Debunking the top 5 Nashville transit myths

While Nashville and Davidson County voters learn about the Let’s Move Nashville plan, there’s a lot of misinformation out there! Let’s take a minute to debunk the top 5 myths about the transit plan with hard facts and evidence so you can make an informed decision on May 1.

1.     The plan is too expensive.

The price tag on the transit plan is a sticking point for many Nashvillians. And there’s no denying that it’s a big number - $5.4 billion for the initial capital investment and an additional $3.5 billion to cover ongoing operations, maintenance, a contingency fund for cost over-runs and to pay off the debt. The total is $8.9 billion. Fortunately, that cost won’t all be paid at once.

In fact, the Chamber’s Research Center conducted research that shows that the transit plan will only cost the average Davidson county resident 17 cents per day; that’s $5 per month for the first five years, graduating to $10 per month in 2023. Furthermore, roughly half of the cost will be paid by commuters and tourists since these consumers account for 47% of Nashville’s sales tax revenue.

And, let’s not forget that there is a cost to doing nothing as well. Today, Nashvillians spend about 33 hours per year in their car in traffic, at a personal cost of over $1,400 per year. The transit plan is an investment in Nashville’s future economic growth and quality of life for all residents.

2.     The plan won’t help me.

The transit investment in the Let’s Move Nashville plan will touch the lives of every Nashville and Davidson County resident, even if you don’t currently ride the bus.

First, the Let’s Move Nashville plan has funding dedicated to add and improve sidewalks and intersections. That means:

• synchronized stoplights to make sure your car is moving efficiently through intersections,
• safer crosswalks for you and your family,
• better walking infrastructure so walking becomes a more attractive option.

Second, the transit plan gives everyone more options to get around – to work, to school, to shop or go to a concert. Even if you don’t plan on taking advantage of expanded bus routes and hours, those options can help ease the congestion you’re currently dealing with by giving everyone options to get out of their car and take a convenient, reliable, safe bus or train to get around.

3.     Driverless cars will solve all our problems.

While driverless cars are an exciting prospect, they can’t solve traffic problems on their own. Roads and infrastructure can only accommodate so many vehicles – even if those vehicles are autonomous. We can’t know how driverless cars will change our lives in the future, but the 1 million people moving to Nashville in the next 25 years won’t be able to fit on the roadways in one-person-one-car. We need a comprehensive transit plan to move more people more efficienctly.

4.     Transit ridership is declining.

While some metrics on transit ridership have fallen, the overall number of people using transit across the country has increased 2.9% from 2007 to 2016. In fact, light rail usage increased by 19.1% nationwide over period mentioned above. Meanwhile, Nashville has seen increases in ridership on the routes that provide the highest-order service – the Bus Rapid Transit lines and the Music City Star. These are the lines that most emulate the future transit envisioned in Let’s Move Nashville Plan.

Lack of maintenance resulting in reduced reliability is often cited as a reason for people not using transit options. The Let’s Move Nashville plan includes a budget for maintenance and operations so riders can build transit usage into their daily routine.

5.     Public transit won’t reduce congestion.

Some transit opponents claim that public transit doesn’t decrease congestion. Some real-world examples show this isn’t true:

• Seattle’s public transit system has allowed them to add more than 60,000 jobs from 2011-2017, while decreasing single-occupant vehicle traffic by 29%, 4,500 cars, over that same period.
• Light rail in Salt Lake City reduced daily vehicle traffic by 50% on a specific corridor. Vehicle traffic was reduced from 44,000 to 22,3000.
• Minneapolis’ Hiawatha light rail line has led to a decrease in vehicle traffic on that corridor, even while regional traffic has grown.

The census data released on March 22, 2018 shows that Nashville’s population is still projected to increase by one million in the next 25 years. We need to offer more efficient, reliable options for people to move around Nashville/Davidson County. Transit offers options to people and access to opportunity.