Our sincerest thanks to Diana Alarcon for the insights that she shared during this morning’s Breakfast Meeting on the efforts of the Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) to clean up our roadways, facilitate smoother traffic patterns and ultimately eliminate traffic fatalities in our city!

Alarcon spotlighted NDOT’s five-year strategic plan emphasizing safer neighborhoods and a focus on customers and NDOT employees, in addition to pointing out several notable statistics related to driving and traffic. For instance: the three most frequent causes of vehicle crashes are speeding, driving under the influence and distracted driving, all of which are preventable. She also acknowledged that NDOT recently received a $13 million grant from the federal government, which will fund several traffic safety projects along Nolensville Pike.

Alarcon also noted NDOT’s goals to have a uniform school zone — 15 miles per hour speeds with cameras to detect speeding vehicles — for every school in the area, as well as the Connect Downtown system that adjusts traffic lights in downtown Nashville based on peak times; for example, traffic lights may stay green for longer periods on certain streets to allow for traffic flowing into and out of downtown more smoothly, with less stop-and-go traffic.

Looking ahead, Alarcon and NDOT are working to launch the city’s first traffic management center, in addition to implementing complete and green streets — which will include protected bikeways — and the initial rollout of the Connect Downtown plan.

Lastly, Alarcon encouraged everyone to contact hubNashville (via the mobile app, the hubNashville website or by calling 311 from your mobile device) to report any potholes and to submit requests to clean bike lanes throughout the city.

Thanks to all who attended today’s meeting, and we look forward to seeing you on July 11 for our next Breakfast Meeting!