This project will use lidar technologies to address gaps in traditional safety evaluation methods through collecting and evaluating "near-miss" data on nolensville pike and north nashville

The City of Nashville received a $10 million Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of Transportation's Immediate Office of the Secretary on August 1, 2025, under the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) Grants Program (CFDA 20.941). The three-year award, which extends through July 31, 2028, funds a demonstration project utilizing Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology to collect and evaluate near-miss traffic incident data on Nolensville Pike and in North Nashville. This initiative addresses critical gaps in traditional traffic safety evaluation methodologies by capturing detailed information on near-miss events that would otherwise remain undocumented in conventional safety assessments.

The SMART Grants Program, established under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act with $100 million in annual appropriations (FY 2022-2026), supports competitive awards to eligible public sector entities for demonstration projects that employ advanced smart city technologies to improve transportation efficiency and safety. The Nashville project exemplifies the program's focus on leveraging emerging data collection and analytics capabilities to enhance transportation safety outcomes and build municipal data and technology capacity.