Nashville MTA seeks big budget boost for bus projects
As Nashville considers building a new regional transit system, the Metro Transit Authority is requesting a massive funding increase from Mayor Megan Barry in this year’s budget to begin the shift to a more transit-oriented city.
During Barry’s first day of budget hearings Monday, MTA CEO Steve Bland requested a $10.2 million increase for the bus system’s operational budget, totaling 23 percent, and an $85.3 million increase in transit capital projects — a whopping 427 percent hike.
These are separate funding requests from the $6 billion price-tag for nMotion, a 25-year regional transportation plan adopted by MTA’s board that would consist of light rail and a range of other transit options. Barry is seeking passage of state legislation this year to allow for a local referendum to fund the regional transit plan.
“Over that 25-year period, there was also a projection that operating expenses would go up,” Bland told the mayor, later adding: “The MTA and its board has heard loud and clear your direction to move as quickly as possible toward the mobility future that Nasvhillians will need and that they deserve.”
MTA operates the city’s bus system. Among the highlights of MTA’s capital wish-list: proposed new “neighborhood transit centers” near the campus of Tennessee State University and Green Hills, which would cost $5 million each.
The projects would involve new bus hubs in each as those areas where commuters could by tickets and also bring more frequent bus service, more shelters and transfer lines to each of those neighborhoods.
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“What this tells the community very clearly is that it’s choices,” Metro’s Chief Operating Officer Rich Riebeling said of the sizable funding request. “You've got to make a decision on what you want. We can continue to run the system that we’ve run for decades, with little adjustments here and there, and to do that it's going to cost us 'x.' And if we want to move into a new age, it’s going to cost a lot more.
“But it really demonstrates that we can’t do anything vastly beyond what we’re currently doing without a dedicated stream of revenue.”
Other major capital request include: a new secondary bus hub south of Broadway to complement Music City Central, which is on the north part of downtown; an expanded bus fleet; several replacement buses, including new AccessRide vehicles; an expanded bus shelter; and a “rebranding initiative” for MTA.
Nearly half of the $10.2 million in additional operating budget requests — $4.5 million — are meant to cover 51 new positions to carry out new recommended short-term service initiatives outlined in nMotion. These include better real-time information on smart phones and elsewhere, new smart technology a single-fare system and extended service hours.
An additional $3.7 million would be earmarked for short-term initiatives to cover existing core bus services, which would involve 12 new positions. MTA has outlined $2 million in additional operating dollars for existing bus service. nMotion’s recommendations for existing services include crosstown and through-city routes, improved AccessRide services and faster service in and through downtown.
Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236 and on Twitter @joeygarrison.