NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's a change that city leaders say will make the roads of Nashville safer for everyone with the Choose How You Move initiative.
After voters approved a half cent sales tax increase for road projects, we now know what's on the list of priority projects.
Mayor Freddie O’Connell spoke of multiple projects, wide-ranging in scope and wide-ranging across the county.
There are 11 projects outlining how the city plans to use an estimated $59 million in additional revenue.
“We'll see fewer conflict between pedestrians and motorists ultimately with the green lights we’re bringing online. We expect to see traffic feel safer and more efficient as well as transit access. We don’t have final designs. We don’t have anything like stations or positions or anything like that. That’s all still come,” said O’Connell.
This is the list of 11 priority projects:
- Low-income Fare Subsidy Program – will increase the number of individuals qualifying for free or reduced fares on WeGo Public Transit. Program planning and design to begin later this spring with implementation in the fall.
- WeGo Service Expansion – helps fund improvements announced in February as part of WeGo summer service changes, making routes more frequent and accessible. Funds purchase of 12 new buses to support increased service levels.
- Murfreesboro Pike Queue Jump – adds a business access transit lane in the outbound direction between Shumate and Edge O Lake with a queue jump signal at Edge O Lake, saving two to four minutes of travel time by allowing buses to bypass 1,400 feet of queued traffic, producing 10,000 hours of time savings for riders.
- West End Curbside Bus Lane Pilot – improves travel time for buses between 25th and 31st Avenue, one of the densest corridors in the city.
- Fiber Installation – initiates planning to support systemwide fiber installations, which are a critical technology component for signal upgrades and transportation system technologies.
- Signal Upgrades – initiates planning to support upgrading 592 traffic signals to smart signals.
- South Broadway Transit Center – initiates planning for a new transit center south of Broadway in downtown Nashville, enabling decentralization of the transit network to allow for more convenient crosstown routes.
- Street improvement projects – funds planning and design to inform the construction of 39 miles of street infrastructure projects across the county.
- WeGo Public Transit Security upgrades – as announced on March 1, increase the number of contracted hours with WeGo’s security firm and allows for appointment of the first Transit Liaison within Metro Nashville Police Department.
- New bus operations and maintenance facility – initiate planning for a new, expanded operations and maintenance facility to accommodate service expansion. Capacity is exceeded at existing facilities at Myatt and Nestor.
- Main Street/Gallatin Pike All-Access Corridor Phase 1 – design of Gallatin Pike All-Access Corridor from Interstate Drive to Eastland Avenue. Future Corridor to includes new median, median and curbside bus lanes, queue jumps at select intersections, new sidewalks, crosswalks and bike facilities.
Regarding the transit center south of Broadway, the mayor said buses crossing Broadway have created traffic jams as an area that just gets more congested.
That’s part of the reasoning for beginning plans for building a new transit center south of Broadway, as it will allow for those riders to have an easier connection to the airport.
“WeGo for years has known one of our parts of maintaining network flow as downtown has gotten more congested is having buses cross Broadway. So having a connection point South Broadway that is an easy connector to the airport route will be a big deal so that will plan that,” he said.
The mayor submitted a supplemental budget to council to review because voters approved Choose How You Move after the budget was approved.
The supplemental request will allow them to immediately use the revenue from the half-cent sales tax.
If you have thoughts on this story email me at Amanda.Roberts@NewsChannel5.com
