The Mayor’s Transit and Affordability Taskforce, led by former Mayor Bill Purcell and Davidson County Clerk Brenda Wynn, delivered recommendations to Mayor Megan Barry on Wednesday.
The recommendations focused on how Nashville can develop policies and programs to support small businesses and low to medium-income residents along the proposed transit corridors.
"The main thing is we want to make sure that everybody in every corridor is aware of what's happening how it affects them," Taskforce member Ashley Northington said.
The taskforce split into three subcommittees and met repeatedly over the course of two months to research potential issues and best practices.
Since November, committee members were asked to produce recommendations to ensure any proposed expansion of Nashville’s transit system would not result in the displacement of local small or minority-owned businesses and low-to-moderate-income residents.
"By the time this transit plan is implemented, we will find as a city and I believe this is consistent with the goals you have set for this city, that the needs for affordability especially as to housing and as it applies to small business will also have the met," said former Mayor Bill Purcell.
Taskforce membership was comprised of small business owners currently located along high-capacity corridors, affordable housing advocates, financial experts, and philanthropic, academic and community leaders.
