The East Nashville Spokes project, formerly known as East Nashville Backbones, includes community engagement, design, and construction of bikeways and other multimodal transportation improvements for the following streets in East Nashville:
- Woodland/Union streets between 3rd Ave North downtown and S 11th Street in East Nashville
- South 5th Street between Woodland and Davidson streets
- South 10th Street between Woodland and Sevier streets
- East Nashville Spokes Project Extents Map
Current Project Status: Based on the community feedback and technical analysis in 2023, the project team developed a preferred concept for each corridor in 2024. The project team submitted the concepts and additional documentation to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review in September 2025. NEPA review is required because the project is funded in part through the federal government; the purpose of NEPA review is to understand the environmental impacts of projects. We anticipate that NEPA review will be complete in 2026, with final design and construction to follow.
In July 2024, the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) successfully submitted for additional funding to construct the Spokes project through the new federal Active Transportation Infrastructure Improvement Program (ATIIP) grant, and NDOT received notification in January 2025 that the project was awarded funding.
Stay tuned for additional communications with more details on the NEPA review and design process and implementation timeline. The project team continues to engage with individual stakeholders as part of NEPA review and design.
East Nashville Spokes Preliminary Design Plans
Engagement
Engagement and concept design has been underway since spring 2023.
The project team held an open house on October 19, 2023, for the community to learn more, experience bikeway elements, and share feedback on the design concepts.
Review the proposed design concepts and other materials shared at the open house event:
Traffic Analysis
Engagement Reports
The summer 2023 East Nashville Spokes public survey gathered the thoughts and opinions of Nashvillians regarding planned, designated bike facilities on Woodland/Union Streets, South 5th Street, and South 10th Street. The survey collected input from July 25, 2023 to August 18, 2023, and received 320 responses.
East Nashville Spokes Public Survey Report
The project team also summarized feedback from the fall 2023 public open house event and online survey. Review the fall 2023 engagement report at the link below.
East Nashville Spokes Outreach Phase Two Report
Project Timeline
- Winter 2022 through Spring 2025: field survey and traffic analysis, conceptual design and community engagement, federal environmental documentation (National Environmental Policy Act, known as "NEPA").
- Summer 2026: finalization of NEPA review.
- Winter 2026: design kick-off is anticipated towards the end of the year.
- 2029: Construction kick-off.
