Aaron Gower
@aaronen.bsky.social
East Nashville dad & wife guy. Optimist. Into humanity, technology, and tryna help rebuild our walkable communities.
So much hand wringing as if this is some massive test of our capacity. Meanwhile there are simple, inexpensive ways to immediately start changing the way this street is perceived and used. If our institutions and leaders really give an Amy Grant...
What I would do here (in accordance with our stated plans and our stated values) (instead of closing the crosswalk): a thread
This is really a corridor problem. Too much volume, too much speed, too much pavement, too much deference to throughput and travel time.
This is really a corridor problem. Too much volume, too much speed, too much pavement, too much deference to throughput and travel time.
another ped was hit yesterday in the 3rd ave crosswalk where dot dobbins was killed over the summer
response from CM @jkupin4d19.bsky.social is that we should close the crosswalk…
a statement that is antithetical to our professed modal hierarchy
response from CM @jkupin4d19.bsky.social is that we should close the crosswalk…
a statement that is antithetical to our professed modal hierarchy
August 21, 2025 at 9:42 PM
So much hand wringing as if this is some massive test of our capacity. Meanwhile there are simple, inexpensive ways to immediately start changing the way this street is perceived and used. If our institutions and leaders really give an Amy Grant...
Reposted by Aaron Gower
If the mayor endorses a four-lane design for East Bank Boulevard, it will be a home run. We have the data. The public overwhelmingly opposes the six-lane concept being proposed.
Of the 881 responses to Metro's survey, 69% wrote a comment explicitly concerned with the number of lanes or width 1/
Of the 881 responses to Metro's survey, 69% wrote a comment explicitly concerned with the number of lanes or width 1/
June 24, 2025 at 3:04 PM
If the mayor endorses a four-lane design for East Bank Boulevard, it will be a home run. We have the data. The public overwhelmingly opposes the six-lane concept being proposed.
Of the 881 responses to Metro's survey, 69% wrote a comment explicitly concerned with the number of lanes or width 1/
Of the 881 responses to Metro's survey, 69% wrote a comment explicitly concerned with the number of lanes or width 1/
What a mealy mouthed quote from @freddieoconnell.bsky.social spokesperson:
"Freddie will take in a series of information and advice from advisers and give input on his interpretation of the facts knowing he is one piece of the pie. But at the same time, knowing that his opinion holds great weight.”
"Freddie will take in a series of information and advice from advisers and give input on his interpretation of the facts knowing he is one piece of the pie. But at the same time, knowing that his opinion holds great weight.”
One East Bank planning decision has stirred up frustration among biking and public transit advocates.
Power Struggle Over East Bank Boulevard
One East Bank planning decision has shown Metro’s limited tolerance for public participation
www.nashvillescene.com
June 24, 2025 at 1:45 PM
What a mealy mouthed quote from @freddieoconnell.bsky.social spokesperson:
"Freddie will take in a series of information and advice from advisers and give input on his interpretation of the facts knowing he is one piece of the pie. But at the same time, knowing that his opinion holds great weight.”
"Freddie will take in a series of information and advice from advisers and give input on his interpretation of the facts knowing he is one piece of the pie. But at the same time, knowing that his opinion holds great weight.”
The East Bank design @nashvilledot.bsky.social would be building if they actually wanted a walkable/transit-friendly neighborhood instead of an interstate traffic sink:
Not sure if this has already made the Nashville East Bank discussion, but @newyorkcity is making 3 lanes work on 5th avenue.
bsky.app/profile/wand...
bsky.app/profile/wand...
May 27, 2025 at 4:34 PM
The East Bank design @nashvilledot.bsky.social would be building if they actually wanted a walkable/transit-friendly neighborhood instead of an interstate traffic sink:
Has anyone seen anything on whether @nashvilledot.bsky.social has any plan at all (other than paint) to keep cars out of the bus lanes? If there isn't a specific concrete-based plan for this, then we're 100% going to end up with 6 lanes of car traffic. This idea would definitely be better than that.
If we're dead set on 4 lanes for cars on East Bank Boulevard, would you rather see the Inner Transit Loop moved to 5th?
I had initially floated moving it to 2nd or Interstate but I don't think those will be open on event days. There's not really another through route.
I had initially floated moving it to 2nd or Interstate but I don't think those will be open on event days. There's not really another through route.
May 26, 2025 at 10:37 PM
Has anyone seen anything on whether @nashvilledot.bsky.social has any plan at all (other than paint) to keep cars out of the bus lanes? If there isn't a specific concrete-based plan for this, then we're 100% going to end up with 6 lanes of car traffic. This idea would definitely be better than that.
