Whites Creek Greenway Extension
Metro Parks is designing an approximately 1-mile extension of the Whites Creek Greenway from the Hartman Community Center to Buena Vista Pike. Parks staff hosted a community meeting on May 14, 2024, at 6:30 p.m. in the Hartman Community Center where staff and the design team presented on the project and heard from the community. The slideshow and community comments from this meeting are available below. Additional community meetings will be held as the design work progresses and future meetings will be advertised here on the Metro webpage, the Parks Newsletter, and through other channels. Contact Logan Elliott with any questions related to this project. [email protected]
Whites Creek Greenway Public Meeting Presentation
Whites Creek Greenway Public Meeting Board
Two New 440 Greenway Segments Planned
What is the 440 Greenway?
The 440 Greenway segment is a planned 7-mile urban greenway corridor along I-440. The first segment, completed in 2018, is a 1.25- mile-long trail paralleling I-440 and linking Centennial Park and the Metro Parks James H. Fyke Administrative Complex to Elmington Park.
What else is great about the 440 Greenway?
The 440 Greenway is part of the planned 35-mile City Central urban greenway loop that will encircle Nashville’s core and connect to surrounding neighborhoods. This loop is approximately 1/3 complete. The greenway will provide greenspace, recreation, and meaningful transportation options while connecting neighborhoods divided by I-40 and I-440. The greenway is host to pedestrians, cyclists, dog walkers, kids and kids-at-heart!
440 Greenway - Park Plaza to Centennial Park Segment
This planned 1/4-mile segment of the 440 Greenway will extend the existing 440 greenway from the Park Plaza trailhead to Centennial Park. The new segment will be routed along Park Plaza and will cross 31st Avenue North. Construction planning for this work is on-going. New pedestrian level lighting is proposed for the 440 Greenway from the West End Avenue terminus to Centennial Park.
Parks staff hosted a community meeting on November 13, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. in the Parks Building at 2565 Park Plaza. Consultants and staff presented the layout plans for the new segment and lighting plans for the completed greenway from Elmington Park to Centennial Park. Comments from the community were heard. The presentation boards and community photos from this meeting are available below. Contact us with any questions related to this project: [email protected].
440 Greenway - Park Plaza to Centennial Park Public Design and Lighting Presentation Boards
440 Greenway - Public Meeting Photos
440 Greenway - Sevier Park to Browns Creek Park Segment
This planned ¾ -mile segment of the 440 Greenway will link adjacent neighborhoods to ever-popular Sevier Park and Community Center, to Gale Lane Park and its 0.40-mile of greenway, and bucolic Browns Creek Park with its 0.6 miles of greenway trail.
First Community Input Meeting
The first community meeting was held on January 23, 2023, at Sevier Park Community Center where this proposed greenway routing plan was presented to members of the public and Metro Council Members.
Public Meeting Board Showing Trail Graphic
The majority of the new greenway trail will be constructed in TDOT right-of-way. A portion will be on Parks' property and a portion is proposed within Metro right-of-way.
A trailhead and wayfinding signage, bike racks, benches, trail lighting tree planting and enhanced street crossings are all proposed for this Greenway.
We received great questions and input that will inform the final design of the greenway.
Public Meeting Board with Post-It Comments
Final Community Input Meeting
The final community meeting was held on January 23, 2023, at Sevier Park Community Center where the final draft plan was presented to members of the public.
Public Meeting Board Showing Final Trail Design
Construction of this project will begin when the project is fully funded.
Remaining segments of the 440 Greenway are planned and will be designed at a later time.
For more information on the 440 Greenway, email us at [email protected].
E-Bike Draft Research and Survey Findings
The Greenways and Open Space Commission held a work session on January 26, 2022, to discuss and review a working draft of research and survey findings regarding e-bike access on Metro Parks’ greenways.
Presentation from January 26, 2022 Work Session
The PowerPoint presentation from that work session includes edits that were suggested during the meeting. This document is a working draft intended for discussion and input. This is not the final study.
The Greenways and Open Space Commission held a second work session on February 9, 2022, to continue the discussion and review of research and survey findings regarding e-bike access on Metro Parks’ greenways. The final document and the recommendation from the Greenways and Open Space Commission are provided below.
The Greenways Master Plan
Greenway trails are developed following the master plan, which focuses on Davidson County’s eight major waterways and an urban loop system, as well as routes recommended by citizens through various community plans.
The Greenways and Open Space Commission, advisory to Metro Parks, guides implementation of the greenways portion of the 2017 Master Plan Update, Plan to Play: the Parks and Greenways Master Plan.
- Among six key findings: Paved and unpaved trails are among the most valued facility types in the system, and the community wants more of them across the county.
- Among four key recommendations: Expand the greenway trail network by adding 53 miles of paved and 50 miles of unpaved trails by the year 2027.
- During the public engagement phase of Plan to Play, as well as at public meetings for years, Metro Parks has heard how important it is for people to be able to walk or bike to their park or greenway. The result is greenway plans that place a higher priority on connectivity and transportation, and sidewalk and bikeway plans that interface with parks and greenways.
- With the expansion of the greenway network over the past 25 years, our goal has evolved from a trail within two miles to a trail within one mile of every community. In the urban core: an inviting ten-minute (half-mile) walk to a neighborhood park or greenway.
2011 Nashville Open Space Plan
The Open Space Vision is informed by the unique natural features of Nashville and Davidson County: four corners, nine bends and a heart of green.
- Four corners of the county serve as anchors for the open space network.
- There should be protected land in each of the nine bends in the Cumberland River.
- In the center is downtown, which should become a heart of green.
2018 Greenways and Open Space
Completed Projects
- 440 Greenway Phase One: 1.25 miles
- 440 Greenway at Gale Lane Park Pavilion
- Whites Creek Greenway at Fontanel: 0.75 miles
- Cumberland River: McGavock Pike Blueway Access
Acquired Open Space
- Mill Ridge Park: 45 additional acres conserved
- Wharf Park: 2.89 additional acres conserved
- Goodlettsville Park: 15 acres conserved
- Seven-Mile Creek: 8 acres conserved
2019 Greenways and Open Space
Current Projects
- Gulch Greenway North Gulch to Frankie Pearce Park: 0.25 mile under construction
- Browns Creek at Fair Park: 0.34 mile
- Mill Creek Greenway from Mill Creek Park to Orchard Bend Park: 2.35 miles under construction
- Mill Creek Greenway at Mill Creek Park: Low Water Pedestrian Bridge on Culbertson Road
- Whites Creek Greenway at Fontanel: Pedestrian Bridge
- Manskers Creek Greenway at Manskers Creek Park: 1.0 mile under construction
- Cumberland River Greenway Opry Mills Connector: 0.5 mile in design
Acquired Open Space
Thomas Brothers Sod Farm in Bells Bend: 107 acres conserved
Harpeth River Greenway
Shelby Bottoms Greenway