Statements
Mission
Walk Bike Nashville is working towards a more walkable, bikeable, and livable Nashville for all, through education, engagement, and advocacy.
Since 1998, Walk Bike Nashville has advocated for a more walkable, bikeable, and livable city. We want our streets, sidewalks, and bikeways to support multimodal commuting options, active living, and recreational opportunities. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, we envision a Nashville where all people have the freedom, dignity, and choice to move through a comprehensive and safe network of sidewalks, bikeways, and transit routes. We acknowledge the harm done by car-centric planning and believe transportation investments should remove barriers to mobility and prioritize the needs of Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), and low-income people who stand to gain the most from a human-centric city.
Background
In 1998, then Council Member David Kleinfelter invited 100 bike and pedestrian advocates to a meeting at Big River Grill. Thirteen accepted David's invitation and gathered for Walk Bike Nashville's first board meeting that November. They elected officers (Kibby Clayton was named the first president) and discussed a press release that raised concerns about a new bridge being built on Highway 70 between Bellevue and Belle Meade.
Earlier that year, Metro Council created a Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Task Force which went on to establish the traffic calming program and the first Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. The Task Force also enacted our current bicycle codes which include the 3-foot rule and the acknowledgement that bicyclists are users of the roadway. Our founding members recognized the need for an advocacy group to generate momentum around the small but impactful steps that the city was taking with regards to walkability and bikeability.
Walk Bike's first major initiative was Walk to School Day in October of 1999. Nashville was one of three U.S. cities hosting this event at the time, and would later be known to have one of the largest participation rates in the country. Another milestone was the first Tour de Nash in 2004. At the time, cyclists went out to the rural country roads to bicycle and those who did ride in urban areas often rode because of necessity, not choice. The leadership of WBN wanted to change this perception. Bike lanes and greenways were being built for the first time and Walk Bike wanted to celebrate this growing network. More than 200 riders showed up and this popular event remains as a signature event of the organization.
Some early advocacy wins for the organization include the construction of many bike lanes (there were none in Nashville prior to 1998), the passage of the landmark Sidewalk Bill to require more sidewalks during construction, the completion of the 2017 WalkNBike Strategic Plan, the hiring of a Metro bike/pedestrian coordinator at Public Works and at Metro Planning, increased funding for sidewalks and bikeways in the Capital Budget, and the creation of a Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. Walk Bike Nashville also has a track record of creating and delivering innovative, community-based events such as the annual Tour de Nash, Open Streets, and Walk to School Day, plus programming such as bike rodeos for children, adult learn to ride classes, and bike parking at community events.
Impact
Walk Bike Nashville has successfully advocated for safer and better streets in Nashville for more than 25 years and we are currently experiencing a significant amount of growth and support. From August 2023 to July 2024 our membership doubled. In addition to this internal growth of public support, the significant shifts of external factors have also impacted the trajectory of our work-most notably, the formation of and our partnership with the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure, and new Metro leadership including Mayor Freddie O'connell, former Walk Bike Nashville board president.
Never before have we been better positioned to positively impact the transportation stories of Nashvillians, and never before have they needed improvements more. Our city continues to break records for traffic fatalities and the public health crisis of pedestrian safety disproportionately impacts the most under-resourced populations. Ninety percent of high-injury intersections (where crashes are most likely to occur) exist in Nashville's highly vulnerable neighborhoods, which is why we prioritize neighborhoods like Napier and Tennessee's most dangerous road for pedestrians-Dickerson Pike. Our work on Dickerson marks a paradigm shift in how to address this crisis. By integrating qualitative and quantitative data, our Dickerson Pike Pedestrian Safety Plan catalyzed significant developments: 1) Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) selecting Dickerson Pike for a transformative project; 2) Nashville Department of Transportation's (NDOT) $4 million investment on the corridor in the short-term, and 3) Smart Growth America's Complete Streets Leadership Academy choosing the Queen Ave. intersection for a first-of-its kind tactical urbanism project on a state route.
