Mayor John Cooper has announced a new initiative to increase the accountability and transparency around hundreds of neighborhood improvement projects across Nashville. Residents can track the progress of over 800 neighborhood improvement projects through a new online tool (a Neighborhoods Improvement Tracker) that will provide real-time updates throughout each phase, from groundbreaking to completion.
“Great cities have great neighborhoods, and for too long Metro government has prioritized downtown development and tax incentives for billion-dollar corporations over more money for good schools, clean and well-maintained infrastructure like roads and sidewalks, first-class greenspace, playgrounds, and community centers, and other investments that will benefit families in their neighborhoods,” said Mayor Cooper. “I’m proud of the nearly 800 major neighborhood improvement projects currently underway in every community in Davidson County. The new online tool we are launching today will add an important layer of transparency to those projects. Residents can now see everything we’re working on and track the progress in real-time. This is what real accountability in government looks like, and it is the latest way we’re delivering on our promise to create a Nashville that works for every neighborhood and every family.”
Cooper unveiled the new initiative against the backdrop of one of the 800+ neighborhood projects, a key culvert replacement happening on Brick Church Pike between the Whites Creek and Joelton neighborhoods. Nashville’s Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure maintains over 4,000 culverts that are essential to managing stormwater and preventing flash flooding and road closures, particularly as severe weather becomes more unpredictable due to the effects of climate change.
“Vital infrastructure improvements like this culvert replacement have been underfunded and put off for years, especially in neighborhoods like this one,” said Cooper. “Most people don’t think too deeply about culverts until they don’t work, but if they’re not properly maintained, it means severe flooding, pavement failure and road closures, which we were starting to see here. Brick Church Pike is a critical regional connector road enabling Goodlettsville residents and others in surrounding counties efficient access to schools, jobs and opportunities throughout the rest of Davidson County. I’m grateful NDOT was able to complete the vast majority of this project this summer while school was out of session to reduce the impact on the community.”
Each neighborhood project is a capital improvement, which means it has a use-life of greater than 10 years and costs more than $50,000. Projects can range from upgrades to Metro facilities like schools and community centers to upgrading infrastructure like sidewalks, bridges, speed bumps, bike lanes and more. These are in addition to thousands of more small-scale improvements happening every day from filling potholes to enhancing safe multimodal access for residents across Nashville.
