NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — If you drive through downtown Nashville, you'll notice a new pedestrian-only phase to several traffic signal lights.

These are part of a new effort from the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure to make downtown a safer place for pedestrians and vehicles alike.

The lights at several intersections will now include a phase where all the lights stay red, giving pedestrians the right of way in every direction. NDOT told News 2 these new pedestrian-only segments were implemented in some of downtown's busiest intersections, like Broadway and 12th.

They operate similar to a diagonal crossing pattern, but you can only cross diagonally if the ground markings signal you are allowed to.

NDOT said this type of signaling is very effective in avoiding pedestrian and car collisions, and they hope people walking downtown will feel the difference.

"Next time you're in the downtown area, we hope you notice that it is easier to get around, safer, and more efficient for all people moving in the roadway," Beth Ostrowski with KCI Technologies told News 2.

Recently, NDOT also implemented Leading Pedestrian Intervals at several Nashville intersections, which means pedestrians will have about three to seven seconds to walk across a crosswalk before cars are given a green arrow to turn.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/middle-tn-neighborhood-news/ndot-implements-pedestrian-only-phase-downtown-lights/