Red-Light Politics
🚦 Nashville’s right-on-red ban sparks state-local debate · Two Metro council members eye 2027 vice mayor race · Student sues Middle TN teacher, school system over nude-photo allegations· Much more!
Whitepilled with Scott Greer Join us this Thursday, August 20 for a conversation with writer Scott Greer on how the online Right broke the old conservative order and built Trump's America. (Buy Ticket)
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Nashville’s pedestrian safety push takes a turn into the no-right-on-red debate.
From Megan Podsiedlik
State leaders are pushing back against Nashville’s no-right-on-red proposal as the Metro Council moves to reprioritize Vision Zero efforts around pedestrian safety. A spokesperson for House Speaker Sexton recently dismissed the measure as “a ridiculous proposal only Democrats could support,” while House Transportation Committee Chair Dan Howell urged caution: “Local elected officials should be cautious about adopting reactionary policies in response to tragic events, particularly when they create inconsistent rules that confuse visitors and drivers or negatively impact businesses.”
Councilmember Sandra Sepulveda and other Metro council members introduced the no-right-on-red proposal amid a rise in pedestrian deaths, underscored by a deadly Lower Broadway crash that killed an Australian tourist and injured three others.
Proceed With Caution The pushback isn’t just from Republican leaders. Mayor Freddie O’Connell warned against the implications of the sweeping bill during a recent media roundtable. “We're going to have to do some examination of how no-right-on-red interacts with state routes,” he said. “I think the scale that's been initially proposed, without any kind of pilot period or data capture in it, seems very quick.”
Narrowing the Lane Sepulveda has since announced her plans to scale back her proposal and intends to introduce an amendment that would limit the right-on-red ban to downtown, school zones, and within Tier 1 transit corridors.
But the sudden uproar about Nashville’s pedestrian deaths—which totaled 28 at the time of the legislation’s introduction—and the reactionary legislation deserve a second look. Where does the legislation come from?
The No-Right-on-Red Club No-right-on-red policies tend to spawn in major cities where foot traffic is high. They also happen to be dominated by Democratic lawmakers. Washington, D.C. recently imposed a citywide ban, district/neighborhood-wide bans have been established in Atlanta, and intersection-specific bans have been passed in Jersey City and Newark.
More Speed Bumps? The mayor’s Choose How You Move initiative also aims to strengthen pedestrian safety along key corridors, continuing its installation of bike-lane barriers and speed bumps. When asked about neighborhoods that have complained about the safety measures in areas where bike and foot traffic appear to be negligible, the mayor’s office explained that CHYM isn’t just about what is convenient for drivers.
“The data shows us that when you make transit more accessible, more reliable, and more frequent, ridership increases,” said the mayor’s Deputy Communications Director Alex Apple during Friday’s media roundtable. “The same would be when you continue a sidewalk here that goes towards the library. You see people able to take it. Right now, if you wanted to walk right from here to the library, you would, I guess, have to traverse this grass lot, and so we're trying to make a system that is comprehensive and makes sense.”
✹ WHITEPILLED
Whitepilled with Scott Greer In his new book Whitepill, Scott Greer traces how the online Right broke the old conservative order and made Trump possible, a history he watched from inside both DC and the subcultures that displaced it. Join us Thursday, August 20 for a conversation on how the Right got here and what it takes to move from rebellion to governing.
Books will be available for purchase. This event benefits The Pamphleteer, Nashville and is priced with that in mind. Bard-level subscribers receive free, privileged admittance.
HEADLINES
- 🗳 Two Metro council members plan to run for vice mayor in 2027. Metro Councilmembers Zulfat Suara and Kyonzté Toombs announced their plans to run for Nashville vice mayor in 2027, setting up an early contest for the position. The vice mayor presides over Metro Council meetings, assigns committees, and oversees the council office. Current Vice Mayor Angie Henderson has yet to announce whether she will seek another term. (Axios)
- 🙈 Student sues former high school teacher, school system for $1.5M over nude-photo allegations in Middle TN. A former student is suing Matthew Vedder, a former Montgomery Central High School teacher, and the Clarksville-Montgomery County school system for $1.5 million, alleging misconduct involving nude photographs. Vedder resigned after allegations surfaced that he showed a nude photo of himself to a 17-year-old student. The student and her father later accused school officials of failing to adequately address the situation. (WSMV)
- 🚌 Mayor O'Connell allocates another $100M toward new roadway projects. Mayor Freddie O'Connell is directing another $100 million in Choose How You Move funding toward transportation projects around Nashville, expanding the massive voter-approved transportation program spend to $220 million so far. Nashville’s bus infrastructure will receive $29.8 million—the largest chunk. Safety projects are getting $22.4 million, signals and traffic operations $19 million, sidewalks $16.8 million, and all-access corridors on Gallatin and Nolensville pikes $7.2 million. (Post)
✹ PROPERTY TAX CALCULATOR
What Moved Your Bill? Use our handy new tool to see what contributed to your property tax bill increase: the reappraisal or the rate hike. (Try It Out)
DEVELOPMENT
- Metro’s Farm at Mill Ridge Park receives $4M in funding for renovations (Post)
- North Nashville for-sale brewery area property sees listing adjustment (Post)
- Nashville Yards tower proposal lands approval (Post)
✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH
New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your council member, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)
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
🎸 Helmet w/ Spirit In The Room @ The Basement East, 7p, $29.11, Info
🎷 The Joshua Constantine Quartet @ Rudys Jazz Room, 6p, $12, Info
🪕 Bluegrass Mondays with Kyle Tuttle @ Dee's Lounge, 6p, $10, Info
💀 Grateful Monday @ Acme Feed & Seed, 7p, Free, Info
🕺 Motown Monday @ The 5 Spot, 9p, $5, Info
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.