5-D Chess
🚦 No Right on Red drops from from 740 intersections to 14 · Dueling governor polls show different races · Losing I-24 toll-lane bidder sues TDOT· Much more!
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From 740 intersections to 14: the long way home for No Right on Red, in 5-D.
From Megan Podsiedlik
Walking into last night’s meeting, the Metro Council already knew Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda was going to pull her No Right on Red legislation. The consolation prize? NDOT pledged to ban right turns on red at 14 intersections, update existing pedestrian safety measures, and conduct a safety study. So, no legislation, but at least a few traffic lights will be affected.
That’s a far cry from the original bill, which would have banned right turns on red at over 740 intersections. That number was later whittled down to 59 before Sepulveda finally pulled the plug with a deal at 14.
For those concerned about the original bill’s sweeping reach, the final tally may look like a compromise, or even a win. For those who supported it, it looks a lot like a crash and burn. According to Sepulvenda, it was all part of her savvy plan.
“When I first filed this legislation, it was so broad because you ask for ten and you get eight at the end of the day, and this is a strategy, and it works,” said Sepulveda. “And here we are. So I don’t do things just to do things.”
“It is important that we do not legislate out of fear,” Sepulveda continued. “The state is going to do whatever the state is going to do. The state has preempted us in everything... So, I think that it’s important that we legislate for our city, and we do what is important for our constituents.”
But Sepulveda’s apparent victory lap landed with a thud. The statement came off as tone-deaf, if not outright hypocritical. Why? Because Sepulveda, apparently playing 5-D chess, built her entire proposal around fearmongering.
When initially introduced, the legislation gained momentum among supporters who tied the necessity of the ban to an uptick in pedestrian deaths—which totaled 28 at the time of the legislation’s introduction—and a recent tragedy on Lower Broadway where a driver ran a red light and struck pedestrians in a crosswalk, killing one and seriously injuring others.
“We have constituents who are dying every day,” said Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda during a meeting in July. It was a relatively understated reflection compared with others who spoke in support of her proposal.
If we’re talking strategy, Sepulveda could have harnessed that political prowess, taken her concerns straight to NDOT, and landed the same deal without the drama. But then we’d have missed the whole spectacle, and what’s the fun in that?
See how the rest of the night’s agenda played out with the Pamphleteer’s user-friendly Council Watch tool.
🌾 Fall Festival at Brewington Farms RidgeRunner is hosting its first fall festival on Saturday, Nov. 7, from 10am to 4pm in Whitleyville, marking the ribbon-cutting for farm operations. Expect hay rides, a petting zoo, face painting, regional vendors, food and music, plus tours of the remaining lots in Brewington and Hawkesbury. It's free; RSVP to get the address and itinerary. (RSVP here)
HEADLINES
- 📊 Dueling governor polls show different races. A Spry Research poll has Republican Marsha Blackburn ahead of Democrat Jerri Green by 11.5 points (43.5% to 32%). A poll released by Green’s campaign has the race within two points (about 36% to 34%). The polls differ mostly on independent David Hatley, who gets nearly 12% in Spry’s poll and about 19% in Green’s, which suggests he’s pulling conservative votes away from Blackburn. Vanderbilt pollster John Geer says to read both polls skeptically, though he notes Blackburn’s attacks on Hatley show her campaign sees him as a threat. (Banner)
- 🚧 Losing I-24 toll-lane bidder sues over DriveTN deal. 24 Choice Lanes Partners filed a second lawsuit against TDOT. It says DriveTN won the 50-year, roughly $25 billion I-24 express lanes contract with an “untenable” bid, then got to reduce, delay, or stretch out its payments after it already knew what rival bidders had offered. The suit also says the Transportation Modernization Board violated the Open Meetings Act by reviewing the deal without holding a public meeting. The state has agreed to hand over a redacted copy of the agreement by October 30. (TNJ)
- 🚨 East Nashville vet clinic under criminal investigation. Metro Police and the DA’s office are investigating Caudle Vet Clinic after two dogs, Wunjo and Reggie, died following surgeries there, and a third dog survived serious complications. The owners all say the veterinarian, Dr. Prashant Pandya, wasn’t licensed in Tennessee. Reggie’s owners say his wound became infected and necrotic while staff kept telling them he was healing. The state veterinary board can’t act against someone who doesn’t hold a license, so any prosecution is up to the DA. (NewsChannel 5)
✹ EARLY VOTING TRACKER
🗳️ Who's Voting Where Through Day 6 of 14: 490,534 early votes statewide, 57,726 in Davidson County. Our early voting tracker updates every morning with counts for all 95 counties, compared with the 2022 and 2018 midterms. Pick your county or look at the whole state to see where turnout stands (See the tracker)
DEVELOPMENT
- Vacant Parkway Towers office building becoming 331-room dual-brand Hyatt hotel. (NBJ)
- RiverGate Mall demolition nearly done; apartment construction expected early 2027 (WKRN)
- Boring Co. prepping third Music City Loop tunneling site near the airport (WPLN)
✹ PAMPHLETEER TOOLS
Pamphleteer Tools Council Watch tells you who funds your councilmember and how they vote. The Property Tax Calculator tells you what that cost you.
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.
TONIGHT
🎸 Sons of Legion w/ KELS @ Ryman Auditorium, 7:30p, $43, Info
🎸 Sugar @ Brooklyn Bowl, 8p, $61.10, Info
🎶 WNXP's Music Trivia Night @ Vinyl Tap, 7p, Free, Info
🪕 The Steppers @ The Basement, 7p, $12.85, Info
💀 Tennessee Dead @ Tennessee Brew Works, 6p, Info
🎸 Kelley's Heroes @ Robert's Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
🎸 The Cowpokes @ Robert's Western World, 10:30p, Free, Info
🪕 Bluegrass Night @ The American Legion Post 82, 7p, Free, Info
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.