We keep painting off so much space for this kind of "bike lane"; it makes the whole idea of bike lanes look ridiculous. Almost no one will (or should) bike on this. Really wish @nashvilledot.bsky.social would reframe all of them as multipurpose sidewalk extensions. It's a mitigation of overpavement.
Which is a TDOT controlled road - a huge win for Nashville if TDOT is relaxing its grip on the state routes and allowing more people friendly design! But here is a screenshot of a typical segment of the "protected" bikeway:
May 22, 2025 at 4:02 PM
We keep painting off so much space for this kind of "bike lane"; it makes the whole idea of bike lanes look ridiculous. Almost no one will (or should) bike on this. Really wish @nashvilledot.bsky.social would reframe all of them as multipurpose sidewalk extensions. It's a mitigation of overpavement.
Reposted by Aaron Gower
Everyone needs to memorize our Complete Streets Implementation guide:
May 18, 2025 at 1:29 PM
Everyone needs to memorize our Complete Streets Implementation guide:
Where is @freddieoconnell.bsky.social on any of this? Like, are we losing these two battles but we're going to try to make up for it elsewhere? Or was all the talk and engagement he did on these topics before he was elected complete BS?
And here's the full text of my public comments.
We need honesty, transparency, and leadership right now. It's time for the people in charge to stand up and do the right thing.
We need honesty, transparency, and leadership right now. It's time for the people in charge to stand up and do the right thing.
May 15, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Where is @freddieoconnell.bsky.social on any of this? Like, are we losing these two battles but we're going to try to make up for it elsewhere? Or was all the talk and engagement he did on these topics before he was elected complete BS?
Reposted by Aaron Gower
The East Bank Boulevard is being proposed to have a 110-foot ROW, with SIX travel lanes. This will be an incredibly dangerous, high-injury network that the city is choosing to build from scratch. This is ridiculously absurd, foolish, and inexcusable on so many levels.
May 9, 2025 at 2:37 AM
The East Bank Boulevard is being proposed to have a 110-foot ROW, with SIX travel lanes. This will be an incredibly dangerous, high-injury network that the city is choosing to build from scratch. This is ridiculously absurd, foolish, and inexcusable on so many levels.
Reposted by Aaron Gower
Here is the full text of @ginnywelsch.bsky.social's epic takedown of business as usual in Nashville's planning apparatus.
May 7, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Here is the full text of @ginnywelsch.bsky.social's epic takedown of business as usual in Nashville's planning apparatus.
Reposted by Aaron Gower
Actually, no, you can’t. Engineers & elected officials hoping/pretending they’ll make everyone happy (or mostly ppl driving not mad) undermines a city’s purported health & safety goals. Pushing against, rather than acquiescing to, car dominance is exhausting. www.nashville.gov/featured-ini...
East Bank Boulevard
We want your feedback on the East Bank Boulevard Project, a key piece of infrastructure through the reimagined East Bank! Please help us by May 15 at East...
www.nashville.gov
May 3, 2025 at 9:04 PM
Actually, no, you can’t. Engineers & elected officials hoping/pretending they’ll make everyone happy (or mostly ppl driving not mad) undermines a city’s purported health & safety goals. Pushing against, rather than acquiescing to, car dominance is exhausting. www.nashville.gov/featured-ini...
Reposted by Aaron Gower
Then, take the survey and say NO to six-lane highways in the East Bank!
Questions #4 and #5 ask if we support the proposed designs. We do not. They'd be dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and drivers and a huge missed opportunity for Nashville.
www.surveymonkey.com/r/EastBankBo...
Questions #4 and #5 ask if we support the proposed designs. We do not. They'd be dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and drivers and a huge missed opportunity for Nashville.
www.surveymonkey.com/r/EastBankBo...
East Bank Boulevard Project
Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.
www.surveymonkey.com
April 29, 2025 at 2:10 PM
Then, take the survey and say NO to six-lane highways in the East Bank!
Questions #4 and #5 ask if we support the proposed designs. We do not. They'd be dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and drivers and a huge missed opportunity for Nashville.
www.surveymonkey.com/r/EastBankBo...
Questions #4 and #5 ask if we support the proposed designs. We do not. They'd be dangerous for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and drivers and a huge missed opportunity for Nashville.
www.surveymonkey.com/r/EastBankBo...
Hey @freddieoconnell.bsky.social & @nashvilledot.bsky.social, you're better than this. Why are you wasting my and my family's time with fake feedback meetings? Why are you of all people failing this hard when we have a blank page opportunity to come up with a walkable street design?
