Crowded street changed to one-way after three pedestrians hit

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - The Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) made changes to a crowded South Nashville street Tuesday, turning it to a one-way after three pedestrians were hit there.

Houston St. between Martin St. and 4th Ave. in the Wedgewood/Houston neighborhood was officially changed Tuesday at 10 a.m.

It had long been the wish of business owners in the area, according to Americano Lounge owner Cody Pellerin, who credited the work of District 17 Commissioner Colby Sledge, for helping make it happen.

“Seeing the growth is really exciting and it does help us feel like we’re getting somewhere,” Pellerin said.

Americano Lounge was one of the first businesses at the revitalized Houston Station, which now houses nearly two dozen businesses.

Pellerin says Houston St. had long been the site of accidents. He says all of his employees, at one point or another, had their vehicles damaged on the once, two-lane road - which often wasn’t easily accessible.

“We’ve seen some of the craziest stuff,” Pellerin said. “You could physically see the evidence that people couldn’t get here anymore. We actually noticed about a 30-40 percent drop in our revenue.”

As the Wedgewood/Houston neighborhood continues to grow, Pellerin hopes the change to a one-way Houston Street, will make the area safer, and stronger.

According to a tweet by Sledge, it’ll increase the ability of drivers to see pedestrians crossing.

“You know, the rest of the city, they’re just like oh cool, lines on a street, but for us, this is a huge deal,” Pellerin said. “So it really is exciting that woah, our neighborhood is actually turning into something.”

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