Creating Crosswalks on Gallatin Ave

By Shuangwen Yang, Design Education Fellow + Anthony Melo, Community Member

2 min read In response to the concern from an East Nashville community member about a lack of pedestrian safety measures along Gallatin Ave, a few improvement solutions were proposed to envision a better pedestrian crossing experience at multiple intersections.

A lack of pedestrian crossing measures 

As one of the main corridors through East Nashville, Gallatin Ave is the home to many restaurants, stores, and other business entities. However, due to the hilly topography of the road, limited visibility makes it difficult for drivers to slow down and stop for pedestrians in time. Additionally, insufficient pedestrian crossing implementations provide little to no protection for pedestrians attempting to cross 5 lanes at a time.

Google street view captured a child stranded, trying to cross 5 lanes at the intersection between Gallatin Ave and Petway Ave

Envisioning a safer pedestrian crossing experience 

A few intersections along Gallatin Ave within a half mile stretch including Seymour Ave, Petway Ave, Granada Ave and Sharpe Ave were chosen for the case study. They were all chosen due to the lack of crosswalks across Gallatin. Various design changes were proposed, such as the implementation of stop lights, pedestrian crossing signals and painted crosswalks. Bus shelters were also suggested at the intersection of Gallatin and Petway Ave to improve the existing bus stops.

A context map showcasing 4 key intersections within a on Gallatin Avenue without any crosswalks or pedestrian infrastructure

Stop Lights, Bus Shelters, and Painted Crosswalk intervention ideas at Petway Ave and Gallatin Ave

Implementing Stop Lights — The current speed limit along Gallatin Ave is posted as 35 mph, but most people are driving over 40 mph.  Driving on a road without any stop lights or stop signs within a long stretch, speeding is very common.

Traffic signals could be installed at every other intersection to break up the vehicular traffic volume. Not only will they allow drivers to pay more attention while driving along Gallatin Ave, but also will give pedestrians an opportunity to cross the road safely without looking out for vehicles coming from both directions. Especially at night when there is lower visibility, stop lights seem to be even more essential and effective.

Pedestrian Crossing Signal and Painted Crosswalk intervention ideas at Seymour Ave and Gallatin Ave

Implementing Pedestrian Crossing Signals — Pedestrian crossing signals with flashing lights could serve as an extra protection. With this implementation, incoming drivers will be alerted from a distance, which gives them time to slow down before approaching a pedestrian up close.

Implementing Painted Crosswalks — Painted sidewalks usually come with bright and playful colors and patterns. Although they may not be something as noticeable as stop lights or pedestrian crossing signals during nighttime, what goes on the crosswalk can indeed create a great opportunity for the nearby community to showcase their neighborhood identity by designing the patterns and colors.

Temporary paint could be used on top of the standard crosswalk white strips, which allows the designs to be easily changed or erased. Pedestrian infrastructure such as bus shelters, bench seating and trash collections can also be installed to provide more comfort for people waiting for the bus. 

Placemaking Gateway and Painted Crosswalk intervention ideas at Sharpe Ave and Gallatin Ave

Implementing Placemaking Gateways — Inspired by the holiday lighting decorations on the streets of Portugal, similar ideas could be applied for traffic calming purposes along Gallatin Ave.

Lighting attached on both sides of the street could potentially make the scale of the street look smaller and narrower. The height of the archways could also alert the incoming drivers even more, given the hilly topography of Gallatin Ave. Additionally, whether it’s emblematic symbols of East Nashville communities, or festive designs for the holiday seasons, just like painted crosswalks, archways also provide placemaking opportunities that go beyond traffic calming.

Better pedestrian infrastructure Strengthens the community 

Although these pedestrian safety features could look like expensive or inconvenient investments, they can be something that benefits both drivers and pedestrians greatly in the long run. On the other hand, for all the businesses along Gallatin Ave, a more consistent walking experience could be something that brings individual entities closer to one another and ultimately contributes to more satisfying shopping and dining experiences along Gallatin Ave.