Traffic Problems and Solutions in the Business District
On Tuesday September 14, residents and businesses will meet with Metro-area agencies to discuss traffic planning in and adjoining the 12th Avenue business district. Time is 5:30 – 7pm; location is 21st Century Christian Bookstore, 2809 12th Avenues South; and parking is in the front and side bookstore lots and across the street at ML Crawford’s Salon.
Commerce and commuting on the avenue have increased over the past two decades. Five year old streetscaping – avenue narrowing, parallel parking, crosswalks, landscaping – has slowed vehicle traffic but also aggravated drivers and pedestrians. Rising congestion includes speeding, parking (on and off the Avenue), turning left across lanes, entering from side streets, walking across at obscured or poorly illuminated corners, etc. These problems will increase as the business district continues to thrive, and additional Avenue construction and Sevier Park renovation come. The intent of this meeting is NOT to address whether or not development along 12th Ave is either 'good' or 'bad', it's to address the current safety issues at hand, and plan accordingly for smart and effective strategies that work in concert with the 12th Ave South Detailed Neighborhood Design Plan (DNDP).
The September 14th meeting begins with four presentations. Metro Public Works will discuss the tools available for traffic management and safety. The Planning Department will review the 2008 12th Avenue Design Plan’s goals for walking, biking, driving, mass transit, access, parking, signage, and residential buffers. The Mayor’s Office will present its Green Ribbon Committee findings on multi-faceted mobility and health. And the Nashville Civic Design Center will summarize national perspectives on urban neighborhood transit.
Afterward, business representatives and residents are invited to make suggestions and ask questions. Attendees are invited to familiarize themselves beforehand with traffic related problems and possible solutions on and off 12th Avenue, and also to collect traffic management options from across Metro.
For further information, contact Ken Winter (kcwinter@earthlink.net) or Brad Northcut (brad.northcut@gmail.com).