NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Speed limit changes are coming to a major North Nashville roadway.
The Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure wants drivers to slow down on part of Whites Creek Pike, specifically from from West Nocturne Drive to West Trinity Lane. Metro’s Traffic & Parking Commission met Monday and discussed the proposal and approved a speed limit reduction to 35 miles per hour.
A spokesperson for NDOT explained why the agency chose to reduce speed in the area:
“The three-year crash history of Whites Creek Pike [between Trinity and Nocturne] actually shows a slight decrease in number of crashes. The continuation of property development, along with expected changes in traffic volumes, often require a developer to study the current traffic conditions prior to development. Such is the case with this request, where an engineering speed study on this stretch of roadway, using federal guidelines and observed field data such as roadway characteristics, number of access points, crash history, pedestrian activity, lane configurations, and observed spot speeds, recommended speed limit of 35mph. NDOT agrees with the recommendations of this study.”
Ozeal Black attends Robert Heights Missionary Baptist Church, which sits at an intersection. Black told News 2 a speeder damaged part of the church’s mailbox. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the only incident.
“When they get up around the curve, they’re doing 50 and 60,” Black said. “…We had a big church sign out here. They were speeding through here and they just tore the sign down and just left it. I’m just worried about this particular area.”
Metro Councilmember for the area, Kyonzté Toombs, said residents have applied for multiple traffic calming measures as there aren’t many sidewalks along the roadway, but pedestrians frequently walk along the roadside to get to bus stops and local shops.
“It’s really important for folks to be at a more safe speed. You don’t want anybody to be hit by a car, but if they were, you want them to at least have a chance to survive,” Toombs said. “It’s really a win for the neighborhoods along that corridor for the speed limit to be reduced.”
Similar speed limit reductions have been put in place on Lebanon Pike in Donelson to slow down drivers. News 2 asked also NDOT if they’ve noticed a difference.
“The overall changes to speed limits on Lebanon Pike are so recent, it’s too soon to tell what traffic changes have recently occurred on that corridor,” an NDOT spokesperson told News 2. “NDOT will continue to collect data over time to evaluate traffic volumes and safety performance on this and other arterial corridors.”
However, Black told News 2 speed limit enforcement, rather than just reductio, is exactly what’s needed on Whites Creek Pike.
“Lowering the speed limit is not going to help,” Black said. “You’re going to have to have somebody sit out here and watch them for a while to make sure that they slow down.”
Now that the speed reduction proposal has passed, NDOT plans to reach out to the community through social media to notify residents of the change. Additionally, dynamic message boards would be placed along the roadside advising drivers of the upcoming change to the speed limit.
The signs would be up along Whites Creek Pike for at least two weeks to notify motorists before any new permanent speed signage is installed. Officials say they plan to have permanent signs with the new speed limits posted this spring.
