Mayor Freddie O'Connell of Nashville has mapped out an ambitious $3.1 billion transit overhaul, coined "Choose How You Move," that promises to profoundly revolutionize the way Nashvillians scoot about their burgeoning city. The expansive plan, as reported by the Tennessean, includes laying down 86 miles of sidewalks, traffic signal updates, and bolstering the WeGo bus system's breadth and frequency. Crucially, it'll also establish a dozen transit centers, anchoring communities with easy bus access and making room for affordable housing and verdant parks.
O'Connell's plan ain't just pie in the sky. To fund these grand designs, he's banking on a sales tax increase of half a cent to put up the necessary cash, a fiscal move that will land on ballots this November 5. According to Nashville Business Journal, if Davidson County voters give the nod, the tax hike is expected to shoulder around 40 percent of the plan's weight, with fares, bonds, plus state and federal programs covering the rest. It's a 15-year trek to completion, and if it clears the voter hurdle, families in Nashville should brace to fork over an additional $70 annually.
These transit hubs aren't merely pit stops—they're envisioned as beacons of connectivity, designed to seamlessly integrate affordable housing into the transit tapestry. "Living close to transit allows households to save on the cost of transportation," O'Connell stated, as relayed by the Tennessean. He notes that households nestled near transit lines stand to save about $200 annually—no small potatoes in a budget-conscious family's ledger.
The scheme signals a second go-round at revamping the city's mobility infrastructure. A 2018 referendum for a $5.4 billion transit initiative got roundly rebuffed at the polls. With relish and persistence, Mayor O'Connell and city planners are pushing to not recurrently succumb to previous failings. They reckon that a dedicated transit fund could entice more federal grant money, making Nashville a fiercer competitor in the urban mobility arena, per details by Planetizen. This time around, the blueprint aspires to double the clout of the local WeGo bus service, tossing in express routes and a promise to boost the cadence of the city's transit heartbeat.
