A new East Bank neighborhood, more bike lanes and a better hubNashville app — these are on the wishlist from Mayor O’Connell’s transition team

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell has received recommendations from the transition committees he convened in September to examine how Nashville should “move, grow and work.”

The mayor asked these committees to advise him on how to make Nashville a place that’s easier to get around (Moves), easier to get answers from the government (Works), and more pleasant and affordable to live in (Grows).

And they had to act quickly. On Tuesday, they met with the mayor to give their final reports as part of a public presentation at Nashville’s Main Library. Recommendations were high-level — instead of “more appointments at the DMV,” think “customer service that’s more accessible.”

You can read the final reports at the links above. Here are a few highlights:

How Nashville Moves

One big takeaway: the committee wants O’Connell to consider putting a transit funding referendum on the ballot in 2024. That’s a quick turnaround time. But presidential elections have the highest turnout, and committee chair Alex Jahangir says he wants as many Nashvillians as possible to weigh in.

Jahangir hopes some of the revenue raised by a potential tax referendum would go to safety measures for bikers and pedestrians.

“My day job is a trauma surgeon,” he said. “There’s not a week that goes by that I’m not operating on someone who’s been a victim of an accident on the road, whether it’s a bicyclist or a person crossing the street. So this is a very personal matter for me.”

Safety infrastructure could include wider and better-marked bike lanes, sidewalks and better-maintained roads.

How Nashville Works

The main goal is to create a great customer service experience for anyone who interacts with Nashville’s metro government.

For committee chair Christy Pruitt-Haynes, that means greatly expanding the hubNashville app. Currently, Nashvillians can use the app to make complaints or request services, but Pruitt-Haynes wants every Metro department to integrate their services, so people can receive a follow-up in the same place they made their initial request.

Accessibility was also a core concern for the committee. Pruitt-Haynes advised the mayor to schedule public meetings in accessible buildings and at convenient times for as many people as possible.

How Nashville Grows

The committee wants Nashville’s new development and construction to benefit everyone.

You probably know there will be a new Titans Stadium along the East Bank, but the mayor and Metro plan to build a whole new surrounding neighborhood there as well. According to committee chair David Esquivel, this new neighborhood could be a testing ground for upgrades the rest of the city might want.

“The East Bank should become a neighborhood where Nashvillians live work and play year round, not just on stadium event days. It should mirror the cultural and economic diversity of our city. In other words, it should not be an extension of Nashville’s tourism and entertainment district. It should be something different,” Esquivel said.

Esquivel says he’d like to see bike lanes and sidewalks along all the East Bank’s streets, plus newly-built affordable housing.

He also advised the mayor to form a standing committee to look at specific Metro-owned properties that could be converted into affordable housing.