8th Ave is currently nearly impossible to safely cross on foot. If you want to walk from your house or business to a restaurant on the other side of street you are reduced to a game of real life frogger. According to the studies by the Federal Highway Association, changing from four to three lanes can significantly reduces crashes for people walking, biking and driving, while maintaining the same capacity for cars. 

We strongly support changing 8th Ave from four car-lanes, to a street that welcomes people on foot, bicycle, bus and cars. This will:

1. Make the street safer for all road users. 325 people were injured on this street in the last 5 years and three have been killed. Studies show changing a 4-lane street to 3 lanes reduces crashes 19-47%.
2. Make it possible to safely cross the street. 3 lanes are much easier to cross on foot than 4. Currently it's over half a mile between crosswalks in some sections 8th Ave, leaving most people with no option but to play real-life frogger to cross the street. A 3-lane configuration would allow for pedestrian refuge islands which reduce pedestrian crashes up to 46%. 
3. Help 8th Ave become a thriving community hub, not just a highway  for cars
4. Create a safe way to bicycle in one of Nashville's bike-deserts
5. Have minimal impacts on car capacity

Please support Complete Streets by creating space for everyone on 8th Ave. A full blog post on why the proposed road diet is needed is here.