The Choose How You Move program—created by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville, Tenn., and Davidson County—in partnership with WeGo Public Transit, has selected HDR to lead planning and project development for the Nolensville Pike All-Access Corridor.

The Nolensville Pike All-Access Corridor spans approximately nine miles from downtown to south Nashville and is a centerpiece of Choose How You Move, Nashville's voter-approved transportation program. Passed by 66% of voters in November 2024, the program seeks to modernize the city's transportation system and give people safer, more reliable ways to get around. The corridor is being designed to deliver high-frequency bus service improvements—including transit-only lanes where possible—modernized signals and transit signal priority.

Planned improvements also include new and improved sidewalks, upgraded safety at pedestrian crossings, bikeway connections, smart signal upgrades and corridor-wide safety enhancements—all tailored through engineering analysis and community input.

"As Nashville grows, we have a responsibility to make our roads safer and our city more connected,” said Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell.  “For the first time this century, we're bringing significant improvements to Nolensville Road. Advancing the Choose How You Move Nolensville Pike All‑Access Corridor into project development is a major step toward delivering the safer streets, better sidewalks and more reliable transit options our community deserves. These investments reflect years of community visioning and will help people get to jobs, schools and everyday destinations more safely and more easily. Our choice as a city to invest in transportation and infrastructure together continues to mean real progress toward a more accessible, affordable and livable Nashville."

WeGo Public Transit CEO Steve Bland notes the upgrade will assist the agency in delivering improved travel times, reduced delays and created a better transit experience.

“Nolensville Pike is already one of our busiest transit corridors, and this project is about building on that demand to deliver faster, safer and more reliable service,” Bland said.

Selected through a competitive, qualifications-based procurement process, HDR will lead a comprehensive planning effort that includes:

• Alternatives analysis to identify the most effective corridor improvements.
• Preliminary engineering and 30% concept design alongside robust community engagement.
• Environmental review and federal approvals under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
• Coordination to position the project for federal funding through the Federal Transit Administration’s Capital Investment Grants program.

“Choose How You Move is about making Nashville’s streets safer and more accessible for everyone, whether you’re walking, rolling, taking transit or driving,” said Choose How You Move Chief Program Officer Sabrina Sussman. “Nolensville Pike has some of the most pressing safety needs in our corridor network, and that urgency is exactly why we're moving here first. All-Access Corridors are designed to cut congestion and improve reliability, but above all, to protect the people using these streets every day. Advancing vendor selection on Nolensville Pike moves us from program vision to real, on-the-ground delivery where it's needed most.”

The project is set to be delivered through a multi-agency partnership led by the Choose How You Move program office, with coordination across WeGo Public Transit, the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT), Metro Planning and state and federal partners. Design of the Nolensville Pike corridor, also known as State Route 11 / US 31A, will require close alignment and partnership with the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

“HDR is excited to partner with WeGo, NDOT and Choose How You Move to advance the Nolensville Pike All-Access Corridor,” said HDR Nashville Program Lead and Project Manager Brian Reynolds. “This vibrant corridor reflects the heart of Nashville’s diversity, and we’re excited to work in partnership with residents, businesses and community groups to help deliver a safer, more accessible and better-connected Nolensville Pike.”

This initial scope funds two to three years of project development before moving to engineering and construction. This phase will also include extensive opportunities for public and stakeholder engagement to help shape the street design. The agency says that community input will help it build on the vision laid out in previous plans to refine project priorities, ensuring that improvements reflect the needs of the residents, businesses and cultural communities that make Nolensville Pike a vital part of Nashville’s identity. 

While project development progresses, Nashvillians will see continual improvements on Nolensville Pike funded by Choose How You Move. WeGo Public Transit has already upgraded bus frequencies during peak commute times and expanded service to Glencliff High School on school days. Nashville Metro’s Information Technology Services department recently extended fiber through the area to prepare upgrades to signals. This will increase efficiency and connect buses and traffic into NDOT’s Traffic Management Center over the next two years.