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An ordinance directing the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure to develop a tool to continuously monitor and analyze the cumulative transportation effects of developments and/or rezonings so that regional transportation mitigations and capital infrastructure improvements can be appropriately programmed.
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WHEREAS, the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (“NDOT”) is responsible for planning, maintaining, and improving the city’s multimodal transportation network, including streets, sidewalks, bikeways, and transit-supportive infrastructure; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County reviews development applications continuously, and the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure reviews the transportation effects of those applications case by case as they are filed; and
WHEREAS, proposed developments and rezonings can accumulatively generate additional travel demand, modify travel patterns, and create new pressures on existing transportation infrastructure and services within the surrounding area; and
WHEREAS, evaluating the cumulative impact of such within a general area is essential to understanding how combined growth may affect roadway capacity, safety, multimodal connectivity, and overall network performance; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council further recognizes that the absence of a standardized tool or methodology for assessing cumulative transportation impacts can limit NDOT’s ability to proactively identify needed long term network and corridor investments; and
WHEREAS, a consistent, data driven evaluation tool can help identify appropriate transportation mitigations and infrastructure improvements that can reduce congestion, enhance safety, support multimodal travel options, and promote fiscally responsible infrastructure planning; and
WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council seeks to ensure that the transportation effects of development on Nashville’s transportation network are monitored continuously so that the network remains resilient, efficient, and capable of supporting continued development.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. That the Metropolitan Council hereby directs the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (“NDOT”) to develop a standardized tool for monitoring, assessing, and identifying areas of potential cumulative transportation impacts of proposed developments and rezonings across Nashville and Davidson County.
Section 2. That NDOT shall coordinate with the Metropolitan Planning Department and other relevant agencies to ensure the tool informs a methodology of identifying the need for an area transportation infrastructure analysis which aligns with and incorporates existing planning processes, transportation models, and development review procedures.
Section 3. That the Metropolitan Council requests that transportation mitigations and infrastructure improvements identified by an area transportation infrastructure analysis be considered for inclusion into subsequent Capital Improvement Budgets and considered during annual capital planning and prioritization.
Section 4. That the means and methods by which the Departments carry out the functions described in this ordinance are committed to the Departments’ professional judgment, and nothing in this ordinance shall be construed to prescribe any particular method, threshold, or system.
Section 5. That this ordinance shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.