NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Before construction crews begin transforming I-24, South Nashville neighbors say there is work that needs to happen off the interstate first.
Neighborhood group 16th United met Thursday night to discuss road and safety improvements residents want the Tennessee Department of Transportation to consider as the $9.2 billion I-24 Choice Lanes project moves forward.
The group says it is focusing on state roads including Nolensville Pike, Murfreesboro Pike, Harding Place, Thompson Lane and Old Hickory Boulevard.
Julie James, president of 16th United, said residents are concerned that construction on I-24 could send additional traffic onto roads that neighbors already consider problematic.
“We know that when the construction starts on I-24, a lot of that traffic is going to be diverted here. And so what is already a problem is just going to get worse,” James said.
James said the group wants those existing problems addressed before additional traffic begins moving through their communities.
“I want to prioritize and get them fixed before the additional traffic starts hitting our communities,” James said.
Thursday's meeting was part of an effort to turn individual concerns from South Nashville residents into a prioritized list that could eventually be presented to state officials.
James said residents have raised concerns ranging from unsafe crossings and gaps in sidewalks to lighting and traffic signals.
The group created a map and added pins showing concerns it received from neighbors and through Facebook.
“And then every comment that we got from my neighbor or on Facebook, we added a pin. And we said, this is what they are asking for at this point. It just gives a visual to all the different things that people are looking for,” James said.
One example discussed at the meeting highlighted the difficulty some residents say they face simply trying to walk within their neighborhood. During the discussion, residents mapped a route to a nearby Kroger and said it required walking 2.1 miles when using crosswalks.
Safety is at the center of the group's request.
“To listen to the community and to know that we deserve to be heard and our priority is safety,” James said.
Gib Jeffries, a community member who attended Thursday's meeting, said he hopes the process brings neighbors together around common concerns and potential solutions.
“Really what I'd like to see is the community come together and come to agreement about the problems and just how to work together to form solutions,” Jeffries said.
The group has not finalized exactly what it will ask TDOT to change. Instead, Thursday's discussion was intended to help residents identify and prioritize the improvements they believe are most important.
16th United plans to continue gathering feedback, narrow the concerns into a priority list and seek support from other community groups before taking its requests to TDOT.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@NewsChannel5.com
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