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NDOT outlines countywide Safe Routes to School prioritization, plans to roll out uniform markings and tactical interventions
Summary
NDOT planner presented a Safe Routes to School toolkit and a prioritization of roughly 230 schools based on proximity to the high‑injury network and other vulnerability metrics. Staff plan to address 50–60 schools per year focusing first on uniform signage and striping, with larger capital projects and neighborhood traffic calming phased later.
NDOT staff presented a county‑wide Safe Routes to School approach that pairs a program toolkit with a data‑driven prioritization of roughly 230 MNPS, charter and private schools.
Val Martinez, a planner with the Nashville Department of Transportation, described why the program seeks to apply Vision Zero principles to school access, and outlined the five‑E framework (engineering, education, encouragement, enforcement, evaluation). The initial, low‑cost phase focuses on uniform school‑zone markings and signage, followed by neighborhood traffic calming and tactical urbanism demonstrations; larger ADA and sidewalk projects would be scheduled through capital projects when funding is available.
NDOT said it developed a prioritization score for every school based on distance to the high‑injury network, vulnerability designations and crash history, and reported a preliminary target of 50–60 schools per year for improvements. The department flagged Dan Mills as an early priority, with community engagement and a possible spring–summer 2026 target for work there. Staff also discussed bike‑bus and walking school‑bus pilots in some neighborhoods and said coordination with MNPS and community advocates will be part of implementation.
Commissioners asked how NDOT and school administrators can be encouraged to prioritize walking and biking rather than expanding vehicle queuing and drop‑off lanes; staff suggested temporary traffic‑control plans or demonstration projects during drop‑off and pick‑up hours and noted resource limits for long‑term traffic control.
