The Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure is moving forward with the next phase of its Downtown Signal Retiming Project after officials reported significant reductions in pedestrian-related crashes across downtown Nashville.
NDOT announced that Phase 2 of the project began rolling out earlier this month and will continue through the summer, with additional traffic signal adjustments designed to improve safety and traffic flow throughout the city’s downtown core.
According to NDOT data, pedestrian-involved crashes downtown declined 20% year-over-year following the implementation of leading pedestrian intervals, or LPIs, during Phase 1 of the project. Compared to a three-year average, pedestrian crashes are down 34%, while overall crashes have dropped 16%.
LPIs give pedestrians a head start crossing intersections before vehicles receive a green light, helping reduce conflicts between people walking and turning vehicles.
“The bottom line here is that this signal retiming project is making our downtown streets safer, and work better,” NDOT Deputy Director Derek Hagerty said in a statement. “We’ve created a safer environment for people walking, and we are introducing flashing yellow arrows in key locations to make left turns easier, while maintaining safety benefits for everyone.”
The broader signal retiming effort includes upgrades across 336 intersections citywide and focuses on improving both pedestrian safety and traffic efficiency along major corridors including downtown, Nolensville Pike, Dickerson Pike, Hermitage and Donelson Pike.
As part of Phase 2 downtown improvements, NDOT is deploying flashing yellow arrows at 16 intersections to allow drivers to make left turns after yielding to oncoming traffic. Officials say the changes are intended to improve traffic movement while maintaining pedestrian protections.
The city is also restoring some protected left-turn signals at select locations using what traffic engineers call ‘lagging left turns,’ where left-turn arrows occur after through traffic has moved. Officials say that timing approach helps preserve pedestrian safety while easing congestion.
Additional synchronization plans are also being introduced to improve traffic flow during peak commuting periods by allowing drivers to encounter more consecutive green lights along major corridors.
NDOT is also modifying several intersections where exclusive pedestrian crossing phases had been installed during the first phase of the project. Officials said longer wait times at some intersections led pedestrians to cross against signals, creating new safety concerns.
At three intersections, those exclusive pedestrian phases are being replaced with LPIs, which transportation officials say maintain important safety benefits while reducing delays and improving pedestrian compliance.
Phase 1 of the project, implemented in April 2025, included signal timing changes at 108 downtown intersections as part of Nashville’s Vision Zero Implementation Plan and Connect Downtown Action Plan.
During that phase, protected left-turn phases were removed from 67 traffic signals to allow shorter signal cycles and reduce vehicle-pedestrian conflicts. Exclusive pedestrian phases were also introduced at nine intersections downtown.
Transportation officials say the signal retiming project is designed to create safer conditions for everyone using downtown streets, particularly pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders, while also addressing growing traffic congestion in Nashville’s rapidly developing urban core.
NDOT noted that research shows leading pedestrian intervals can reduce pedestrian-vehicle crashes at intersections by as much as 13% by improving driver awareness and giving pedestrians greater visibility before vehicles begin turning.
The city says it will continue monitoring traffic patterns and collecting public feedback as the second phase of the project continues through the summer months.
More information about the Downtown Signal Retiming Project is available through NDOT’s website.
