Traffic & Parking Commission lowers Ewing Drive speed limit to 35 mph after public safety debate

The Traffic & Parking Commission on Friday approved lowering the posted speed limit on Ewing Drive between Knight Drive and Dickerson Pike from 40 mph to 35 mph, after multiple residents and safety advocates urged the panel to pursue stronger measures to reduce crashes and pedestrian risk.

Residents and cycling advocates pressed the commission during public comment to set the limit at 30 mph and to pursue physical traffic calming. "Ewing Drive should be set to 30 miles an hour for several reasons," said Ben Hubert, who told the commission the corridor experienced "more than 500 crashes on this 3 mile section of roadway" over the last five years and two deaths in the last year. Charles Weingartner, a member of Nashville’s Vision Zero advisory committee, said data from cyclists’ apps show heavy bicycle use along the corridor and argued lowering speeds would “drastically improve everyone’s safety.”

The staff recommendation from the Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) — presented by Darren Pack and planner/ Vision Zero coordinator Martinez — was to lower the posted limit to 35 mph based on the department’s speed study and established practice. NDOT reported 50th-percentile speeds around 40 mph and 80th-percentile speeds…