NASHVILLE, Tenn. – President Barack Obama has proposed $27 million of next year's fiscal budget to go towards funding a mass transit system for the city of Nashville.
On Tuesday, President Obama sent Congress a $3.9 trillion budget that would funnel money in to building roads, education and other economy boosting programs. Of that budget, $27 million would go towards the AMP Project, a proposed full service bus rapid transit system for some of Nashville's major corridors, including Broadway and West End.
The city had originally asked for $75 million in federal funding for the project. Mayor Karl Dean said the remaining balance would be distributed in portions in the coming fiscal years.
"We have to recognize that the federal budget is a lengthy process and today is just day one of that process," the Mayor said in a press conference on Tuesday.
Mayor Dean said the Federal Transit Administration has recognized the AMP Project as a major transportation solution for Nashville and surrounding areas in the region.
The AMP Project has been a source of controversy for many residents who are against the preliminary design of the project but Mayor Dean emphasized the plan is not yet set in stone. He also stressed the remaining balance would not come from the state's budget.
"These are tax payer dollars that Nashvillians and others send to Washington that could have gone towards another transit program in another city but we're bringing them back home to work for us," he said.
Further details of the budget are expected to be released by the FTA in the coming days.
(The Associated Press Contributed To This Report.)
