Surviving Crossing The Street Shouldn’t Be A Feat
Written By Daniel McDonell, Community Member
Visualizations By Eric Hoke, Design Director
Intersection of Shelby Ave And 10th St
On December 11th around 5:30 pm, Jabari Patterson was hit by a driver while Jabari was crossing Shelby Avenue in a marked crosswalk at 10th St in East Nashville. He sustained serious injuries, breaking both his legs and his jaw, requiring immediate surgery and long-term recovery. Despite the high-speed intersection with significant turning movements of cars, there was no signalization or speed control for drivers at this intersection to assist pedestrians in crossing safely. Since then, the Nashville Department of Transportation acted swiftly to install a pedestrian sign and Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) to alert drivers of pedestrian activity. However, with numerous crashes, especially between car drivers, there is a lot more that needs to be done at this intersection to improve safety.
This intersection is the location where Shelby Avenue turns from an arterial to a collector street designation in the Major and Collector Streets Plan, meaning that the street should slow and narrow heading east. Eastbound traffic has limited sight distance due to the crest of a hill and picks up speed heading into the intersection as it comes from the hill. Traffic coming west into town see a wider, more open road ahead and feel comfortable speeding up as they drive toward downtown. Vehicles coming south on 10th Street are encouraged to make fast, dangerous turns to squeeze between the fast-traveling vehicles on Shelby Avenue. The uncontrolled, marked crosswalk across Shelby requires a pedestrian to cross 80 feet without protection or signalization to slow or stop cars. Three turn lanes exist at the intersection to further increase traffic speeds and increase crossing distances for pedestrians and turning vehicles. Folks in East Nashville have known this intersection is dangerous for many years, and many avoid it if they can.
In addition to the clear danger presented at the 10th Street and Shelby Avenue intersection shown by a significant crash history, several factors make this intersection a prime location for action. First, an excessive amount of space exists in this intersection that can be utilized for safety improvements, removing the complicated process of the right-of-way or easement acquisitions. Secondly, this location falls with the East Nashville Backbones planned project, which promises “major separated bike lanes including the installation of necessary pavement markings, signs, and delineators.” The fact that the planning and funding source available for improvements here is a great benefit to faster action at this location. Finally, this location falls into the “High Injury Network” that Nashville’s Vision Zero Action Plan has shown as a priority for infrastructure improvements to make our streets safer.
The solutions to decrease crash severity and frequency are simple for all modes including car drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians. Slow motor vehicles, reduce turning distances (also known as “radii”), and reduce crossing distances for pedestrians.
Here are a few ideas to improve the safety of the intersection:
Before and After visualization of 10th + Shelby Crossing with a raised crosswalk, concrete islands, and a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon
Short-term: The marked crosswalk could be realigned and straightened slightly eastward, reducing the crossing distance by almost 25% and giving the opportunity for a pedestrian refuge island.
Short-term: Through-lanes are currently 14-20 feet wide, much wider than standard. These could be re-striped to 10 feet wide.
Short-term: The rarely-used westbound left turn lane on Shelby Avenue south onto 10th Street could be removed to decrease exposed crossing distance.
Short-term: Provide vertical traffic calming elements on Shelby Avenue on the approach to the intersection, especially on the downhill side coming eastward.
Medium: Curb-outs, also known as bulb-outs, move the curb corners out into the unused space in the street to provide visual traffic calming, reduce turning speeds, and reduce pedestrian crossing distance.
Medium: Install a Pedestrian Hybrid Beacon (PHB) which allows a person walking to stop traffic in order for them to cross the street. This might be most useful at the bus stop location.
Long-term: Fully signalize or traffic circle the intersection with raised crosswalks.
Long-term: Provide concrete islands to make a protected intersection for bicycles and pedestrians.
The 10th/Shelby intersection has a great potential to be a great community focal point and point of pride at the heart of East Nashville. Despite the current danger, there is plenty of space, for improvements, along with the planning and the funding to back it up. It’s time to put some pen to paper and move to design and action stages here.
In addition to the ideas offered by Daniel McDonell the Civic Design Center created several visualizations that can help to realize a safer future for this currently dangerous intersection.