Nashville airport addresses traffic problems with new parking policy
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The influx of new flights and amenities at the Nashville International Airport has come with a frustrating flip side.
- To put it bluntly, the traffic stinks.
Driving the news: The combination of construction and record-breaking passenger volume has made things even worse in recent weeks, with media reports showing travelers leaving their rides and walking down the shoulder of Interstate 40 with their roller bags to get to the terminal.
The latest: BNA has rolled out new efforts to combat the traffic quagmire.
- "We've listened to the traffic concerns, and we are making improvements to eliminate the congestion on the roadway," airport CEO Doug Kreulen said Wednesday in a statement.
Zoom in: One contributing factor to the congestion is drivers circling the terminal over and over while they wait to pick up passengers. (That problem was likely exacerbated when cell phone waiting lots were moved off-site due to construction.)
- Beginning Friday, those drivers will get up to 30 minutes of free parking in the terminal garages.
- Be mindful of your time, because new short-term parking rates will kick in after 30 minutes. If you stay for 30-45 minutes, for instance, you'll owe $5.
- The free cell lot at 1415 Murfreesboro Pike remains open.
Be smart: Last month, BNA rolled out a new text alert program that provides real-time updates on airport traffic. You can also check for backups on the Tennessee Department of Transportation SmartWay map.
State of play: Metro Councilmember Russ Bradford, who represents the airport area, says he has seen an uptick in complaints this fall.
- "A lot of people are upset and annoyed," he tells Axios. "We're lucky there have been no serious accidents caused by the backups."
- Bradford says he wishes BNA had been more proactive about addressing predictable traffic logjams ahead of the Thanksgiving rush. Still, he says, adding free parking time is a "great step" toward easing congestion.
Bradford visited the airport as a traveler Wednesday, en route to Washington, D.C. His tip: Arrive two hours before your flight's scheduled departure.
- "I didn't have any issues," he says.
The big picture: Construction to improve airport traffic is ongoing but will take a while.
- A new I-40 exchange is being built at Donelson Pike that should improve access to the airport. The project was initially scheduled to finish in 2027, but TDOT tells Axios it is currently on track to wrap early.
- The project includes shifting Donelson Pike, which will make room for a terminal road expansion.