A good transit system needed to support World Cup in 2018

Nashville has made the list of 18 cities with potential to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. This sporting event draws a large international crowd, thus the selection committee is paying special attention to how Nashville's transit system can accommodate so many people.

Vancouver has managed to successfully handle RECORD-BREAKING ridership spawned by the 2010 Winter Olympics with a comprehensive system and aggressive marketing strategies.

South Africa has been exploring the implementation of a new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line in anticipation of this year's event. The New York Times reports: "Prodded by a national commitment to improve public transportation for soccer’s 2010 World Cup, Johannesburg is carrying out the nation’s most ambitious program."

So what does all this mean for Nashville's potential to host an international delegation of soccer fans, majority-accustomed to using transit as a way of life, in 2018?

More information about the FIFA World Cup:

Linc game a showpiece for World Cup hopes

Transit news just keeps coming in!!

Wow! February has been an exciting month for followers of Nashville transit. The Nashville Business Journal reports that MTA is working on a technology to allow riders to track where busses are and how soon the bus will be at your stop. This is great news for the current transit system... no more anxiety... "Did I miss the bus? How much longer will I wait??" Soon Nashville riders can find the answer to these questions with the help of an app on a smart phone! Learn more here:

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2010/02/15/daily19.html

This is a great step in the right direction. We are all for more Nashvillians growing comfortable riding the bus!

See you on the bus, friends!

Ms. Cheap sees value in the Music City Circuit

The Tennessean's Ms. Cheap gave a big thumbs up to MTA's the Circuit this morning:

It's definitely good news that the Metro Transit Authority is launching two new free-to-ride bus routes that circulate through downtown Nashville for students, downtown workers, tourists and other visitors.

The routes will be great for workers going out to lunch as well as for folks traveling between sports venues, the convention center, hotels and other attractions such as the Frist Center for the Visual Arts, the Bicentennial Mall State Park, the Tennessee State Museum and the Country Music Hall of Fame.

There will be service every 10-20 minutes depending on the time of day. The Gulch route will run from 6:30 a.m. to midnight on weekdays and 11 a.m. to midnight on Saturdays. The Nashville Farmers Market route will start at 6:30 a.m. and run to 6 p.m. on weekdays, switching to an 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. schedule on Saturdays.

ULI Event "Financing Infrastructure Needs: Creative Solutions"

After the announcement of the Call-for-Projects by the Nashville Area MPO last week, many of us have grand visions of futuristic mass transit ideas dancing in our heads (ok, maybe that’s just me). Coming back to reality, we know we must develop practical solutions and collaborate together to create a regional transportation vision for the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan. You can get involved by taking the comprehensive survey offered on their website.

Most importantly, as you provide your valuable input, we advocate researching our region’s future infrastructure needs and we encourage you to seek out opportunities to learn about financing these needs first hand from experts like Dr. Miller. From The Barchan Foundation, Dr. Miller is the keynote speaker at the upcoming ULI Nashville program, 'Financing Infrastructure Needs: Creative Solutions'.

Event info:

Thursday February 18, 2010
Martin Professional Development Center
2400 Fairfax Avenue Nashville, TN 37212

5:00-5:30 pm (On-site Registration)
5:30-7:00 pm (Program)
CLICK HERE to register. Registration limited to 100
Come join us at the event and learn how we can have the competitive advantage!

Transit and the New Convention Center

Demolition began today in downtown to make way for the Music City Center, Nashville's new and highly controversial convention center. I stood next to the owner of the first building to be demolished while he told me about the 30-year history of his business, remembering back to when he first moved into this building.

As I watched the demoliton and looked around at the multiple city blocks that were about to be razed, I couldn't help but wonder how transit was going to play a part in the functionality of the Music City Center. I have had conversations with tourists and businesspeople, in town for work and play, who have often asked, "How do I get around in this city if I don't have a car?" My answer is usually, "You can use your life savings to pay for cabs, or you can try our bus system. One option will cause you to spend alot of money and the other will take a high level of bravery. I'll leave you to decide which is which."

There are already several conventions and conferences on the books and this project just might turn out to be successful. The debate will continue on whether this project was a smart decision at this point in time. Regardless, the thing is being built. Our city leaders are hoping that we'll have a Field of Dreams moment...you know, "If you build it, they will come." But if we build it, and if they come, how will they get anywhere?

From what we know so far, MTA is going to have bus routes that actually pass through the new convention center. This is a great ammenity and we hope that the new downtwon circulator will also serve the facility. But this is not enough!

1. Will our bus system be simple enough for visitors to use when our own residents are often puzzled by how it works?
2. Will the bus present an attractive and competitive option to other modes of transportation?
3. Will taking the bus be a normal part of Nashville's culture such that visitors think of the bus as their first and best option?

MTA is the face of public transportation in this city and has a significant role to play. Our hope is that the opening of the Music City Center will encourage much needed, system-wide improvements, pushing mass transit one step closer to being a viable option to residents and visitors alike.

The Formula for Change

Have you ever wondered why we don't have the level of mass transit such as... lets say Europe? An obvious answer may be that we are an auto oriented society and we like it that way because we have an American Dream centered around individuality and horsepower. Eisenhower. Or maybe it was just pure dumb luck that certain things happened in history all at the right time to put us in a situation where roads extremely out number passenger rail. Ford. World War II. Modernism. GM.

But what if you looked at the economic incentives of developing mass transit? You would have found yourself climbing up Mt. Everest for all the hoops an agency had to jump through while the road guys had a bunny slope to climb with the American Dream pushing. Not really fair especially now as metro areas become more and more land locked and sprawl is everywhere with climbing VMT's. Something must be done and it has to come from the incentive side of the formula.

The Obama Administration announced a new transportation policy this Wednesday that will actually change that formula on how mass transit projects are evaluated for funding. Livability has risen to the top and will finally be considered instead of just cost and commuting times.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, who announced the policy change at a conference in Washington, said the shift would determine how the Federal Transit Administration awards some $2 billion a year in transit-construction funds. This money, awarded under a program known as "New Starts and Small Starts," is intended to help state and regional agencies build commuter rail, light rail, heavy rail and bus rapid-transit projects.

Mr. LaHood said the administration would immediately rescind the "budget restrictions" enacted by the Bush administration and focus on evaluating projects based on the environmental, community and economic-development benefits, as well as on congestion relief.

For more information, take a look at this Wall Street Journal article.

~ Dave Keiser

Public Meeting about Downtown Circulator Tomorrow

The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) will hold two public hearings in January on proposed service improvements for two new projects within the Metro area and service improvements to five bus routes. The new projects include a downtown circulator service, which is designed to help MTA customers, visitors and tourists in downtown Nashville reach their destinations more quickly, and a new route to 100 Oaks via the Vine Hill Community.

Service improvements also are being considered for the following routes: 3 West End, 7 Hillsboro, 20 Scott, 33X Hickory Hollow Mall/Old Hickory Express and 37X Tusculum/McMurray Express.

Listed below are the times and locations for the public hearings and the bus routes that serve these locations:

Music City Central (Community Meeting Room - located on upper deck)
400 Charlotte Ave.
Wednesday January 6, 2010 @ 11:30 - 1:00 pm and again at 4:00 - 6:00 pm