The Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure's (NDOT) Access Management Manual is currently under development and final reviews; a release date for the manual is still being determined.
Project Background
The Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) has identified a need to consolidate the codes and policies revolving around access management as well as better align with Tennessee Department of Transportation’s (TDOT) Access Management guidelines. Strategy 2 of Nashville’s Vision Zero Action Plan (2022-2026) is to update roadway design standards and expedite implementation to prioritize safety with action item A-2f stating “Adopt a context-sensitive access management policy, specifically targeting the high injury network (HIN).” With this opportunity to create an Access Management Manual for Nashville and Davidson County, NDOT strives to provide a comprehensive guide that utilizes industry best practice guidance for the design and implementation of safe access to the public right-of-way.
Project Goals
Provide a comprehensive access management resource to support the following activities:
- Ensure appropriate access management strategies are implemented when land is developed.
- Reduce conflict points and improve safety for all road users to align with Vision Zero goals.
- Integrate with the existing transportation plans and policies of Metro Nashville and NDOT.
- Serve as a design resource of best practices for Metro led projects.
Tasks
Tasks involved in the project included:
- Review, comparison, and consolidation of existing access management guidance for Nashville (Code of Ordinances), Tennessee (TDOT Highway Safety Access Manual), and other state and nation-wide technical resources.
- Engagement with both internal and external stakeholders which included NDOT Planning, NDOT Development Review, NDOT Vision Zero, NDOT Capital Improvements, Metro Planning staff, WeGo Public Transit, Metro Legal, Metro Codes, TDOT, elected officials, Tennessee Section Institute of Transportation Engineers (TSITE), NAIOP Commercial Real Estate Development Association, and Urban Land Institute (ULI).
- Development of a comprehensive Access Management Manual and align the Metro Nashville Code of Ordinances with legislation.
Project Timeline
Timeline Description
Project timeline from February 2024 to July 2025. Three tasks are shown: Best Practice Research, Manual Development, and Policy and Process Revisions. Best Practice Research begins in February 2024 and ends in May 2024. Manual Development begins in April 2024 and ends in April 2025. Policy and Process Revisions begins in January 2025 and goes through July 2025. Three stakeholder meetings are also shown on the timeline. There is an internal stakeholder meeting in April 2024, another internal stakeholder meeting in December 2024, and an external stakeholder meeting in February 2025.
Existing Assessment and Best Practices Review
A review of access management policies from industry best practices, peer city and municipality guidance, and state and local level Tennessee guidance was completed to provide insight and help shape NDOT’s Access Management Manual. To gain insight and a holistic understanding of access management needs in Davidson County, the project team met with six focus groups within Metro including NDOT Development Services, Metro Planning, WeGo Public Transit, Vision Zero and NDOT Planning, WalknBike, and NDOT’s Design and Capital Improvements team.
The key access management concepts that were identified throughout the research included multimodal safety, clarity in design standards, flexibility and exceptions, shared access solutions, local adaptions, and integration and consolidation of plans and policies.
Existing Assessment and Best Practices Review for Access Management
Contact Information
NDOT Project Manager: Melisa Hayes, melisa.hayes@nashville.gov