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NDOT safety analysis flags tradeoffs for Edmonson Pike; staff recommend low‑cost measures and further study
Summary
NDOT presented a safety analysis for Edmonson Pike (Nolensville to Old Hickory Blvd.) showing 667 crashes over five years (including one fatality and 14 serious injuries); lane‑reduction options could yield safety benefits but would increase peak‑period delays (estimated 7–9 additional minutes); staff recommended pursuing speed‑management and targeted crossings while engaging council and stakeholders on larger reconfiguration options.
Val Martinez, Vision 0 coordinator with the Nashville Department of Transportation, presented a multi‑element safety analysis for Edmonson Pike from Nolensville to Old Hickory Boulevard. The analysis drew on site visits, counts at nine intersections, speed data and five years of crash history. Martinez said the corridor study found 667 total crashes over the five‑year period, including one fatality and 14 serious injuries, and that crash and speed patterns place the corridor above statewide averages for similar roads.
Staff modeled alternatives that remain within the existing right‑of‑way and that avoid right‑of‑way acquisition: options ranged from low‑cost interventions—uniform speed‑limit signage, speed feedback signs, pedestrian crossing upgrades and signal timing adjustments—to lane reconfiguration (a road diet reducing four lanes to three with a center turn lane and protected bike lanes). The analysis shows lane reductions can yield safety benefits (reduced crossing distances and opportunities for speed management) but are likely to increase peak‑hour delay and queueing; Martinez said southbound travel times during commute hours could increase by 25%–100%, which translated to roughly 7–9 extra minutes of peak travel time in modeling.
Commissioners asked whether TDOT had been consulted on segments that intersect state routes; Martinez said staff shared findings with TDOT but that the corridor is a local route. Commissioners requested cost estimates and studies that translate safety benefits into expected reductions in fatalities or serious injuries; Martinez said those figures are in the full analysis and staff would share the document with the commission.
Why this matters: Edmonson Pike serves as a high‑injury corridor with park, library and greenway connections and affects commuter traffic into and out of surrounding municipalities. The tradeoff between increased travel time and avoided deaths or serious injuries is central to public engagement and political acceptance.
Next steps: NDOT plans to pursue feasible low‑cost measures quickly (speed‑limit standardization, targeted crossing improvements and consideration of pedestrian hybrid beacons) while continuing stakeholder outreach and deeper design work on larger reconfiguration options; commissioners asked NDOT to present cost estimates and to quantify crash‑reduction projections for use in community outreach.
