Council Proposal to Restrict Turning Right on Red Takes New Form

It could soon be illegal for vehicles to turn right on red at certain intersections in Davidson County.

The matter is currently working its way through the Metro Council, and a new, stripped-down version of the ordinance — spearheaded by Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda — advanced at Tuesday’s council meeting.

In its original form, the bill would have restricted turning right on red within the entirety of the city's urban services district — an area that includes large swaths of Nashville’s pre-World War II-constructed core.

The new substitute version of the bill would, at first, prohibit turning right on red lights at only 59 designated intersections. However, the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure would continue studying more than 700 areas in which the policy could be implemented in the future.

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If passed, the ordinance would not apply to emergency vehicles.

The council deferred the bill’s second of three votes at Tuesday's meeting, allowing Sepulveda and downtown Councilmember Jacob Kupin — whose district includes most of the initial 59 intersections — to continue community outreach on the matter.

“This doesn't affect one district,” Sepulveda said Tuesday. “This affects the entire county, and we have had so many pedestrian deaths. ... A few seconds of people being late I think is something that should not affect the possibility of saving a life.”

Roadway safety advocates have largely backed the legislation, noting numerous pedestrian deaths within the last year, including a fatal vehicle crash on Broadway Aug. 1.

The council will take up the matter on its second of three readings on Oct. 6.

ICE Call Center Pushback

Nashvillians spoke during the council’s public comment period to express their opposition to a planned call center to be run by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in Donelson.

“We are here to protect our community from a system that doesn't reflect the morals and ethics of this city,” resident Alexandra Van Zeelandt said during the comment period.

“I support a lawful and fair path to citizenship, but I cannot support the current practice of ICE or the inhumane standards that have shaped their agency.”

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This comes after a $63 million federal contract was awarded to Alaska-based company Koniag Government Services to operate the planned call center in Donelson, originally propose to be located in Adams, Tenn.

It is unclear if the council will have an opportunity to prevent the call center from opening. But Sepulveda, as well as Councilmembers Terry Vo and Zulfat Suara, said last month that they are exploring potential actions.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerri Green met with councilmembers before the meeting and told the Scene she opposes the call center and thinks the government should listen to the community.

Small Business Support

The council also advanced legislation brought forth by Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s office to create incentives for small and longstanding businesses in Nashville.

The bill creates a new Legacy Business Program, available to businesses that have operated in the city for more than 15 years.

The legislation also establishes a Workforce Advancement Incentive Program to provide grants of up to $10,000 to help small businesses recruit and retain employees and expands Metro’s Property Investment Incentive Program. The latter would update Metro’s current property investment initiative to include commercial buildings valued at up to $2 million, doubling the previous threshold.

The expansion would also add interior building improvements to the program. Businesses would receive matching grants that reimburse 50 percent of construction or rehabilitation costs up to $50,000. 

The bill passed on its second of three readings.

Hamilton Matthew Masters contributed reporting.