Jeff Hammond, a consultant working with the Nashville Department of Transportation, presented preliminary traffic-calming designs for a roughly quarter-mile segment of Monticello Drive and said city data show the neighborhood qualifies for the program. "The speed that we collected was 37 miles an hour," Hammond said, describing the 80th-percentile speed for the corridor and noting average daily volume of about 900 vehicles.

Hammond offered two alternatives to slow driving: a typical layout of three sets of speed cushions spaced about 460 feet apart along the 1,400-foot segment, and a second option that removes one set of cushions in favor of a marked "slow, safe shoulder" created by lane narrowing. He described the cushions as roughly 3 inches tall and 6 feet wide, with a standard length of about 10.5 feet that can be shortened for a more aggressive profile or lengthened for a gentler one.

Residents described recurring safety problems at the Avondale Circle intersection and elsewhere on Monticello Drive. "They do not stop," said Renee, a resident at 2301 Monticello Drive, adding that a vehicle has struck her mother's house twice and that drivers sometimes perform "donuts" in the intersection at night. Cody, another resident, urged NDOT to study the steep approach from Avondale Circle and consider a speed cushion or a bulb-out near that location. An unnamed resident described the approach as a "sports challenge" that encourages high-speed driving.

Hammond said NDOT can study the Avondale intersection specifically and consider targeted measures such as a bulb-out, mini bump, or other curb or pavement changes. He warned that some options—traffic circles or full-width speed tables—require careful study because they can affect school-bus turns and emergency access.

On next steps, Hammond said NDOT will do concentrated field design work, produce finished plans, and likely schedule a second neighborhood meeting to review intersection-specific ideas. When plans are complete, NDOT will mail ballot cards to property owners adjacent to the segment, hold the ballot open for six weeks, and advance construction only if two-thirds of returned ballots favor the project. Hammond estimated the timeline from design to installation at roughly one year, largely because of the construction queue.

Councilwoman Tombs noted there may be an NDOT project with related improvements in the Avondale area and offered to coordinate; Hammond welcomed follow-up to align designs. He closed by directing residents to trafficcalming.nashville.gov and Engage Nashville for plans and the meeting recording and provided contact information for further comments.

The neighborhood will decide whether to pursue the recommended speed-cushion plan, the lane-narrowing and safe-shoulder combination, or an alternative once NDOT returns with refined designs and the ballot is held.