Belmont Boulevard Bikeway Improvements Phase 2
Council Districts 18 and 25: Council Member Tom Cash and Council Member Jeff Preptit
The Belmont Boulevard Bikeway Improvements project will upgrade the existing bikeway facility in conjunction with repaving.
Construction Update: October 2026
Crews are currently performing base-failure repairs and undercutting work. Milling is scheduled to begin the week of October 12 and will take about seven days, weather permitting. To expedite the reinstallation of traffic-signal loop wire, milling will occur in three phases: starting in the southern section, moving to the northern section, and finishing in the middle section. Paving will begin on November 2, weather dependent.
During construction, no‑parking signs will be posted in active work areas and will list the specific times when parking is restricted. Parking will be available outside those posted periods.
Project Overview
The improved design will move the bike lane next to the curb and add a buffer between parked cars and people biking, creating more space and improving safety. As part of the project, the road will be repaved, and several safety features will be added, including safer pedestrian crossings, turn‑hardening improvements, delineation, new planters, better‑aligned lanes for smoother traffic flow, and improved bikeway route signage.
Project Schedule Milestones:
- Consultant Selection: May 2026
- Preliminary Engineering: May 2026
- Design (Plans development): July 2026 (Duration: 6 weeks)
- Final Construction Plans: September 2026 (Duration: 8 weeks)
- Construction Start: late October 2026
Project Background
Belmont Boulevard provides a major connection between Lipscomb and Belmont Universities, as well as Vanderbilt University as it transitions to Music Row. Along with these institutions, Belmont Boulevard also features commercial and residential areas.
Belmont is a critical link in Nashville’s bikeway network both now and in the future. This corridor also serves as a commuting route, and traffic speeds and volumes can be incompatible with safety and comfort for people biking, walking, and rolling.
Belmont Boulevard Bikeways Map
Pilot Project
In response to previous community engagement around the Belmont corridor, the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) installed a pilot project to upgrade the existing bikeway between Portland/18th and Blair Avenues. For the pilot, the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) relocated the bike lanes adjacent to the curb, with the parking areas between the bike lanes and the driving lanes. Staff then evaluated how this parking-protected bikeway performed from both engineering and community perspectives.
The results of the pilot were overwhelmingly positive. Staff recommends converting the remainder of the bikeway to parking-protected as opportunity allows. Additional measures should also be installed to further reduce speeds and improve safety and comfort for people walking, biking, and rolling on Belmont.
Community Engagement
In the summer and fall of 2018, planners discussed the project with neighborhood associations and community stakeholders. Meeting attendees discussed what are the most important elements to include on Belmont Boulevard.
Stakeholder priorities included:
- Make it easier to cross
- Slow down cars
- Create more space for bicyclists and pedestrians
- Improve bus stop access
Meeting attendees discussed a variety of design elements to incorporate in a safer Belmont Boulevard.
- Street cross sections—meaning what design elements a street contains, such as sidewalks, grass strips, street trees, vehicular travel lanes, and types of transit—greatly affect how safe a pedestrian or cyclist feels. At the meetings, the preference was for major, parking protected bike lanes. In other words, the bike lane is protected from vehicular traffic by on-street parking, and bicyclists are less likely to be struck by the opening of car doors.
- Curb extensions pull out the curb at the intersection, in the space where parking would typically go. A curb extension stops people from parking too close to the intersection or using the space as a turn lane. It calms traffic by narrowing the street as drivers approach, and by forcing sharper turns. A curb extension shortens the distance people walking and biking are crossing in traffic. In addition, curb extensions can be designed to protect bike lanes, provide better bus stop access, and incorporate art into the street.
- Crosswalk design that would better mark where pedestrians have the right of way to cross was a priority. Attendees discussed high visibility crosswalks, additional crosswalks provided mid-block, curb extensions, pedestrian crossing islands, and bicycle/pedestrian-only crossings.
- Traffic calming techniques assist in slowing down vehicles. Rumble strips could be used to alert drivers where they should slow down and where people may be crossing the street. Chicanes slow down traffic by shifting drivers back and forth from the left to the right sides of the street. Other possible techniques include narrowing the street in certain places and using medians to provide protected crosswalk opportunities.
For additional information, read the meeting summary presentation.
Learn more about Bikeway design components
