NDOT to add buffers and vertical delineators to Bellevue Road bikeway during scheduled repaving

Anna Dearman, walking and biking manager at the Nashville Department of Transportation, told neighbors on a community call that NDOT will upgrade the existing bike lane on a segment of Bellevue Road in conjunction with this year’s repaving.

The department’s proposal would add a roughly 2-foot painted buffer between the driving lane and a 5-foot bike lane (creating a 7-foot bike area) and install intermittent vertical elements — black rubber curb “curves” and reflective white posts — to reduce lane encroachment and improve comfort for people walking and biking. Dearman said the driving lane will be narrowed to about 10.5 feet where the upgrades are installed.

“Striping is really not sufficient to designate the bikeway,” Dearman said, explaining the need for added physical delineation. She described the rubber curves as about 30 inches long, roughly 4 inches tall and about 5 inches wide, with white posts placed intermittently that are about 3 feet tall.

NDOT staff said the vertical elements will be omitted where they would block driveways or mailboxes; the plans show fewer delineators on the west side of the street where driveways are closer together and more on the east side. Dearman also noted that the design places rubber curves and posts around conflict points such as driveways and intersections.

Matt Purvis, the department’s council liaison, and NDOT’s paving manager, Tommy (last name not specified on the call), told participants that the broader Bellevue Road paving work has been held pending community direction on the bikeway portion. Purvis said the paving crew was prepared to begin milling — the first step of repaving — but the crew was waiting for community feedback and a “thumbs up” to proceed. Purvis agreed to confirm whether door-hanger notices had already been distributed and to verify start dates with the contractor.

Residents and local stakeholders raised questions about parking, traffic calming and connections to destinations. Adam Nicholson, who works in Bellevue outreach and the local library, asked whether the upgrades could function as a safer walking route to nearby schools and the library. Dearman said NDOT’s Safe Routes to School coordinator, Val Martinez, could be engaged to explore linking the project to school and library routes and that larger capital projects to widen other stretches of Bellevue would be considered separately in the future. Hannah, a resident of Creekside Meadows, thanked NDOT staff and said she bikes daily and appreciated the planned improvements.

NDOT staff said standard notification practices for paving projects include door hangers and signage at the ends of the road, and they will post the plan set online and share the meeting recording with council member Sheri Weiner and residents. Council member Sheri Weiner asked NDOT to follow up with neighbors and requested an update by Monday morning; she and Purvis planned to speak Monday afternoon to finalize the next steps.

No formal vote or ordinance was taken during the meeting. The immediate next steps NDOT described are to: share the plan set and the meeting recording with the council member and residents, confirm whether door hanger notifications were distributed, verify milling/paving start dates with the contractor, and await community confirmation before authorizing the paving crew to proceed.

Residents who asked to be kept informed were invited to send contact information through Council Member Weiner; Purvis and Chris Mitchell (who introduced himself as NDOT staff covering liaison duties) said they would be points of contact for follow-up questions.