Nashvillians across the political spectrum approve of Mayor Freddie O’Connell. Fewer of them know about his specific projects.

Just six months into his term, Mayor Freddie O’Connell is seeing high approval from Nashvillians — including from across the political aisle.

That’s one finding from the latest Vanderbilt Poll. Typically conducted once a year, the poll surveyed 1,014 residents during the first three weeks of March.

O’Connell’s total approval rating — 71% — includes majorities from all political parties: 56% of Republicans, 68% of Independents and 85% of Democrats think the mayor has done a good job since his election in September.

“While you could argue that he still is in a bit of a honeymoon phase, the mayor’s overall approval defies the polarization that we see blocking a lot of action in current national politics,” said John Geer, co-director of the Vanderbilt Poll.

While respondents approved of O’Connell, the poll revealed their relative lack of knowledge of the projects he’s pursuing.

A majority said they knew either “nothing” or “very little” about the city’s East Bank development — a $227 million project to develop the 30-acre initial development zone around Nissan Stadium. In total, the city owns 550 acres.

There is similar unfamiliarity with the potential revitalization of the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. Nearly half say they were not following along at all with the project — which would see the city partnering with Bristol Motor Speedway to restore the track. However, the proposal remains in limbo, after the Metro Council tabled the bill last year. Recently, affordable housing advocates proposed a charter revision that would see affordable housing protected at the Fairgrounds instead of auto-racing.

Too fast too soon

O’Connell’s popularity coincides with a majority of respondents agreeing that the city is “on the right track.” The 53% statistic is nine points higher than last year, and marks the first time the number has increase in four years.

Still, respondents demonstrated frustration with the city — particularly with regards to its growth. 80% of respondents said they feel the city has grown too quickly, and only one-quarter thought the changes in Nashville over the last few years have improved their lives.

The way respondents feel about growth appears to correspond with how long they have lived in Nashville. A majority of residents who have been in the city for less than five years see the city as moving in the right direction — while a majority of longtime residents feel the city is going the wrong way.

Priorities

Nashville residents were clear with what they want the city to focus on. The top priorities included:

1. Crime — 71% of respondents listed this as a top priority, with nearly two-thirds of respondents indicating that there is an area within a mile from their home that they would not walk alone at night.
2. Education — 67% said this was a top priority, a 7% drop from last year, when it ranked first.
3. Affordable housing — 63% said that wanted to see rents made more affordable, and 62% want homebuying to be more achievable. Only 9% felt they could afford to buy a home in their current neighborhood.

Traffic also looks to be a major concern for Nashvillians, as, according to the poll, nearly half of commuters spend between 30 and 90 minutes in traffic each day. Both traffic and public transportation pulled majority support, and 84% of respondents indicated their approval of moving forward with the citywide transit referendum this November.