Tell Metro what you want to see. Do we want a vibrant and safe street designed for people or a six-lane highway cutting through Nashville's "next great neighborhood"? www.surveymonkey.com/r/EastBankBo...
East Bank Boulevard Project
Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.
www.surveymonkey.com
April 25, 2025 at 6:23 PM
Hey @freddieoconnell.bsky.social & @nashvilledot.bsky.social, you're better than this. Why are you wasting my and my family's time with fake feedback meetings? Why are you of all people failing this hard when we have a blank page opportunity to come up with a walkable street design?
Reposted by Aaron Gower
if you look closely, you’ll see three new icons at the bottom of the quickticket validator
that’s because WeGo buses now support contactless payments using most credit and debit cards, as well as mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.
www.quicktickettn.com/contactless/...
that’s because WeGo buses now support contactless payments using most credit and debit cards, as well as mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.
www.quicktickettn.com/contactless/...
April 19, 2025 at 9:32 PM
if you look closely, you’ll see three new icons at the bottom of the quickticket validator
that’s because WeGo buses now support contactless payments using most credit and debit cards, as well as mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.
www.quicktickettn.com/contactless/...
that’s because WeGo buses now support contactless payments using most credit and debit cards, as well as mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, or Samsung Pay.
www.quicktickettn.com/contactless/...
Reposted by Aaron Gower
Our new research on Nashville @urbaninstitute.bsky.social examines how the city can adapt its land-use policies to accommodate growth around future transit lines.
There is a big opportunity for the city to take advantage of its new bus rapid transit routes for housing: www.urban.org/research/pub...
There is a big opportunity for the city to take advantage of its new bus rapid transit routes for housing: www.urban.org/research/pub...
April 17, 2025 at 1:07 PM
Our new research on Nashville @urbaninstitute.bsky.social examines how the city can adapt its land-use policies to accommodate growth around future transit lines.
There is a big opportunity for the city to take advantage of its new bus rapid transit routes for housing: www.urban.org/research/pub...
There is a big opportunity for the city to take advantage of its new bus rapid transit routes for housing: www.urban.org/research/pub...
Reposted by Aaron Gower
Multifamily housing support/opposition in Nashville by income
April 4, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Multifamily housing support/opposition in Nashville by income
Reposted by Aaron Gower
Fascinating new article that shows that "urban highways are associated with decreased social connectivity," especially over short distances.
Gives strong evidence for the importance of the Reconnecting Communities program, designed to connect neighborhoods divided by highways.
Gives strong evidence for the importance of the Reconnecting Communities program, designed to connect neighborhoods divided by highways.
🎉 New paper in PNAS: Urban highways are barriers to social ties
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2408937122
Highways are barriers that cut opportunities for social ties. We quantify this effect by overlaying the US highway network with millions of social ties from Twitter.
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2408937122
Highways are barriers that cut opportunities for social ties. We quantify this effect by overlaying the US highway network with millions of social ties from Twitter.
March 5, 2025 at 1:25 PM
Fascinating new article that shows that "urban highways are associated with decreased social connectivity," especially over short distances.
Gives strong evidence for the importance of the Reconnecting Communities program, designed to connect neighborhoods divided by highways.
Gives strong evidence for the importance of the Reconnecting Communities program, designed to connect neighborhoods divided by highways.
MHZC is a zombie organization that is actively making our neighborhoods worse. The developers of 10th & Fatherland were going to build a nice neighborhood addition with corner shops and townhomes, but thanks to MHZC we got a pod of airbnb party houses instead. Please fix this @claycapp.bsky.social!
A Metro Historic Zoning Commissioner has referred to their work as “democracy at its finest.”
I’m sorry, what?
Nine unelected people who serve as the final say on development is “democracy at its finest?”
🦞
I’m sorry, what?
Nine unelected people who serve as the final say on development is “democracy at its finest?”
🦞
February 24, 2025 at 4:20 PM
MHZC is a zombie organization that is actively making our neighborhoods worse. The developers of 10th & Fatherland were going to build a nice neighborhood addition with corner shops and townhomes, but thanks to MHZC we got a pod of airbnb party houses instead. Please fix this @claycapp.bsky.social!
Reposted by Aaron Gower
Investing in school HVAC systems is very good —>
Super happy to see this accepted! academic.oup.com/qje/advance-...
What Works and for Whom? Effectiveness and Efficiency of School Capital Investments Across the U.S.*
Abstract. This paper identifies which investments in school facilities help students and which and are valued by homeowners. Using novel data on school dis
academic.oup.com
February 20, 2025 at 12:31 PM
Investing in school HVAC systems is very good —>
This is a much needed fix. Please carry it through @freddieoconnell.bsky.social @claycapp.bsky.social!
