Later this month, Metro and regional transit authorities will consider recommendations to tackle area traffic and revamp options for mass transit.
The recommendations, crafted by a panel of civic leaders over more than a year of study and called the nMotion plan, include pedestrian improvements, light rail, bus rapid transit and other approaches to bus service.
The recommendations became public in August and people have 30 days to submit comments.
The plan is for the recommendations to be implemented over 25 years at an estimated cost of about $6 billion.
The 32-page summary of recommendations recognizes the importance of downtown in developing a transit plan.
“Nashville is the region’s most concentrated trip destination – i.e., more people travel to downtown Nashville than any other location in the region – and because of that, downtown will remain the dominant focal point of high-capacity transit investments,” the report states.
The plan recommends development in the next five years of “streamlined service through downtown Nashville to improve reliability and expand neighborhood and regional connections.”
Metro will conduct a Downtown Mobility Study to identify transit improvements, and Metro and regional transit authorities will participate.
Meanwhile, there’s still time to comment on the nMotion mass transit recommendations. Go to nMotion2016.org to learn more about the proposal and to make comments.
The 30-day comment period began on Aug. 17 and ends on Sept. 16, next Friday. Three public meetings on transit are scheduled in the coming week:
Monday, Sept. 12
6:30-8 p.m.
Southeast Community Center
5260 Hickory Hollow Parkway
Tuesday, Sept. 13
6-8 p.m.
Hadley Park Community Center
1037 28th Ave. N.
Thursday, Sept. 15
6-8 p.m.
West End Middle School
3529 West End Ave.
The boards of the Regional Transit Authority of Middle Tennessee and Metro Nashville Transit Authority will meet the following week to consider and act on the recommendations. These public meetings are scheduled as follows:
RTA Board Meeting
Wednesday, Sept. 21
10 a.m.
Music City Central Meeting Room
400 Charlotte Avenue
MTA Board Meeting
Thursday, Sept. 22
2:30 p.m.
Music City Center Convention Center