🪖 Waging war on cars in Nashville

🪖 Waging War on Cars in Nashville

Nashville has seen a spike in the number of pedestrian deaths this year. What needs to change to make our roads safer? How can our dangerous infrastructure be fixed? To help answer these questions, we called in Sarah Goodyear, journalist and co-host of the podcast The War on Cars. On today’s podcast, she helps us imagine a Nashville where downtown is closed to pedestrians, Germantown is transformed into a bike-friendly, green neighborhood, and even our busiest roads see zero pedestrian fatalities. [🎧 The War on Cars; 🎧 City Cast Nashville]

• Lipscomb University was recently awarded a grant to analyze traffic on Lower Broadway with the goal of improving pedestrian safety. [Nashville Post]
• Nashville is one of several cities with a Vision Zero plan that calls for eliminating pedestrian deaths. On our podcast, Goodyear discusses other cities in the U.S. and around the world that have succeeded at Vision Zero, and how expanding public transit has been a huge part of their success. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]
• Goodyear and co-host Doug Gordon will be discussing their new book, “Life After Cars,” at the Southern Festival of Books on Oct. 17-18. [Parnassus; Southern Festival of Books]

Last week, Nashville’s Choose How You Move transit program announced its next round of improvements. The capital investments include expanding Nashville’s fleet of WeGo public transit buses, constructing the Donelson Transit Center, prioritizing 61 sidewalks, and planning and project development for All-Access Corridors at Gallatin Pike and Nolensville Pike. Gallatin and Nolensville are two of Nashville’s most dangerous roads for pedestrians. [Nashville.gov]

🍽️ More Restaurants Coming to BNA

Heaps of restaurants have been added to the list of local businesses that will be part of Nashville International Airport’s new concourse, including Turkey and the Wolf, Chief’s, Hawkers Asian Street Food, and Burger Republic. Concourse A will open in 2028, and the renovation will add 10 more gates, an outdoor terrace, and additional moving walkways. [🔐 The Tennessean]

• Listen to our interview with Nashville Business Journal senior reporter Adam Sichko about all the changes coming to BNA. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🏞️ Local Park Receives $4M Grant

The Farm at Mill Ridge Park has received a $4 million grant from the National Park Service and the Joe C. Davis Foundation. With the grant, the park will restore historic farm features and renovate The Barn into an indoor nature center where it can host classes, farmers markets, and other community events. [WKRN]

🪧 State Lawmaker Challenges Punishment

Lawyers for state Sen. Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville) have sent a letter to Lt. Gov. Randy McNally requesting he rescind all punishments for her protests during the special session earlier this year, where Republican state lawmakers voted to redraw Tennessee’s congressional districts. In protest, Oliver stood on her desk in the Senate with a banner that read, “No Jim Crow 2.0. Stop the TN Steal.” In response, McNally refused to count her redistricting vote, stripped her per diem pay, and reassigned her committee duties. The letter from her lawyers claims these actions are illegal. [Nashville Scene]

🏢 Oracle Lags in Fulfilling Employment Promises

Tech giant Oracle is struggling to fill out its Nashville workforce just five years after the state agreed to a hefty $65 million incentive package, and Metro Council cleared development hurdles. So far, Oracle has employed 827 employees. If the company fails to create around 5,000 more jobs by the end of 2029, it will be required to repay some or all of its incentive package. [Nashville Scene]