Nashville secures federal funding for new traffic management center, pending Metro Council approval

Cassandra Stephenson, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read
Snow covers the cars on the street in East Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.
Snow covers the cars on the street in East Nashville, Tenn., Monday, Jan. 3, 2022.

Nashville's new traffic management center — a tech hub focused on improving traffic safety and flow — will be entirely funded by a federal grant, Mayor John Cooper announced Thursday.

The state awarded the $3.65 million grant from a coffer of federal dollars, with no local match required. Metro Council must approve the grant before the city can receive the funds.

The funding will power the Nashville Department of Transportation's traffic management hub at 700 Second Ave. S. There, NDOT employees will have access to traffic signal control systems, sensor-based traffic monitoring technology and other tools.

The center will serve as a "clearing house" for traffic updates and provide data for use in reducing congestion, according to Thursday's announcement. NDOT will share those real-time updates on electronic roadway signs, social media, on nashville.gov and in cooperation with the Tennessee Department of Transportation and other city agencies.

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The grant funds come from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program.

The traffic management center is one piece of the Metro Transportation Plan adopted in December 2020. The plan was shaped with input from nearly 3,000 residents and organizations and calls for street repair and modernization; safety improvements; improved and expanded bikeways, walkways and greenways; and the reduction of pedestrian and traffic deaths.

Council members initially balked at what they said was a plan lacking financial backing or a clear timeline for project completion, but ultimately approved the $1.6 billion plan 33-5. Prior to its passage, Cooper emphasized the plan's focus on obtaining state and federal funds.

The city launched the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure last July, naming Diana Alarcon as director in November. Alarcon officially took control of the department on Jan. 10.

Over the last two years, Nashville secured nearly $44 million in transportation and infrastructure grants and partnerships.

Nearly 25% of Cooper's recently approved $564 million capital spending plan is earmarked for transportation improvements.

In a news release Thursday, Cooper said the grant "affirms our transportation strategy" and demonstrates the ability of the Metro Transportation Plan to "unlock state and federal funding."

Council member Zach Young chairs the Metro Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and said traffic in Nashville has returned to pre-pandemic levels.

"We need to move quickly on projects like the traffic management center to keep Nashville working for our residents and visitors," Young stated in the release.

Reach reporter Cassandra Stephenson at ckstephenson@tennessean.com or at (731) 694-7261. Follow Cassandra on Twitter at @CStephenson731.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville secures federal funding for new traffic management center