This Op-Ed Spoke clearly to my reasons for being All-In on Transit
Opinion | This is why Nashville's transit plan, as proposed, is the only option
”A significant part of the expense of these projects involves wholesale redesign of the “pikes,” which long have been neglected. In doing so, they will improve the livability of our key mobility corridors and the whole city by focusing on people, not cars.”
It’s realistic. The plan complements ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft that can provide last-mile access – those short jumps between transit lines and work or home. It doesn’t wait for uncertain emergence of new technologies such as autonomous vehicles, which won’t be assimilated into traffic for many years and are likely to increase congestion and single occupant auto use. Today, toll roads are not allowed in Tennessee, and if very expensive toll lanes are ever implemented on our freeways, they would only worsen impacts in the urban core, where severe congestion already occurs.
It’s pragmatic. This plan clearly contemplates connections to our neighboring regional population centers. However, as Middle Tennessee’s largest city and job center, Nashville must go first. The spokes of the network can’t be built before the hub.
It’s the right time. As we are finding with our work looking at mobility issues for Vanderbilt, the pressures of growth and success in our community are relentless. Our studies make it painfully clear that access to affordable housing across the community – students and employees – is becoming more acute, and better transit coverage and the proposed transit development districts will help address this. Better transit options can help reduce that growing cost burden on families. These choices will not get easier in the future.
Read the entire article
HERE
The piece was the joint effort of Vanderbilt University faculty members Abhishek Dubey, assistant professor of computer science and computer engineering; Jonathan Gilligan, associate professor of earth and environmental sciences; Craig Philip, director of the Vanderbilt Center for Transportation Research; Daniel Work, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering; and Michael Vandenbergh, David Daniels Allen Distinguished Chair of Law.
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