NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — For drivers, making a right turn at a red light may seem routine. But at some Nashville intersections, that could soon be off limits.
After months of debate over restricting right turns on red, Metro Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda withdrew the legislation she introduced.
But she says that doesn't mean the changes she has been pushing for are going away.
“The goal was simple, you know, to protect as many pedestrians as we could and prevent people from dying,” Sepulveda told NewsChannel 5.
Her original proposal was much broader, targeting hundreds of signalized intersections across Nashville. It was later scaled back to 59 intersections as the Metro Council members debated its scope and potential impact.
Now, instead of continuing to push the legislation through Metro Council, Sepulveda says the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure, or NDOT, will move forward administratively with some of the restrictions.
“There are specific intersections where it is absolutely needed, and that is where it will be implemented,” Sepulveda said. “The places where it is not needed, it will not be implemented.”
Sepulveda says the plan includes the 59 intersections identified through the legislative process, with more than 200 additional intersections to be studied.
“We have commitment from NDOT for 14 immediately in two weeks and then the rest should start in three to four months for the rest,” she said.
Sepulveda told NewsChannel 5 the first 14 intersections are located downtown.
The 59 intersections considered under the legislation were selected based on pedestrian activity, crash history and proximity to destinations such as schools and parks.
The changes come during a deadly year for people walking and biking on Nashville's roads.
Metro officials say 28 people walking or biking have been killed so far this year, surpassing the 27 deaths recorded during all of 2025.
“It's a pretty big issue,” Sepulveda said. “Each year, the number just keeps growing.”
For Sepulveda, withdrawing the legislation does not mean the months-long effort was unsuccessful.
“I think we accomplished what we set out to do, which was to make sure that we promoted safety, that we protected pedestrians and bikers and also people who are driving,” she said.
Sepulveda says she plans to continue meeting with NDOT to make sure the changes move forward.
Affected intersections:
| Signal ID | Location |
|---|---|
| 1010 | 1st Avenue North/Church Street |
| 1020 | 1st Avenue South/Demonbreun Street |
| 1040 | 2nd Avenue South/Chestnut Street |
| 1060 | 2nd Avenue North/Church Street |
| 1120 | 2nd Avenue North/Union Street |
| 1150 | 3rd Avenue North/Church Street |
| 1155 | 3rd Avenue North/Commerce Street |
| 1170 | 3rd Avenue South/Demonbreun Street |
| 1220 | 3rd Avenue North/Union Street |
| 1260 | 4th Avenue North/Church Street |
| 1270 | 4th Avenue North/Commerce Street |
| 1290 | 4th Avenue South/Demonbreun Street |
| 1295 | 4th Avenue South/Korean Veterans Boulevard |
| 1370 | Rep John Lewis Way N/Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd |
| 1380 | Rep John Lewis Way N/Church Street |
| 1390 | Rep John Lewis Way N/Commerce Street |
| 1395 | Rep John Lewis Way N/Deaderick Street |
| 1400 | Rep John Lewis Way S/Demonbreun Street |
| 1430 | Rep John Lewis Way S/Korean Veterans Boulevard |
| 1440 | Rep John Lewis Way N/Union Street |
| 1445 | 6th Avenue/Broadway |
| 1460 | 6th Avenue North/Church Street |
| 1490 | 6th Avenue South/Demonbreun Street |
| 1495 | 6th Avenue South/Korean Veterans Boulevard |
| 1520 | 6th Avenue North/Union Street |
| 1530 | 7th Avenue/Broadway |
| 1550 | 7th Avenue North/Church Street |
| 1560 | 7th Avenue North/Commerce Street |
| 1590 | 7th Avenue South/McGavock Street |
| 1620 | 8th Avenue/Broadway |
| 1650 | 8th Avenue North/Church Street |
| 1680 | 8th Avenue North/Commerce Street |
| 1800 | 8th Avenue South/McGavock Street |
| 1875 | 9th Avenue North/Buchanan Street |
| 1880 | 9th Avenue/Broadway |
| 1900 | 9th Avenue North/Commerce Street |
| 1910 | 10th Avenue/Broadway |
| 1920 | 10th Avenue North/Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd |
| 1930 | 10th Avenue South/Demonbreun Street |
| 1950 | 11th Avenue North/Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd |
| 1961 | 11th Avenue North/Grundy Street |
| 1965 | 11th Avenue South/Pine Street |
| 1970 | 12th Avenue/Broadway |
| 1980 | 12th Avenue South/Demonbreun Street |
| 1990 | 12th Avenue South/Division Street |
| 2100 | 14th Avenue South/Demonbreun Street |
| 2200 | 17th Avenue North/Jo Johnston Avenue |
| 2245 | 18th Avenue North/Jo Johnston Avenue |
| 2305 | 20th Avenue North/Charlotte Avenue |
| 2473 | 24th Avenue South/Blakemore Avenue |
| 2478 | 25th Avenue South/Blakemore Avenue |
| 2491 | 25th Avenue South/Children's Way |
| 2680 | 49th Avenue North/Charlotte Avenue |
| 2805 | South 7th Street/Main Street |
| 2808 | South 10th Street/Main Street |
| 2820 | South 10th Street/Woodland Street |
| 3495 | Gallatin Pike/Broadmoor Drive |
| 4485 | Old Murfreesboro Road/Smith Springs Road |
| 4569 | Nolensville Pike/Casa Azafran |
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Patsy.Montesinos@NewsChannel5.com
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