The Tennessean
Jamie McGee
If they have to choose, Nashville-area residents want more frequent service over longer hours, according to responses submitted to the Metro Transit Authority and Regional Transit Authority.
They also prioritize more premium transportation options, such as the Music City Star commuter rail, and more service beyond downtown. When it comes to improving service versus expanding service, residents what to see better service on existing routes.
The responses were gathered from more than 5,000 residents who weighed in on the MTA’s nMotion 2015 campaign online. Participants were asked how they would allocate $10 to two options, forcing them to weigh the priority level of each service improvement.
“The point of the exercise was for people to take a look at the types of choices we face as we think through how to make improvements to our transit system,” Steve Bland, CEO of MTA/RTA, said in a prepared statement. “Once we begin to develop a plan and ask for feedback, we’re going to face a difficult series of trade-offs similar to the options posed in the survey.”
The nMotion 2015 planning process has been underway since April as city and transportation officials have sought to advance the region’s transportation options amid heavy growth and congestion. The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce has pointed to the plan as an initial step to rolling out a regional plan and securing funding and support.
MTA has begun gathering resident feedback on improving the system through its forum at https://www.nmotion.info/our-blog/ and has encouraged residents to weigh in at www.nmotion.info.
Surveys aside, I believe that an important distinction needs to be made between those who ought to ride the bus and those who NEED to ride the bus. I believe that those of us who NEED to ride the bus, ought to be given priority.
While frequency would be more convenient, having a way to get home at the end of a second shift would be far more important. When I began riding the bus, if I could not get off work in time to catch the last bus home, I faced a 30 block walk home, in the dark and in all kinds of weather.