City traffic engineers and neighborhood residents discussed a traffic-calming proposal for Stacoa Street during a neighborhood meeting in which NDOT staff presented a preliminary design that includes five speed cushions and solicited local feedback.

Chase, an engineer with Metro working on the traffic-calming program, opened the meeting and laid out the program goals, data collection and selection process. "My name is Chase. I'm an engineer. I'm working with Metro, on the street calming program," he said as he described the program's emphasis on engineering countermeasures to reduce speed. He said Stacoa was one of about 25 streets selected this season from a pool of more than 700 applications.

NDOT presented collected site data and the draft design. Chase summarized the street metrics: an 85th‑percentile speed of about 33 mph on a posted 25 mph street, roughly 1,700 vehicles per day, and a pavement width of about 23 to 26 feet for the project limits between Topokoland and Calderwood Drive. The preliminary concept called for five speed cushions spaced at roughly 200–300 feet, with placement constrained by horizontal and vertical curves and slopes (cushions are not placed on slopes greater than 6%). "Currently, we've got a design that has 5 speed cushions," Chase said.

Residents described safety problems and pushed back on parts of the draft. One attendee recounted a recent collision at the bend by the park: "There was actually a really violent accident there a few weeks ago," a resident said, noting parked cars, blind sight lines and downhill approaches that make the corner a recurring pinch point. Another resident who lives near the top of Broken Bow, Nicholas Dembyak, described a prior T-bone crash he recorded and said drivers had been observed traveling "probably going 60, 70 miles an hour" in that area.

Several residents questioned the number and profile of cushions and the potential side effects. "It's like you're hitting a pothole every time," one resident said of cushions, arguing the proposed spacing would nearly double the number of cushions they encounter and could increase wear on vehicles. Neighbors also said aggressive vertical measures can force avoidant behavior onto neighboring streets and reduce access for low-clearance vehicles.

NDOT staff acknowledged the concerns and described alternatives they will consider. Chase said varying cushion lengths (7 ft, 10.5 ft, 14 ft) affects ride feel and that the program can propose longer, more gradual cushions where appropriate; he also suggested radar speed feedback signs as a less intrusive option "if we remove cushions" at some locations. He added that NDOT is studying diversionary effects and will perform field checks of slopes and driveway spacing before finalizing the design.

Residents asked about winter safety and camera enforcement. Chase responded that NDOT does not place cushions on slopes greater than 6% in part for manufacturer guidance and safety in winter conditions. On camera enforcement, staff said automated speed cameras are not a Metro enforcement tool and are likely restricted under Tennessee law.

Next steps: NDOT will incorporate tonight's feedback, perform site measurements, and return with a refined plan. Chase said the agency will hold a second neighborhood meeting before the online ballot if the design changes substantially; the online ballot will be open for six weeks and require two-thirds (66%) of eligible respondents to vote "yes" for the project to proceed. "And if 66% of respondents, vote yes, then the projects will move forward," Chase said.

The meeting closed with NDOT contact information for further input and a commitment to return with a revised plan and the ballot materials. Ballot eligibility is limited to properties abutting the affected section of Stacoa Street, with one vote per residential property, church or school property; vacant, Metro-owned and HOA properties and many businesses are ineligible.