🎢 The best amusement parks near Nashville

🚌 Will We Ever Get to Vision Zero?

In 2023, Nashville’s Vision Zero initiative identified Gallatin Pike as one of the city’s most dangerous intersections for pedestrians, and the Nashville Department of Transportation began conducting community outreach meetings to redesign the corridor. However, plans were put on hold after Choose How You Move passed, wrapping any road developments into the transit initiative. Things became further complicated by the East Bank development, since Gallatin needs to work well with any new roads. In the meantime, 58-year-old Billy Ray Swaner was killed on Gallatin Pike in May, and East Nashville residents are calling for urgent changes to the corridor. [Nashville Banner]

• Context: The Vision Zero plan is a Metro initiative aimed at achieving zero deaths on Nashville roads. But pedestrian deaths are rising, and traffic calming measures have been disappearing in some communities. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]
• Future plans: The Choose How You Move initiative identifies Gallatin as an All‑Access Corridor with plans to transform the road into a public transit hub. However, Metro transportation leaders presented their Gallatin updates to the public in April, and the plans left attendees “extremely disappointed,” according to District 5 Councilmember Sean Parker. Construction isn’t expected to begin until Q4 of 2030. [Nashville.gov; Nashville Banner]

🎢 Your Amusement Park Guide

We all know Dollywood is the best theme park in Tennessee, but do we have any other options? Local rollercoaster enthusiast Charlie Weingartner is on the podcast today with the best destinations for a thrill-seeking day trip or overnight visit to amusement parks near Nashville. Plus: What does he think about Nate Bargatze’s theme park plans? [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

• More family vacation ideas [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🌨️ FEMA Gives $36M+ in Individual Assistance

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has sent more than $36 million in disaster assistance to Tennesseans in 29 counties impacted by Winter Storm Fern after Pres. Trump approved individual assistance on April 11. FEMA has granted $7.9 million in housing assistance, and $28.6 million for other needs. [Tennessee Lookout]

• Tennesseans affected by the ice storm have until June 10 to apply for individual assistance. [Disaster Assistance]

💰 Local Prison Company’s Big ICE Earnings

Brentwood-based private prison company CoreCivic reported a staggering increase in earnings during the first quarter of 2026, largely thanks to a 96% increase in revenue from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. CoreCivic operates numerous ICE detention facilities across the U.S. [Nashville Scene]

• CoreCivic has been under investigation numerous times for human rights abuses, and was recently sanctioned for destroying video evidence in a case alleging wrongful death of an ICE detainee at one of its facilities. [🎧 City Cast Nashville; The Intercept]

✈️ Can We Block the State Takeover of BNA … Again?

Nashville is pursuing federal intervention as it tries to retain control over the Metro Nashville Airport Authority Board. During the 2026 legislative session, state lawmakers passed a bill to take control of all Metropolitan airport boards in Tennessee. Metro Legal has advised the city and board to ask the Federal Aviation Administration to step in and prevent the state takeover. [🔐 The Tennessean]

• The state also passed a bill to control Nashville’s underground projects, like The Boring Company’s Music City Loop. Boring will launch a second tunnel-boring machine later this month. [Nashville Scene]
• According to SFGATE managing editor Katie Dowd, the Las Vegas Boring tunnel is “the worst transit on Earth.” [SFGATE]
• And there have been numerous environmental concerns with the tunnels in Vegas. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]