2021 WalknBike Nashville

https://www.nashville.gov/departments/transportation/walknbike

Nashville’s leaders have heard the demand to improve walking and biking and the Mayor is committed to meeting the need for more sidewalks and bikeways. Led by the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT), Metro project team members include the Mayor’s Office, Metro Water Services, Metro General Services, Metro Nashville Public Schools, and Metro Parks and Recreation. The project team is also composed of LDA Engineering, CDM Smith, Fairpointe Planning, and a steering committee made up of internal and external partners.

The project includes a robust public engagement process, evaluation of peer and aspirational cities, updated inventory of Davidson County’s sidewalk and bikeways, modernized project prioritization, a comprehensive funding strategy, and new tools to provide easier access to information about implementation and program progress.

To keep the plan relevant and inclusive, public participation and feedback is incredibly important. To date, we have conducted in person and virtual public and stakeholder engagement activities, conducted an online survey though November 15, 2021, and engaged Nashvillians in sidewalk and bikeway discussions at pop up events, festivals, community meetings throughout the county.

2021 WalknBike Steering Committee

The WalknBike steering committee is comprised of a wide range of Metro and community partners representing many areas of expertise as well as population, who together provide strategic direction for the planning process and direction of Nashville’s sidewalk and bikeway networks.

Steering Committee Representative Agencies:

• Mayor’s Office
• Metro General Services
• Metro Water Services
• Metro Nashville Parks & Recreation
• Metro Nashville Public Schools
• Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT)
• WeGo Public Transit
• Walk Bike Nashville
• Civic Design Center
• Greater Nashville Regional Council (GNRC)
• Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT)
• Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities
• Conexión Americas
• Hispanic Family Foundation
• Black Girls Do Bike
• Boys and Girls Club of Middle Tennessee

2017 WalknBike Plan

In 2017, the City of Nashville released the 2017 WalknBike Final Plan that was centered around the idea of creating a network of high-quality, comfortable, safe sidewalks and bikeways, connecting people to opportunity. The system, inclusive to users of all ages and abilities, was to promote and encourage safety, health, education, and active transportation.

The goals from the 2017 plan were to improve access and equity, network connectivity, safety, to increase collaboration between Metro Nashville and partners, both existing and potential, and to garner national recognition as a Silver Level Bicycle Friendly Community and Silver Level Walk Friendly Community. The recommendations that came from the plan update were an update in policy, related to bikeshare integration, traffic calming solutions, and speed reduction in different areas heavily traveled by pedestrians and cyclists. The implementation of programs such as Vision Zero, an initiative to reduce the number of crashes in Nashville to zero, was also a by-product of the plan.

Background Materials

• Peer City and Aspirational City Review
• State of Practice Report
• Survey 1 Results
• Survey 2 Results

Status Tracker

Interactive Mapping Tool

Get Involved

If you want your community involved in the sidewalk and bikeway planning process, please reach out to our team to schedule a WalknBike community discussion.

• WalknBike Plan: Veronica Allen or Rochelle Carpenter
• Sidewalk Projects: Jeff Hammond
• Bikeway Projects: Jason Radinger

Related Plans and Documents

A number of other planning processes are taking place in Nashville. The WalknBike Project team is keeping abreast of these and other relevant planning efforts within Nashville so that information relevant to our work will be incorporated into WalknBike.

• Vision Zero
• Nashville Transportation Plan
• East Bank Development Plan
• NashvilleNext General Plan and Access Nashville City Transportation Plan
• Implementing Complete Streets: Major and Collector Street Plan
• Plan to Play Parks and Greenways Plan

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the WalknBike Plan?

The WalknBike Plan is centered around the idea of creating a network of high-quality, comfortable, and safe sidewalks and bikeways that connect people to opportunity. The system, inclusive to users of all ages and abilities, was to promote and encourage safety, health, education, and active transportation. The first version of the plan was released in 2017 and is now being updated.

Why is the WalknBike Plan from 2017 being updated?

The 2017 plan laid out a good foundation for sidewalk and bikeway planning and several projects, policies and programs were implemented because of it. Nashville experienced a lot of growth since the last plan, so it is important that the new plan is in alignment with some of the changes we experienced and to prepare for new scenarios to come. The goal is to make sure the 2021 WalknBike Plan is equitable and developed with an eye towards implementation.

How is this different from Vision Zero?

The Nashville Vision Zero Action Plan looks at crash data, identifies crash hotspots, and aims to recommend ways to make streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and other vulnerable roadway users. The goal of the program is to eliminate traffic fatalities in the city. Information from the Vision Zero planning effort helps inform the WalknBike plan by sharing safety data and policies developed through their planning effort.

Can someone present the plan update to my community group?

Yes, the project consulting team is available to make virtual presentations or in-person presentations when following the latest CDC protocol.

How do I request a sidewalk or bikeway in my neighborhood?

The best way to provide your input is to fill out the 2021 WalknBike Survey. Use the comment bubbles throughout the survey to give specific feedback regarding your community. You can also visit Hub Nashville to report any damage or issues along a sidewalk or bikeway.

How long will it take to start seeing projects be implemented?

The WalknBike Plan Update is currently in the public engagement phase. Before projects move to implementation, it is essential to collect public feedback in order to develop the best possible plan for Nashville.