Following an independent report on Metro's Historic Zoning and Historical commissions, legislation has been filed to merge them under Planning. @betsyphillips.bsky.social has thoughts.
Thoughts on Metro's Plan to Move Historical to the Planning Department
Following an independent report on the Historic Zoning and Historical commissions, legislation has been filed to merge them under Planning
www.nashvillescene.com
February 17, 2025 at 2:13 PM
This is a much needed fix. Please carry it through @freddieoconnell.bsky.social @claycapp.bsky.social!
Reposted by Aaron Gower
Fatal Crash Summary for January 2025:
4 total fatalities
- 1 pedestrian fatality
- 2 single vehicle fatalities
- 1 vehicle-to-vehicle fatality
- 2 on state routes
- 1 on interstate
- 1 on local road
2 additional life threatening crashes
Jan '24 fatal crashes: 4
Jan '23 fatal crashes: 9
4 total fatalities
- 1 pedestrian fatality
- 2 single vehicle fatalities
- 1 vehicle-to-vehicle fatality
- 2 on state routes
- 1 on interstate
- 1 on local road
2 additional life threatening crashes
Jan '24 fatal crashes: 4
Jan '23 fatal crashes: 9
February 3, 2025 at 6:00 PM
Fatal Crash Summary for January 2025:
4 total fatalities
- 1 pedestrian fatality
- 2 single vehicle fatalities
- 1 vehicle-to-vehicle fatality
- 2 on state routes
- 1 on interstate
- 1 on local road
2 additional life threatening crashes
Jan '24 fatal crashes: 4
Jan '23 fatal crashes: 9
4 total fatalities
- 1 pedestrian fatality
- 2 single vehicle fatalities
- 1 vehicle-to-vehicle fatality
- 2 on state routes
- 1 on interstate
- 1 on local road
2 additional life threatening crashes
Jan '24 fatal crashes: 4
Jan '23 fatal crashes: 9
Reposted by Aaron Gower
112 people died daily in vehicle crashes throughout the US on average in 2023—almost 41,000 people over the course of the year.
January 30, 2025 at 3:09 PM
112 people died daily in vehicle crashes throughout the US on average in 2023—almost 41,000 people over the course of the year.
This would be a huge improvement @freddieoconnell.bsky.social. MHZC as currently structured is a zombie organization with no accountability. Their interpretation of "historic" has had a relentless, negative effect on neighborhood development, repeatedly blocking walkable patterns.
I think this is a good way to look at it. Put it under planning and balance the needs of historic preservation with the needs of a growing city. www.axios.com/local/nashvi...
Nashville considers overhaul of historic zoning regulations
The Historic Zoning Commission has become a source of bureaucratic tension in recent years.
www.axios.com
January 24, 2025 at 11:07 PM
This would be a huge improvement @freddieoconnell.bsky.social. MHZC as currently structured is a zombie organization with no accountability. Their interpretation of "historic" has had a relentless, negative effect on neighborhood development, repeatedly blocking walkable patterns.
Reposted by Aaron Gower
"Before [racial zoning] was overturned by a court, Atlanta had an explicitly racist zoning code ... To comply with the court ruling, 'R-1 White Districts' became 'Dwelling House Districts' ... and 'R-2 Colored Districts' became Apartment House districts."
www.atlcitydesign.com/blog/2021/1/...
www.atlcitydesign.com/blog/2021/1/...
Exclusionary policies of the past and present: How single-family zoning structures inequality — Atlanta Department of City Planning
By Kendra Taylor, Project Manager, Office of Housing and Community Development Racial and economic segregation are so prevalent today that it is easy to assume that segregation arises naturally thro...
www.atlcitydesign.com
January 22, 2025 at 7:30 PM
"Before [racial zoning] was overturned by a court, Atlanta had an explicitly racist zoning code ... To comply with the court ruling, 'R-1 White Districts' became 'Dwelling House Districts' ... and 'R-2 Colored Districts' became Apartment House districts."
www.atlcitydesign.com/blog/2021/1/...
www.atlcitydesign.com/blog/2021/1/...
Reposted by Aaron Gower
This chart from the Financial Times was really striking to me. Democrats take power in eras where unemployment is more salient and Republicans take over when inflation is more salient is a pretty good heuristic.
January 22, 2025 at 2:47 PM
This chart from the Financial Times was really striking to me. Democrats take power in eras where unemployment is more salient and Republicans take over when inflation is more salient is a pretty good heuristic.