Downtown Nashville Interstate Corridors Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study
TDOT has initiated a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study alongside the early development of the proposed I-24 Southeast Choice Lanes Project to establish the vision for the network and how future Choice Lanes projects in the Downtown Nashville area could potentially connect to or expand on the larger system.
The purpose of the PEL Study is to determine overall urban congestion relief improvement strategies for the interstate network leading into and surrounding Downtown Nashville.
The Downtown Nashville Interstate Corridors (DNIC) PEL Study includes 20 miles of interstate segments:
- I-65, I-24 and I-40 – the “Inner Loop” in Downtown Nashville
- I-65, from SR 155 (Thompson Lane) to the Inner Loop
- I-440, from I-65 to I-24/I-40
- I-24, from Inner Loop to I-65 interchange (north of Downtown Nashville)
- I-40, from the Inner Loop to Elm Hill Pike (East of BNA Airport)[KT1]
The PEL Study will:
- Identify and analyze the overall transportation concerns.
- Develop the Purpose and Need for the study.
- Create a master plan that recommends potential future projects that could provide congestion relief.
- Provide preliminary environmental analysis, cost estimates and recommended project scopes for the identified congestion relief solutions that could transition into the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) project development phase for further analysis once projects receive funding.
- Initiate planning level coordination with local, state and Federal agencies.
Public Involvement and Engagement
TDOT will host a Public Information Meeting in late 2024 to seek input on the improvement alternatives and alternatives screening process. Stay tuned for updates!
See what community members had to say about the PEL Study objectives and Draft Purpose and Need statement during our first Virtual Public Engagement event in April. A summary of the survey data and responses to the feedback received can be found here.
Virtual Public Engagement Resources
Contacts
Please email us to get on our mailing list at TDOT.BuildWithUs@tn.gov.
You can also call the PEL Study hotline at (615) 451-8039 to leave a voice comment or question. The hotline is monitored regularly, and calls are acknowledged within 24 business hours. While the public comment period for the Virtual Public Engagement Event is closed, TDOT welcomes questions and comments regarding the PEL Study.
TDOT intends to adopt planning products and recommendations made as part of the PEL Study into future NEPA studies, per Title 23 of the US Code, Part 168. Click here to read the official notice.
FAQs
Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) is a collaborative approach to transportation decision-making that considers benefits and impacts of proposed transportation system improvements to the environment, community and economy during the early transportation planning process. The primary goal of the PEL Study is to gather information and input early in planning to inform the environmental review process and meet the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
When the Transportation Modernization Act (TMA) was signed into law, the state of Tennessee received $3 billion in transportation revenue and authorization for the development and operation of user-fee facility projects (Choice Lanes) to address traffic congestion across the state. The TMA allows TDOT to expand its alternative project delivery methods, including the utilization of Public-Private Partnerships (P3s) and Choice Lanes to deliver its urban congestion reduction improvement projects.
With new tools in the toolbox, TDOT will be initiating a Planning and Environmental Linkages (PEL) Study to identify and analyze transportation concerns and create a master plan that recommends potential future projects that could provide congestion relief. The PEL Study will deliver preliminary environmental analysis, cost estimates and recommended project scopes for the identified congestion relief solutions that could transition into the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) project development phase for further analysis once projects receive funding.
- Combines planning, engineering and NEPA to streamline the project development process
- Encourages early and meaningful public engagement
- Assists in the early identification of issues and potential constraints, reduces risks and concerns and leads to better environmental outcomes
TDOT will continue to engage the public, including residents, commuters and local businesses in the Study area, and state and federal agencies throughout the PEL Study. The feedback gathered through engagement events and surveys will inform TDOT early in the decision-making process.
TDOT will conduct meaningful public outreach and effectively communicate with stakeholders and the public throughout the Downtown Nashville Interstate Corridors PEL Study.
The first public engagement opportunity was a virtual event from April 1 to 30, where TDOT presented existing and projected transportation issues. The public submitted official public comments and shared their experience and concerns with the Downtown Nashville Interstate Corridors. A PEL Public Information Meeting will also take place later in 2024 to seek input on the improvement alternatives and alternatives screening process. Stay tuned for updates.
Comments received during the first open comment period (April 1 to 30, 2024) via survey, email, mail or hotline at (615) 451-8039 were recorded as official public comments and included in the final PEL Study report.
It is important to note that while TDOT is monitoring comments made through social media, these are not considered official public comments.
This Virtual Public Engagement Event hosted nearly 5,000 visitors. 388 visitors completed the DNIC PEL Study survey with 14 survey questions and four open-ended questions. TDOT developed a summary of the survey data and responses to the open-ended comments. The summary is available here. Comments have been organized into broad topics and in each section, individual comment themes are presented in italics followed by the response to each comment.
You can email TDOT.BuildWithUs@tn.gov to sign up for our mailing list.