Woodbine Neighbors Working Together to Improve Safety with New Sidewalk Curb Design and Painted Crosswalks!

The deaths of Nashvillians hit by cars as they crossed streets in Germantown and other neighborhoods remind us of the need to lower traffic speeds and make streets safe for non-drivers. Last spring, responding to this need, Patrick Garner, Co-President of the Woodbine Neighborhood Association, successfully urged the Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) to create painted walkways at the intersection of Peachtree and Burbank streets. WNA continues working with NDOT to implement traffic calming and pedestrian safety projects throughout the neighborhood, including along Nolensville Road.

Monica and Brandon Wright reported that the Foster Avenue crosswalk was not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. They contacted Walk Bike Nashville, which

then collaborated with the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure to repair and make it accessible to people of all abilities. The existing crosswalks end with a steep curb, making it difficult for people to navigate. Foster Avenue is an arterial street, which excludes it from consideration for NDOT’s Traffic Calming program, resulting in limited pedestrian options. WBN Executive Director Meredith Montgomery said there are plenty of crosswalks across Nashville that need to be updated.

“ADA-compliant measures help everyone. I’m thinking about parents who have strollers,” she told News 2. “If you have to jump a curb that doesn’t have a curb cut-in and is not ADA compliant, it’s not a pleasant experience. This is a small improvement that can have a big impact on everyday lives in this neighborhood.”