Nashville Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission
December 31, 2025
Dear Mayor O’Connell and Members of the Metropolitan Council,
We are pleased to submit the second annual report of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission (BPAC), pursuant to MCL Section 2.153.040(C).
Summary of major outcomes in 2025
• Overall, Nashville built 5.9 miles of new sidewalk, 2.6 miles of new bikeway, and 1.1 miles of new greenway in 2025. This represents a slight increase in sidewalk construction (compared to 3.8 miles in 2024) but a significant decrease in bikeway construction (compared to 21.4 miles in 2024). Greenway construction remained overall stable (1 mile in 2024).
• The completion of the Jefferson Street Bridge bikeway represents an important improvement in safety and connectivity.
• However, the commission notes that 0 miles of concrete-protected bikeways were constructed in 2025, and 0.15 miles of bikeway were removed.
• From January 1st through December 29th, 2025, 25 pedestrians and 4 bicyclists were killed in Davidson county.
• Based on these data and given the influx of funding through the Choose How You Move program, the commission urges Metro Nashville to significantly increase both the pace and quality of infrastructure construction in 2026, with a focus on building out networks with robust concrete protection to protect the lives of people walking and bicycling and to make our streets safe and accessible to all. Specific recommendations follow on page 3 of this report.
BPAC goals and accomplishments in 2025
Our three primary goals this year were to increase our commission’s public accessibility and engagement, to strengthen our collaborations with Metro departments and our partner commissions, and to formalize our processes, both internally and externally, to provide tangible input on designs and policies to make our city more walkable and bikeable. To these ends, we:
● Began streaming all BPAC meetings on Metro Nashville Network on September 15, 2025
● Received a total of 42 presentations from Metro departments and welcomed 32 public comments
● Approved nine statements and resolutions providing advice to the Mayor’s office and Metro Departments on issues concerning walking and biking in Nashville
● Participated in the joint meeting between the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Traffic and Parking Commission, the Vision Zero Advisory Committee, and the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission on August 25, 2025
● Adopted bylaws to formalize the structure and roles of our commission
● Completed Metro Legal training
● Established checkpoints within the charter process for BPAC to review and provide feedback on new sidewalk and bikeway projects
● Continued to expand the role of our three subcommittees encompassing Community Engagement, Planning and Engineering Review, and Rules, Process, and Reporting
● Renewed Nashville’s Bicycle Friendly Community status at the Bronze level and reviewed feedback from our application to identify opportunities for improvement
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BPAC Resolutions and Statements in 2025
Nine statements, resolutions, and proclamations were approved unanimously by BPAC in 2025 and sent to the Mayor’s Office, Metro Council, and Metro Departments. These included:
Statements on Major Infrastructure Projects
• A letter calling for all East Bank Boulevard designs included in the Imagine East Bank Vision Plan to be presented for public consideration and feedback at the public meeting in April 2025. This statement was co-signed by the Vision Zero Advisory Committee, Walk Bike Nashville, and the Civic Design Center.
• A statement urging Metro leadership to reject the 6-lane designs for East Bank Boulevard that were subsequently presented at the public meeting and to instead build a complete street that is safe for people using all modes of travel
• A resolution opposing the allocation of public land for a new road through Percy Warner Park
• A statement expressing support for the planned redesign of the Commerce Street bikeway, including concrete protection from 2nd Ave N to 10th Ave N
• A statement advising NDOT to study the effectiveness of the existing stop signs on 3rd Ave N and consider implementation of vertical traffic calming elements instead of a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon
Recommended Policy and Safety Improvements
• A statement recommending the removal of all “Make Eye Contact” signs and the identification of evidence-based infrastructure changes that can be implemented at each location instead
• A statement expressing opposition to targeted traffic stops by federal immigration enforcement Proclamations
• A proclamation recognizing May 2025 as Bike Month in Nashville and Davidson County
• A proclamation recognizing October 2025 as Walk Month in Nashville and Davidson County
Status of sidewalk, bikeway, and greenway construction in Nashville
● Overall, 5.9 miles of new sidewalk, 2.6 miles of new bikeway, and 1 mile of new greenway were constructed in 2025. 4.9 miles of existing bikeways were also improved or enhanced this year.
