Gridlock at Nashville airport? Mayor, airport CEO make show of unity, promise better roads

Holiday traffic this year at Nashville International Airport has led to new levels of frustration for travelers, from long lines to parking problems.

Then there's the ongoing airport board dispute between Metro and the state.

So on Friday morning, airport president Doug Kreulen and Mayor Freddie O'Connell hosted a press conference where they discussed growth and the ongoing power struggle between state and local leaders.

They promised to work closely to accelerate roadway widening and transit improvements, and to improve relations with state leaders.

"Whatever the future of transit in Nashville, there are going to be riders," Kreulen said. "The growth of our beautiful city and state is going to demand we get them in and out more efficiently."

The same two-lane roads serve the 1980s-era terminal off Interstate 40, even though growth is so robust that airport leaders struggle to predict how many new passengers will arrive in coming years. More than 21 million people moved through BNA this year — 24 million are expected in 2024.

O'Connell said they are working toward a "better equilibrium" with state leaders who passed a law in May to take control of most Metro Nashville Airport Authority board of commissioner appointments. That law was overturned Oct. 31 in court — a move that has been appealed by the state.

As O'Connell's administration considers whether to move forward with a transit funding referendum in 2024, airport access remains a key element in any transit scenario.

"A transit referendum would very likely mean that the Murfreesboro corridor as a whole would support higher-capacity transit access to and from the airport directly," O'Connell said Friday. "Historically, WeGo's access has not been expressed as convenient as possible, but … the airport is designed to accommodate higher capacity modes of transit, so we're going to be exploring that."

Earlier this year: Gridlock and walking on the interstate

Thanksgiving and Fall Break travelers found themselves grid-locked at peak times at the main I-40 airport exit 216A, where construction is underway to widen streets and exit roads to accommodate modern traffic levels.

Things were so bad that some travelers got out of vehicles and walked on the highway shoulder to catch their flights.

"Don’t get out of your car, don’t walk on the interstate,” Kreulen warned. “It’s not safe. It’s against the law. I guarantee you will get to the airport faster (in a car), even if there is a minor delay, than walking."

'Circling and circling the terminal'

Spencer Butler, owner of Luna Transportation black-car service, said the roadway improvements can't come soon enough.

"The biggest issue is that half of the cars are just circling and circling the terminal. Bag-wait times are up to 45 minutes," Butler said. "It's such a three-dimensional problem, not just one thing can be blamed."

Airport leaders told The Tennessean drivers are repeatedly circling the terminal — an increasing problem since construction relocated the lot for drivers who are waiting to pick up arriving travelers.

Christmas traffic isn't expected to be as bad as it was around Thanksgiving and Fall Break. But travelers can improve their journey with good preparation.

Peak travel times are 6 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. Officials recommend arriving two hours early for domestic flights.

Drivers can avoid the main 216A exit during busy times by taking 216B and Donelson Pike/Murfreesboro Road.

New options at Nashville International Airport

Kreulen announced upgrades underway to counteract traffic backups. Those include restriping roads for better visibility, increasing directional signage, and relocating ride-hailing, limousine and taxi pickup and drop-off areas to the ground-transportation center.

Where to wait for arrivals: The old on-terminal cell phone waiting lot is closed for construction. Airport officials are using signs to redirect more drivers waiting for arrivals to the new, larger lot three miles away at 1415 Murfreesboro Pike.

But many continue to circle rather than park in the lot.

"We still don't have big usage of Murfreesboro Pike cell phone lot," Kreulen told the board of commissioners on Dec. 20. "We keep telling people, if you circle the terminal three times, it's just as time consuming as going to Murfreesboro Pike."

Airport officials encourage drivers to consider taking exits on either side of the main 216A exit off Interstate 40 to avoid backups.

To help alleviate traffic, the airport began offering free short-term parking on December 1 at terminal garages for up to 30 minutes.

"In the first ten days of this program, we had about 2,200 more people parking inside the two-hour limit. So it’s being used and that's taking a lot of pressure off our roads," Kreulen said.

Travelers can sign up for traffic text alerts at flynashville.com and get other day-of-travel information.

Track your flights

In-flight travel is only one piece of flying time.

It's important to consider the full trip when planning pick-up and arrival times so that cars don't clog roads circling the terminal.

The time it takes for planes to taxi between gates, load and unload passengers varies considerably.

FlightAware.com provides up-to-the-minute status updates on flights, including delays and progress between gates. It tracks planes throughout their daily schedules, so travelers can see where their plane is well before it arrives at their gate.

Similar flight-tracking sites are Flightradar24 and ADS-B Exchange.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville mayor promises transit change, airport traffic progress