Simultaneously we employ a neighborhood-centric approach with our Safe Routes to School initiatives. By prioritizing a few high-needs schools annually, we work closely with school communities to enhance infrastructure and promote active transportation. Napier Elementary provides a notable case with transformative results. After helping launch a Walking School Bus, we worked to encourage students to bike to school (which was rare, even after facilitating a bike giveaway). We secured a commitment from NDOT to build temporary infrastructure ahead of Bike to School Day, with the promise of permanent installation for the next school year. We worked with Civic Design Center to install temporary crosswalks, traffic circles, and planters as NDOT installed protected bike lanes. To address fear of theft and broken bikes as major barriers, NDOT installed bike racks and donated locks. We hosted clinics to repair broken bikes, fit students for helmets, and teach them how to use the new bike locks. More than 30 students participated in Bike to School Day and residents praised the new traffic calming measures. Students continued biking after that special day and we're currently coordinating plans for permanent infrastructure improvements.
In addition to our corridor and neighborhood-focused initiatives, we work to build a county-wide culture of walking and biking with fun and educational opportunities such as Tour de Nash, Open Streets, and educational programs, plus a bike valet service for some of the city's largest and most popular events. We also host a Families for Safe Streets chapter to support pedestrian and bicycle crash victims and their loved ones, and we advocate for policies that foster a more multimodal Nashville for generations to come. In recent years that's included Metro's adoption of a Vision Zero Action and Implementation Plans, the passage of a policy that helps prevent the closure of sidewalks and bikeways for private use, an update to the East Bank Vision Plan that includes bikeways on the East Bank Boulevard, and the formation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission--designating the 3rd iteration of this group as a formal commission.
CEO Statement
A book could be written about all of the events and advocacy campaigns, the laughable memories and frustrating roadblocks (literally and figuratively), and the fascinating stories and accomplishments of the countless individuals who have been a part of this organization. How lucky Nashville is to have had dedicated advocates who volunteered their time and energy for more than a decade to get this nonprofit off the ground. Many of us still want more bike lanes, more sidewalks, and better transit service, but without the work of these early advocates, imagine how much further behind our city would be.
When I reflect on the work that came before me, it feels a bit like I took an unfair shortcut by showing up in Nashville in 2021 and inheriting this organization that Fall. Twenty five years ago, our founding members were not imagining that we'd have a Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure with a director who is a true champion of a multimodal system. The 12th Avenue bike lanes would have exceeded their expectations and they would have never dreamed that one of their peers-former Walk Bike Nashville President Freddie O'Connell-would be our mayor.
We have come a long way. But I don't think our job gets any easier in the current environment-it just means it's time to dream bigger. We'll never get the sidewalks we need at the pace we're moving. We'll never reach Vision Zero if we keep prioritizing the speed of car travel over the safety of all users. We have to be innovative risk takers that learn by doing. Nashville is tired of surveys and studies; we are ready for action. We have to do better and we will.
Walk Bike Nashville is trying to lead by example by leveraging our well-known initiatives to have a greater long-term impact. Bike to School Day at Napier Elementary was much larger than a day-long event. With temporary traffic calming improvements for the month of the event, it launched the path to permanent infrastructure improvements with the Napier community. We followed this model for Walk to School Day with Shwab Elementary by enhancing crossings along the route including a pedestrian refuge island on Dickerson Pike. For the first time, we're hosting more than one Open Streets event in a year and we're giving community members the tools to host their own.
Our membership doubled from 2023-2024. We are growing. This movement is growing. Join us as we collectively work towards a more walkable, bikeable, and livable Nashville. I can't wait to see what milestones we achieve in the next 25 years. Let's dream big, Nashville.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Public & Societal Benefit - Public Transportations Systems |
| Secondary Category: | Public Safety, Disaster Preparedness and Relief - Alliances & Advocacy |
| Tertiary Category: | Environment - Pollution Abatement & Control |
Areas Served
| TN - Davidson |