● The new/improved bikeways completed in 2025 include:
○ 4.16 miles of delineator-separated bicycle lanes
○ 1.55 miles of delineator-separated bicycle lanes with rubber curbs
○ 1.03 miles of single stripe or buffered bicycle lanes
○ 0.77 miles of shared bikeways or neighborways
○ 0 miles of concrete-protected bicycle lanes
● In addition, 810 linear feet (0.15 miles) of bikeway were removed in 2025, including the new two-way cycle track on 9th Ave N and the Commerce Street bikeway between 2nd and 3rd Ave.
● Commission recommendations:
○ The commission strongly recommends that Nashville dramatically increase the construction of walking and bicycling infrastructure in 2026 and recommends transitioning away from the use of flexible delineators in favor of concrete protection.
○ BPAC also stands opposed to the removal of any bikeways and formally requests that any changes to existing bicycle or pedestrian infrastructure be discussed with this commission prior to implementation. We also ask that Metro adopt a policy of 'No Net Loss' for active transportation infrastructure, ensuring that if a bikeway is altered, it is immediately replaced with a facility of equal or greater safety in the same corridor.
Status of bikeway maintenance and enforcement in Nashville
● A total of 207 citations were issued in 2025 for bikeway violations.
● 173 miles of bikeway are now swept bi-weekly, including 108 miles of NDOT bicycle lanes and 65 miles of TDOT bicycle lanes.
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Recommendations for addressing the outstanding needs in our bicycling and walking infrastructure in 2026
● Given the funding available through the Choose How You Move program, 2026 should be the year that we demonstrate our priorities through infrastructure. Building networks of high-quality infrastructure with robust physical protection will make our streets safe and inviting for all modes of travel and transform the way that people move around our city.
● As part of this, we look forward to the completion of the Connect Downtown Phase 1 mobility lanes in 2026. These should be built out as continuous, concrete-protected bikeways that are safe for all ages and abilities and welcoming for new riders.
● We should also significantly accelerate our sidewalk construction in 2026 and implement safe, evidence-based crossing improvements to address the many existing gaps in our network.
● We urge Metro to complete the bike share RFP as soon as possible and develop a strategy for expanding micromobility city-wide. The commission recommends hiring a full-time micromobility coordinator to help Nashville meet these goals.
● We again call on Metro leadership and NDOT to formally reject the 6-lane designs for East Bank Boulevard that are opposed by 80% of the public and work together with BPAC, VZAC, advocacy organizations, and the community to design a people-centered street that provides dedicated space for walking, bicycling, and transit, in alignment with our modal hierarchy and the Imagine East Bank vision plan.
● We also urge Metro and the East Bank team to provide a written commitment to protect access to the Seigenthaler pedestrian bridge at all times, both during construction and after completion of the East Bank project. This bridge is an invaluable public asset and the only safe connection across the river for people walking and bicycling. Maintaining safe access to this bridge for Nashvillians is paramount.
● Finally, as we formalize our role as an advisory commission, we ask that Metro and NDOT ensure transparency of decision-making so that we are proactively involved in active transportation infrastructure projects. BPAC should be consulted at the conceptual, 30%, and 60% design stages of all new projects and should be regularly updated on how plans are being executed, the status of current projects, and if the timeline or scope of a project is changed. We should also be consulted before any changes to existing sidewalks and bikeways.
Finally, we submit the following specific requests that will enable us to meet our goals and be more successful as a commission in the upcoming year.
1. Appointing and confirming our final member as soon as possible.
2. Designating a walking and bicycling lead in the Mayor’s Office to attend BPAC meetings and take on responsibility for establishing citywide policy and goals for bicycling and walking in cooperation with BPAC and relevant departments.
3. Requesting a nominal budget in the next fiscal year to support community engagement and outreach. The commission’s Community Engagement Subcommittee requests a $3,000 allocation in 2026 to support volunteer-led outreach across Davidson County. This investment will fund multilingual materials, pop-up engagement at community events, digital surveys, and accessibility to gather resident input on walking and biking safety and access. The effort directly supports Vision Zero and Complete Streets goals, requires no staff or recurring funding, and will produce a summary of participation, geographic reach, and key community priorities to inform NDOT and Metro planning efforts.
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We thank you all for your support and dedication to promoting safe mobility for all in Nashville.
Sincerely,
Katherine McDonell, Chair
Matthew Hertz, Vice Chair
KJ Garner
Alvin Haney
John Norris
Anas Saba
Carey Rogers
Courtney Ross
Chris Weinman
Approved unanimously by the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission on December 15, 2025