As Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) students return from summer break, the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) has announced the completion of safety enhancements in 15 school zones across the city. The safety projects, initiated in late May and concluded before the school year resumed in Davidson County, aim to improve crossing visibility and reduce speeding in school zones.
The initiative emerged from discussions among various Metro departments and Metropolitan Nashville Council Members to standardize traffic control measures at city schools. Funding for the program was provided through the June 2023 Surplus Budget.
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Mayor Freddie O’Connell emphasized the importance of school zone safety, stating, “By making our school zones more visible and consistent across the city, motorists will have no doubt they are in a school zone and need to reduce their speed and pay close attention for students, faculty, crossing guards, and other pedestrians in the school zone.”
The safety improvements include standardized “SLOW SCHOOL ZONE” pavement markings, radar feedback signs displaying driver speeds, flashing “School Zone” beacons, and enhanced speed limit signage. School zone locations were selected based on their proximity to Nashville’s Vision Zero high injury network and prioritized according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Justice40 Initiative, which focuses on underinvested communities.
NDOT Director Diana Alarcon highlighted the significance of these measures, saying, “Every life in our city is important, and school age children are some of our most vulnerable road users.”
In addition to the 15 completed projects, NDOT plans to upgrade 37 more school zones. These upgrades will be implemented primarily when schools are not in session. The length and timing of each school zone are determined by individual schools to suit their specific needs. NDOT aims to continue enhancing safety near MNPS schools on an ongoing basis.
NDOT Engineer Chris Augustinos noted, “These measures are expected to reduce driver speeds in school zones and provide attention-directing cues for drivers where pedestrians are expected to cross the street.”
To report a non-emergency issue affecting a Metro Nashville street, visit hub.nashville.gov.
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Roadwork Updates for East and Middle Tennessee
Numerous road projects in East and Middle Tennessee are causing temporary lane closures, traffic stoppages, and detours across multiple counties, including Cumberland, Dekalb, Jackson, Putnam, Bledsoe, Coffee, Franklin, Marion, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren, Bradley, Hamilton, McMinn, Meigs, Polk, and Rhea.