Council sets April 1 deadline for greenway crosswalk safety report

Metro Council members approved a directive this week requiring a comprehensive safety study of crosswalks on Nashville greenways. The council set a hard deadline of April 1 for the report to be submitted. This timeline ensures the findings will be available for consideration during the drafting of next year’s city budget.

Under the new measures, Metro Parks will work directly with the Nashville Department of Transportation. The two agencies will identify which specific crosswalks present the highest risks to users. The study aims to produce the city’s first all-encompassing safety plan for these recreational corridors. The initiative follows a series of fatal incidents that have occurred on greenways and adjacent crosswalks in recent years.

Council member Jacob Kupin framed the effort as a two-pronged strategy. He explained that the council intends to address simple, low-cost fixes immediately. Simultaneously, the broader study will determine the necessary infrastructure upgrades for long-term safety. Kupin noted that financial planning cannot begin until the specific safety requirements are clearly defined.

“It’s kind of a two-pronged approach. If there are easy, quick fixes, let’s go just do those,” Kupin said. “To me, before you can execute and figure out where you get the money from, we need to know, ‘What do these even need to be safe?’” he added. The council is waiting for the data to justify specific funding allocations.

Daily users of the greenway system have reported needing to remain highly vigilant while navigating the paths. They have cited the lack of clear separation from vehicle traffic as a primary concern. The new study will evaluate these reported hazards to inform the final safety recommendations. The report will guide how the city allocates resources for trail improvements in the coming fiscal year.