NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Several recent deadly crashes in Nashville are fueling urgent calls for change as advocates rally behind “Safer Streets Now,” pushing city leaders to fulfill their Vision Zero commitment — the goal of eliminating traffic deaths.
A small but passionate crowd gathered downtown Monday night, honoring Larry W. Smith, who was killed April 27. Protesters say Smith’s death is part of a disturbing trend across Middle Tennessee.
Metro Police report fatal crashes in 2026 are up 33% compared to this time last year, with more than a dozen pedestrian deaths — triple the number from spring 2025.
“Under Mayor Cooper, the city made a commitment to be a Vision Zero City,” advocate Spencer Sharpe said. “We’re just here demanding that these deaths are preventable. It’s time to take serious action.”
For some, the statistics are deeply personal. Caroline Lindner recalled her friend, Billy Ray Swaner, known for selling The Contributor newspaper. Swaner was working toward sobriety when housing fell through, leading to a relapse. Earlier this month, he stumbled off the sidewalk on Gallatin Pike and was hit by a semi truck.
“I said, ‘You know you can die out here,’ and he cried,” Lindner said. “He said ‘I love you,’ and I said ‘I love you’ — and that was my last interaction with him.”
Advocates claim pedestrian deaths have already surpassed last year’s pace and accuse the city of reducing Vision Zero funding, with some dollars diverted to road repaving instead of safety improvements.
"Every roadway that we design, every project that we do, Vision Zero and keeping pedestrians safe and cyclists safe and people with strollers and wheelchairs, etc., that is the baseline for anything we do going forward," said Sharpe.
The Mayor's Office says the Vision Zero program has not been cut by $13 million. Officials say approximately $8 million in operating surplus funds allocated in 2023 were reallocated — a practice described as common for unspent dollars. According to the Mayor's Office, no Vision Zero projects are on hold, all current projects with completed designs are moving to construction, and the reallocated dollars were intended for future 2027–2028 construction phases that will be requested again through future capital spending plan cycles.
On the Gallatin Main Vision Zero project specifically, the Mayor's Office says plans have not been finalized. Based on recent community feedback, the city says it is refining the size and scope of the project and will re-engage the community once a revised direction is ready. The project remains part of the Vision Zero program, and the city says resurfacing is just one component of a broader safety effort that will also include enhanced pedestrian crossings, design elements to discourage speeding, and upgraded curb ramps to improve accessibility. The city says it aims to begin construction in fall 2026, while work continues on a broader overhaul of Gallatin Pike, building on concepts presented to the community in 2024.
The Mayor's Office also noted that the Choose How You Move program represents the largest investment in roadway safety in the city's history, and that while all Metro departments are being asked to tighten budgets this fiscal year, incremental investments in NDOT reflect that the department's work is among the mayor's top priorities.
Protesters said they will continue showing up until every street is safe for everyone.
This story was reported on-air by journalist Kelsey Gibbs and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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