NDOT proposes four speed cushions on Dobbs Avenue; property owners to vote

Chase Fuqua, an engineer with the Nashville Department of Transportation’s traffic calming program, presented a final plan on Dec. 17 to install four speed cushions on Dobbs Avenue and said NDOT will send ballots to property owners to decide whether the project moves forward.

Fuqua said the cushions are intended to reduce vehicle speeds and improve safety on the residential street between Thompson Lane and Morton Avenue. "We really focus on engineering," he said, framing the neighborhood program as one of NDOT’s tools for reducing speed-related crash severity.

The design calls for four speed cushions spaced roughly 300 feet apart, with two cushion configurations that reflect differences in roadway width north and south of Tanksley. Each cushion is described as approximately 7 feet long with a 4‑foot gap to preserve maneuverability; Fuqua noted spacing and placement were adjusted to account for driveways and nearby intersections.

NDOT cited before-and-after data from March 2023 showing measurable reductions after cushions were installed on other streets: Fuqua said "the average speed comes down ... 9 miles an hour," and that 80th‑percentile speeds fell by about 12 miles an hour in the cited sample.

On next steps, Fuqua said NDOT will post the final design to its traffic‑calming tracker and mail unique online voting IDs to property owners in the ballot zone. "We're gonna send out ballots to the property owners on the street with unique voting IDs," he said. Voting will be open for six weeks; the ballot is pass/fail and the project will advance only if two‑thirds (66%) of respondents vote yes.

Fuqua explained who is eligible to vote: properties on or directly adjacent to Dobbs Avenue are included (corner parcels receive a vote); vacant parcels, businesses and metro‑owned land are ineligible. He added that a single owner of multiple lots receives one vote. The first neighborhood meeting had no attendees, prompting the optional second meeting held Dec. 17.

Fuqua provided contact information in the meeting materials and directed residents to trafficcalming.nashville.gov for the project page, voting instructions and the ballot period; he encouraged anyone who expected a mailer but did not receive one to reach out so NDOT can provide access.

If the ballot meets the two‑thirds threshold, NDOT said the project will be placed in Metro’s construction queue. No formal vote or construction action was taken at the meeting.

The presentation and final design materials will remain online; Fuqua closed the meeting after inviting feedback and thanking viewers.