Council Calls for Review of Greenway Crossing Safety
A Metro Council resolution asks city agencies to map pedestrian and cyclist collisions on Nashville greenways and propose safety fixes.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in National Parks
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Metro Council member Jacob Kupin sponsored a resolution calling for a review of Nashville greenway crossing safety. The measure asks NDOT and Metro Parks to map where people walking and biking have been hit by cars over the past year.
Why it matters
Multiple people have been hit or killed by cars on Nashville greenways over the last two years, and the city has lacked a roadmap for needed safety changes. The review aims to align greenway protections with the city's Vision Zero commitment to eliminate traffic deaths.
The resolution sets an April 1, 2027 deadline for a final greenway safety report to Metro Council, which will inform next year's budget process. Multiple pedestrians have been hit or killed on Nashville greenways over the past two years, but the total number of incidents has not been publicly tallied.
The players
Jacob Kupin
Jacob Kupin is a Nashville Metro Council member who sponsored the resolution calling for the greenway crossing safety review.
Metro Council
The Metro Council is Nashville's legislative body, which considers resolutions and budget decisions affecting city infrastructure and services.
The details
The resolution asks NDOT and Metro Parks to study dangerous crosswalks and build the city's first comprehensive greenway safety plan, including cost estimates. It also asks NDOT to work with Metro Parks so safety is built into new trail network development. A pedestrian beacon was added to the Third Avenue greenway after Dot Dobbins was hit and killed there last summer.
Timeline
Last summer: Dot Dobbins was hit and killed on the Third Avenue greenway.
Past two years: Multiple people were hit or killed by cars on Nashville greenways.
This week: Metro Council voted on the greenway safety resolution.
April 1, 2027: Final greenway safety report due to Metro Council.
Seasonal Patterns
Nashville's commitment to the Vision Zero plan to eliminate traffic deaths now extends to off-road greenway trails, which the city has not previously covered with a comprehensive safety plan. The resolution applies that existing goal to pedestrian and cyclist crossings on the city's expanding trail network.
Walkers and cyclists using Nashville greenways, especially crossings without a beacon or signal, should use caution at intersections with traffic. Riders planning trips on trails like the Third Avenue greenway can check for newly added pedestrian beacons before crossing.
The takeaway
Greenway users should treat trail crossings with the same caution as street crossings, since the city has not yet mapped where collisions have occurred. Watch for the 2027 safety report to see which crossings receive upgrades.
What happens next
The final greenway safety report is due to Metro Council by April 1, 2027, in time for consideration in next year's budget process.
Further reading
For more on trail destinations, see National Parks coverage across Nashville.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Wsmv.
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