A minute on Lower Broadway is long enough to see that Nashville's honky-tonk district has been just about overtaken by a bizarre array of party vehicles ferrying Woo Girls and Frat Bros to and fro at most times of the day and night. There are tractors, repurposed fire trucks, the famous pedal taverns and an open-air trailer with a heated pool. That is not a comprehensive list.
Interestingly enough, these "transpotainment" vehicles operate between the cracks of current law. Local governments haven't had the authority to regulate them.
Today, Mayor John Cooper announced he's working with state legislators to change that.
From a release by the mayor's office:
SB2513, sponsored by Senator Steve Dickerson, adds transpotainment to the list of passenger transportation service vehicles for which municipalities are empowered to regulate, including:1. safety policies for both participants and residents;
2. the presence of industry vehicles on local roads during peak commute times; and
3. preventing local business disturbance by loud music during normal hours of operation.
“We want to ensure that everyone who visits Music City has a great time,” Cooper says in the announcement. “However, the complete lack of local control over these entertainment vehicles in one of our busiest neighborhoods has created safety concerns and tremendous headaches for both downtown brick-and-mortar businesses, residents, and local commuters. By working with the state, we hope to ensure that downtown Nashville remains a fun, world-class tourist destination while implementing commonsense policies that prevent traffic jams and disturbances to local residents and businesses.”
Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp president and CEO, Butch Spyridon, adds: "These vehicles initially added to the character and fun of the city, but with our rapid growth has come the unintended consequences of growing pains.”
You can view the legislation here, which is still in the early stages of the committee process.
