THP reports over 30 traffic-related deaths so far in 2024; Metro hopes transit investments will help mitigate incidents
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – On Thursday, another life was taken in Nashville. This time, it was a wrong-way crash on I-65.
Only five months into the year, Nashville’s already had more than 30 traffic deaths.
“2022 was the deadliest year on record for pedestrians and so we want to make safety possible for people just also walking. We want to reduce the number of crashes,” Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell acknowledged during the Metro State Address.
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Now two years later, you may be wondering what is being done to address it.
“We’re going through the city and on our high injury networks, we’re looking at ways of improving it so that there is a safer experience. We are focusing first on where we have the majority of crashes occurring that lead to serious injuries and deaths,” explained Diana Alarcon, the director of the Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) in an interview with News 2 in late 2023.
NDOT along with city leaders have been focused on making streets safer. In Davidson County, the Tennessee Highway Patrol has tracked over 30 deadly crashes in the first five months of 2024. While these crashes are happening across the county, most are happening in South Nashville.
“I think it’s really important for us to also when a crash happens, we really dive into the cause. We want to figure out the root cause,” Alacron had said.
February has been the deadliest month so far this year, with 13 people dying as a result of a crash. Out of those 13, seven of them came from just two incidents happening on Woodland Street and Bell Road.
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“If we make our streets and intersections safer for motorists, for pedestrians, and ultimately for transit users, we think all of that is going to improve if this program gets approved,” explained O’Connell. “In the four pillars of it, it’s sidewalks, signals, service, and safety.”
It’s a problem the Vision Zero Advisory Committee has been trying to tackle. Vision Zero is an initiative aimed at eliminating the number of traffic deaths or severe injuries among all road users. The committee has pointed to right turns and high-speed lanes as additional risk factors.
“It’s very easy to go in and blame, however, whatever you want to blame – lack of crosswalks, lack of lighting, lack of signalization, driving not paying attention – it’s really all of that because really if we all slow down, if we all do the speed limit, if we all pay attention to what’s going on, and we’re not under the influence, we’re going to all be much safer on the roads,” explained Alarcon.
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Nearly a month ago, O’Connell announced details on the “Choose How You Move” transit plan. The plan includes adding:
86 miles of new sidewalk
600 traffic signal upgrades along major routes
24/7 bus service
The mayor’s plans will go before Metro Council for a vote in the coming months. If approved, voters will have the final say during the November election.
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