Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell believes the third time will be the charm for a comprehensive plan to improve Nashville’s transportation troubles.
O’Connell unveiled details Thursday morning of his “Choose How You Move” transportation plan that he intends to put to voters on November 5. The mayor says the plan will include dedicated funding to improve sidewalks, signals, safety, and service.
“It’s about the people who live here and whether they can afford to stay here. The cost of transportation is nearly equal to the cost of housing for most households in Nashville and it’s past time we tackle our transportation issues so that Nashville can become a more livable city,” said O’Connell. “We’re a big city and it’s time to act like one.”
Polling of likely voters identified transportation as one of the top three issues going into last year’s mayor’s race and O’Connell made improving it a key part of his campaign.
Two prior transportation plans, the AMP and Let’s Move Nashville, have failed over the last decade and O’Connell says his plan will have some differences. One notable one is that, unlike the prior mass transit plan voters rejected, this one will likely not include light rail and will instead focus on improving the existing WeGo Public Transit and adding transit centers that connect to each other.
“So people thinking about using the bus don’t have to go downtown just to get to some other part of the city,” said O’Connell.
The plan would also upgrade traffic lights to better respond to where the traffic is instead of keeping drivers unnecessarily stuck at red lights.
The mayor did not release specific transportation maps or costs.
O’Connell said his administration intends to spend the next six weeks reviewing transportation research that’s already been done and taking in public input to iron out the final details of the plan that would have to be approved by Metro Council.
“It may seem like we’re moving fast here but over the last decade Nashville has conducted more than 70 plans and studies that tens of thousands of Nashvillians, more than 65 thousand, have contributed to and given input on. In the coming weeks we will have pulled the best of these ideas into a plan that delivers on Nashville’s most pressing transportation needs. It’s time to get to work,” said O’Connell.
O’Connell’s plan could potentially provide a valuable benefit to students who attend Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS).
MNPS high school students can ride the bus for free to travel to and from school and other extracurricular activities through the StrIDe program. Students in grades 5 through 8 who attend an out of zone school without regular MNPS bus service can additionally use the program during the school year.
This fiscal year 7,382 students and 118 staff members have taken roughly 441,000 total rides on the program according to the district. The top bus routes were 55 – Murfreesboro Pike, 56 – Gallatin Pike, 50 – Charlotte Pike, 23 – Dickerson, and 03 – West End.
The proposed new transit centers could also offer possibilities for public charter school students to use the bus, especially if it removes the necessity of traveling downtown to catch a connecting bus. Public charter schools in Nashville typically contract with MNPS or another bus service to provide “yellow bus” transportation to students.
