 66% in favor, we prepare a plan B that could include radar feedback signs or other nonphysical measures."