Moving Forward Releases Key Nashville Transit Recommendations for 2017
Moving Forward, made up of Middle Tennessee community and business leaders, has been working hard since August 2015 towards its purpose of creating a regional transportation solution through a cohesive community effort. On August 16, Moving Forward released its 2017 report that details the organizations’ efforts, as well as key recommendations for transit solutions in the Nashville region.
Moving Forward’s report highlights a number of successes over the past year. The three task forces and advisory forum supported the completion of the nMotion plan by the end of 2016. nMotion is a regional transit plan for Middle Tennessee mapped out over the next 25 years. Moving Forward also lauded the identification and passage of state and federal revenue enhancements for transit.
Other goals are still underway, including increasing community outreach, securing a local dedicated funding source for transit and supporting breaking ground on the first rapid transit project for the region.
After a successful year, Moving Forward now looks towards the future. The key recommendations that the organization has identified for 2017 are:
- The Nashville/Davidson County Mayor’s office should complete the plan for downtown access and mobility across all modes by the end of the 2017 calendar year.
- The counties in the Middle Tennessee region that were not included in the IMPROVE Act should be included in the legislation in the coming legislative session and permitted to allow their residents to decide how to fund transit.
- The State of Tennessee should develop and staff an Office of Public-Private Partnerships within the next year to ensure that governments in our state are prepared to accept and implement future P3 proposals.
- Moving Forward recommends that MTA implement software upgrades to its mobile data terminals for the AccessRide paratransit service, allowing dynamic scheduling and improving dispatch and routing efficiency.
- As a complement to the mass transit network envisioned in nMotion, Nashville should undertake an Autonomous Vehicle pilot through one of the two transit studies underway – the Downtown Mobility Plan or the Gallatin Pike Transit Study.
To read the full study and learn more about Moving Forward’s efforts, visit the website movingforwardmidtn.com.
The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce provides in-kind staff support for Moving Forward.