Nashville Sets April 1 Deadline for Greenway Safety Report

Nashville residents walking the greenways will soon see a formal audit of the paths they use. Metro Council members voted this week to mandate a safety review of crosswalks on the city's greenway network. The decision forces a coordinated response between local agencies after multiple fatalities occurred on these routes.

Metro Parks is now tasked with working alongside the Nashville Department of Transportation. These two bodies will examine specific locations where pedestrians have been killed. The joint effort aims to produce the city's first comprehensive safety plan for these recreational corridors.

Council member Jacob Kupin described the strategy as a two-pronged approach. He stated that if easy, quick fixes exist, the city should implement them immediately. "To me, before you can execute and figure out where you get the money from, we need to know, 'What do these even need to be safe?'" he said.

The council established a hard deadline for the resulting report. Agencies must submit their findings by April 1. This timing ensures the data is available when the city prepares its budget for the following year, allowing funds to be allocated based on actual needs rather than estimates.

Greenway users have long noted that they must pay extra attention to traffic while out on the paths. Kupin said he wants to find a permanent solution to the dangers they face. The upcoming study will define what infrastructure changes are required to make the routes safer for walkers and runners.