Mayor O’Connell shares details about transportation improvement plan for Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell has revealed his mass transit plan, which includes a tax hike that would require voter approval.

On Friday, April 19, O’Connell announced new details on a transportation improvement program that could revolutionize the way people get around the city. It’s called “Choose How You Move.”

Mayor O’Connell unveils maps outlining potential transportation improvements

“This is how we stop kicking the can forward on a problem and start moving forward on a solution,” O’Connell told supporters at a press conference detailing the program.

The plan includes:

• 86 miles of new sidewalks, which will complete walk and bike networks

• 600 traffic signal upgrades installed along major routes to the county line, making it the largest upgrade in Nashville traffic history

• The first ever 24/7 bus service

• 54 miles of what the mayor called all-access corridors, meaning more frequent bus service, lanes for just buses in some areas, and other improvements to make bus service faster and easier to access

New changes coming to WeGo Transit routes

“For instance, on the way out here on Murfreesboro taking the 55, you see long stretches of roadway that just have no sidewalk, even where there are churches and businesses and preschools and those kinds of things, and so you’ll start to see that corridor look and feel like something where people are supposed to be moving and accessing all of those resources along the corridor,” O’Connell explained.

The plans also include four new express lanes to speed up commutes for cars, 39 miles of safety upgrades on streets in high-injury areas, and more cross-town bus routes. One Nashville native believes these actions will transform Music City.

“I know in my neighborhood, we desperately need sidewalks. We live right off of Gallatin Road, so having an express bus lane would just change the way that we get around this whole city,” said Ethan Link, a Nashville resident.

Final recommendations made for downtown Nashville mobility project

But how much will the plan cost? The mayor hopes to pay for it with a mix of grants and a half-cent sales tax increase. He estimates the typical family will pay about $70 more each year.

“We would expect sales tax to account for about 40% and change of the overall cost of the program, but we think it will give us that long-term predictability well into the future,” O’Connell said.

The Metro Council must approve the mass transit plan in order to get it on the November ballot for voters to decide its ultimate fate.

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