Nashville weighs streetcar, LRT, BRT options
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-ChiefNashville’s Metropolitan Transit Authority is seeking residential input for improving transportation along Broadway/West End in the city’s downtown district.
MTA spokeswoman Patricia Harris Morehead says the agency has begun holding public hearings seeking feedback on several modal options, including streetcars, light rail transit, and Bus Rapid Transit. “Right now, everything’s on the table. We really wanted to get the public involved with providing comments about what they would like to see,” she said. “We’re looking toward the future at the way our population is going to continue to expand.”
Parsons Brinckerhoff is conducting a one-year study of an eight-mile stretch of Broadway/West End from East Nashville to White Bridge Road. MTA will fund the first phase of the study with a $1.18 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration.
Freddie O’Connell, MTA board of directors chairman, said because Broadway/West End provides the corridor for the city’s entertainment district, colleges, and health-care industry, the area would be the best place to start in evaluating what transit option would best fit city residents.
“We’re seeing an unprecedented interest in transportation options,” O’Connell said. “There are people from various areas that need another transit option other than a multistop bus.”
