NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Of more than 600 submissions for the Spring 2025 round of traffic calming project suggestions submitted to the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure, 25 have been selected to make some streets safer.
Some of those changes are coming to North Nashville. Kendra Hayslett and her family have lived on Enchanted Circle for less than two years. Hayslett told News 2 that since moving to the area, there’s been no shortage of speeding cars along her street, which she described as a “major cut-through.”
“It’s super frustrating and it’s very, very dangerous,” Hayslett said. “…My brother actually lives right across the street from us and he has young children as well, so when they’re going across the street trying to see their cousins, we have to listen to hear a car coming or not because you can’t see the cars and they can’t see you.”
However, speedsters along her street will soon need to hit the brakes. NDOT announced the Spring 2025 round of traffic calming programs for this spring. According to NDOT’s website, the most common goals for traffic calming projects are to lower traffic speeds and improve accommodations for non-drivers like cyclists and pedestrians. The measures include everything from speed cushions to narrowing streets or installing traffic circles at intersections.
NDOT said the projects were selected based on factors like vehicle speed, the number of vehicles driving along the street each day and proximity to things like schools and parks. Three projects are coming to north Nashville’s district one — including Enchanted Circle, Hydes Ferry Road and Rawlings Road.
“Constituents have called about speeding — about traffic calming,” Metro Councilmember for District One, Joy Kimbrough, told News 2. “The community wants it; they want speed cushions.”
A spokesperson for NDOT said the department will collect data, conduct a field review and solicit community feedback before drafting a design for traffic calming projects. Depending on feedback, they will modify the design before moving forward with the balloting process.
“I always see those little signs of the silhouettes of the children — those neon signs that say, ‘Drive like your children live here,'” Haylett said. “That’s all we ask.”
Before any of these projects are installed, NDOT will coordinate with each project’s Metro councilmember and any neighborhood organizations to lead meetings and consider design elements for things like speed cushions or crosswalks. Following these meetings, NDOT delivers online ballots to homeowners via mailers.
Homeowners have six weeks to cast their vote. All traffic calming projects need at least 66% approval among participants before construction can start.
NDOT opens two traffic calming application periods annually; the deadline for this application window is March 17. Follow this link to submit a neighborhood street traffic calming program application.
