Fox 17
Nashville drivers lost nearly 2 days in traffic delays last year– according to Texas A&M’s Transportation Institute recent report. Expecting the population to grow by a million in the next two decades, Nashville Metro Transit Authority and Regional Transit Authority are looking at different solutions.
Randy Power says, “It’s a problem because it’s so congested. We need fewer cars or more roads.”
That’s why Powers and Vivian Verran ride the bus, but even they are spending more time on it.
Verran says,”Before you could zoom right through Ellington parkway and now its congested. We could leave 10 minutes to 7 and be here by 15-20 after now its a good 7:30.”
Mike Childress, bus rider says, “Some sort of light rail or something like that definitely has to happen. It exists in similar size cities.”
MTA and RTA say the cheapest solution is freeway bus rapid transit.
“N-Motion,” MTA’s annual study, notes 12 other states that allow buses to run on selected shoulders. The report says the safety record is often better than other services. Options also include adding freeway bus stops and stations and using the HOV lane.
You can comment on the different solutions on line or voice your opinion to MTA/RTA in person. For more information, visit: https://www.nmotion.info/
This hits the nail right on the head. Freeway BRT is the most cost effective way to solve Nashville’s problems. The addition of either dedicated freeway lanes and HOV/HOT lanes for the buses would allow for the expansion of automobile capacity, inventivize carpooling, and allow for the developmen of an excellent BRT system.
The BRT system needs to be the master, and the other MTA lines should be the slave in terms of scheduling and timed transfers.
It won’t be easy or cheap, but it is needed.
Yes! I think that is a wonderful idea. We need to do something SOON…I keep hearing about ‘ideas’ but no timeline for implementation. It is time to do something now. I personally drive close to an hour one way for a 12 mile trip to work. The traffic congestion is seriously impacting the quality of life in this city. The express bus solution could be done sooner and less expensively than many others. I think it is time to begin this type of project.