Great Streets Planning Study: Dickerson Corridor

1 Great Streets Planning Study: Dickerson Corridor Nashville, TN FY2018 Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Transportation Discretionary Grant July 18, 2019 ES-i Great Streets Planning Study: Dickerson Corridor - Nashville, TN FY2018 BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grant Executive Summary The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Nashville (MTA), in partnership with Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Metro Nashville) Departments of Planning and Public Works, is requesting $1,500,000 in BUILD funds to be used toward the overall funding of the Great Streets Planning Study: Dickerson Corridor in Nashville, Tennessee.

2 Local funds of $807,692 are already committed to complete this project. This represents a 35% local match toward the total funding required to complete the $2,307,692 plan. The study will: Evaluate multimodal transportation options within the Great Streets Planning Study: Dickerson Corridor ( Dickerson Corridor Study), including innovative technologies such as autonomous vehicles and a Complete Streets approach to infrastructure improvements to address Nashville s rapid population and employment growth and associated mobility needs that meet the community s agreed-upon vision.

3 Partner with stakeholders and the general public in the Corridor to reach consensus on a preferred alternative. This well-defined project will ultimately provide mobility, livability and economic benefits to the communities along the Corridor . Explore the designation of a Redevelopment District along the Dickerson Corridor , which would allow the use of tax increment financing (TIF) as a non-Federal revenue source for the Corridor s mobility improvements. Concurrently develop compatible land use plans that are consistent with the communities values and preserve and create housing options for a mixture of incomes, including workforce and affordable housing.

4 The existing Dickerson Corridor is a wide, five-lane arterial roadway located in northeast Nashville. It connects a large medical center, local businesses, River North, Nissan Stadium, Music City Central (Transit Center) and downtown Nashville. While some multimodal facilities exist on the Corridor , they are inadequate to accommodate the rapid growth that the city and this Corridor are experiencing. The proposed Planning study will utilize a Complete Streets approach, which will include evaluation of new pavement, sidewalks and curb cuts, bicycle amenities, ADA access accommodations, bus shelters/stops, improved storm water systems, and utilities and lighting along the Corridor .

5 It will also assess technology investments for autonomous vehicles, adaptive traffic signals and fiber-optic lines to accommodate future and emerging technologies. Collectively, these investments will improve safety, achieve the state of good repair and provide health and environmental benefits which contribute to an enhanced quality of life for area residents. i Great Streets Planning Study: Dickerson Corridor - Nashville, TN FY2018 BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grant Table of Contents Executive Summary .. i Project Description.

6 1 Project Description .. 1 Transportation Challenges .. 2 Project History .. 4 Project Location .. 8 Grant Funds, Sources and Uses of Project Funding .. 10 Uses of Funding/ Planning Study Scope .. 10 Merit Criteria .. 14 Safety .. 14 State of Good Repair .. 16 Economic Competitiveness .. 17 Environmental Protection .. 23 Quality of Life .. 23 Innovation .. 24 Partnership .. 26 Non-Federal Revenue for Transportation Infrastructure Investment .. 27 Project Readiness .. 28 Technical Feasibility .. 28 Project Schedule .. 29 Required Approvals.

7 30 Assessment of Project Risks and Mitigation Strategies .. 30 ii Great Streets Planning Study: Dickerson Corridor - Nashville, TN FY2018 BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grant List of Figures Figure 1: Dickerson Road Looking South .. 3 Figure 2: Dickerson Corridor Study Project Location Map .. 9 Figure 3: Planning Study Flow Chart .. 11 Figure 4: Existing Bicycle and Pedestrian Infrastructure .. 15 Figure 5: Deficient Stormwater Infrastructure and Pedestrian 17 Figure 6: Arterial Corridors Comparison, 2017 Tax Revenue per Mile.

8 18 Figure 7: Potential Market Capacity on Dickersion Corridor .. 19 Figure 8: TriStar Skyline Medical Center .. 20 Figure 9: Rendering of River North Development .. 21 Figure 10: Planning Study Schedule .. 29 List of Tables Table 1: Uses of Funds by Planning Study Task .. 10 Table 2: Dickerson Road Crash Statistics .. 14 1 Great Streets Planning Study: Dickerson Corridor - Nashville, TN FY2018 BUILD Transportation Discretionary Grant Project Description Project Description The Dickerson Corridor Study will define feasible transportation investment alternatives to create a multimodal mobility Corridor that supports the community s growth and preservation vision, follows the Complete Streets policy of Nashville, enhances safety, improves mobility and modal choices.

9 And is designed to promote economic growth through the concurrent establishment of land use plans that support private development investments. The Dickerson Corridor is approximately six miles long and extends from north of Briley Parkway to downtown Nashville via Dickerson Road, 1st Avenue and Woodland Street. The current MTA bus Route 23 Dickerson Road utilizes Dickerson Road, North 1st Street, Woodland Street, Union Street, 3rd Avenue and Charlotte Avenue to access Music City Central (the downtown transit hub). This important but underutilized Corridor connects the TriStar Skyline Medical Center, River North Development, Nissan Stadium, Music City Central, City Hall, and numerous downtown Nashville activity centers.

10 This study represents an opportunity to build upon the city s upcoming land use visioning process for the Dickerson Corridor and consider the deployment of smart growth strategies to create a complete and livable Corridor inclusive of an array of mobility choices, the introduction of new technologies, complementary land uses, and affordable housing. Population around the Dickerson Corridor is expected to grow from approximately 20,000 (in 2015) to 27,000 (in 2040). The number of jobs are projected to grow from about 54,000 to 80,000 in the same period.