The Transportation and Mass Transit Megathread

[TopTenn]

Topic to discuss Nashville Music City Star Commuter Rail line and other proposals.

Lastest news on Nashville's passenger rail system can be found at the end of this thread.

Edited March 15, 2006 by metro.m

[ATLman1]

I don't think it has the population to support it. I think it's a great idea though, and I hope it works.

Edited January 25, 2005 by ATLman1

[rocket9561]

I don't think it has the population to support it. I think it's a great idea though, and I hope it works.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think the Lebanon line will do ok, but we won't see real results until the Hendersonville/Gallatin line is complete. I understand why this part had to be first but the commuting numbers and patters of Wilson County don't support the need for rail as well as those of Sumner County. Sumner sends the largest raw number and percentage of workers into Nashville for work and residents also have to travel the most jammed interstate in the area.

[it's just dave]

It'll be hard to get people out of their cars. We'll wait and see. We'll certainly not see people abandoning their cars the day the rail opens. Building cities and adjusting attitudes will take years. I applaud our willingness to take risks.

[satalac]

i'd love to see the murfreesboro line open up. just think of all those kids commuting to mtsu that would be freed up by this. plus, there are quite a few people who live in the boro and work in nashville and vise versa. it still will be hard for people to give up their cars though. i honestly would love to ride a train to the boro instead of making that drive back at 3 a.m.

[DallasTexan]

I honestly think it won't be too much of a success. They should have opened up the Murfreesboro line first.

[TopTenn]

Will the New Nashville Music City Star commuter rail be a success???

[

I rather Nashville build a light rail system instead, I love what Marta has done for atlanta..I don't know how much it will work but its a good start. I am wondering how they will run the rail back and forth with only one track???

[Spartan]

Any maps of the rail lines?

[BrandonTO416]

Yes, but you need to go out and find it.

[Claws]

I hope it succeeds. I plan on going to Lebanon and riding it to downtown one day. But I agree with TopTenn; I think a light rail system would be an excellent idea for Nashville.

[rocket9561]

Any maps of the rail lines?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[vandiver49]

I had no idea NASH was even working on a commuter rail system. That's awesome! And even if it doesn't enjoy initial success it is providing a plan for the future when traffic increases. If the region can convince area businesses and residential developers to build along the lines it will eventually become successful.

On a side note I'm pissed that NASH has one commuter rail line operation while the only thing ATL has done in the past 10+ years is talk about building one. I have discovered that many up and coming southern cities look at ATL as an example of want NOT to do.

[boo]

is this currently under construction or just in the planning stages? i used to live near downtown nashville and this would have been convenient for trips to cool springs/murfreesboro!

d.

[rocket9561]

is this currently under construction or just in the planning stages? i used to live near downtown nashville and this would have been convenient for trips to cool springs/murfreesboro!

d.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The first line is under construction right now and will be completed next year. And as for development both Mt. Juliet and Hendersonville currently have HUGE retail/residential lifestyle centers planned for their Stations.

[TopTenn]

Will the New Nashville Music City Star commuter rail be a success???

[

I cant wait to get the commuter rail going because it will be fun taking it to the titans game. I hope the go ahead with the six leg to clarksville because that will help out with the fort campbell area especially...

[Claws]

Wow, that map is impressive. I sure hope all of this is constructed. Weren't they having problems getting enough money for the project?

[JunktionFET]

Being a fan of trains and rail based transit, I have kept up some with this Nashville project and I have a great deal admiration for it since it is so resourceful. Has anyone heard any noise about it locally--like what the project status is, etc?

There's only so much I can research online. And forget a first hand survey--I'm closer to NYC than I am to Nashville! If I were closer, I'd drive there myself and check out the corridor first hand. Yes I'm a geek, I've driven down the Triangle area corridors before It's fun to look at old railroad tracks--imagining that at one point in history they literally built towns. It is an incredible infrastructure that should be preserved first and foremost.

I've stumbled across a lot of negative commentary by people in the Nashville area who want their money spent in other ways. People like that make me laugh--they can never say exactly what they want their money spent on, nor do they show any concern for future generations, or even what the world will be like ten years from now. I assume Nashville was having to get federal money to make this a reality--since it wasn't in the 2006 budget, will it still proceed on schedule?

By far the coolest aspect of this project was the price of the passenger cars--$1.00

[rocket9561]

Being a fan of trains and rail based transit, I have kept up some with this Nashville project and I have a great deal admiration for it since it is so resourceful. Has anyone heard any noise about it locally--like what the project status is, etc?

There's only so much I can research online. And forget a first hand survey--I'm closer to NYC than I am to Nashville! If I were closer, I'd drive there myself and check out the corridor first hand. Yes I'm a geek, I've driven down the Triangle area corridors before    It's fun to look at old railroad tracks--imagining that at one point in history they literally built towns. It is an incredible infrastructure that should be preserved first and foremost.

I've stumbled across a lot of negative commentary by people in the Nashville area who want their money spent in other ways. People like that make me laugh--they can never say exactly what they want their money spent on, nor do they show any concern for future generations, or even what the world will be like ten years from now. I assume Nashville was having to get federal money to make this a reality--since it wasn't in the 2006 budget, will it still proceed on schedule?

By far the coolest aspect of this project was the price of the passenger cars--$1.00

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

We didn't require much Federal Money for this since it uses existing tracks. They did approve 13.8 million for the project already. I would assume we will have to ask for more federal money for the additional lines in the future.

[brewerw]

Isnt it only one line, and dosnt it only run in the arternoon and morning. If so then it wont work right.

[JunktionFET]

Isnt it only one line, and dosnt it only run in the arternoon and morning. If so then it wont work right.

Well this is commuter rail, it is meant to run during peak travel times in order to give your typical 9-5 commuters an option besides driving. Commuter rail systems aren't designed to run as frequently as light rail, regional rail, or a subway. Remember that this is only a starter line, deemed to be the most logical first choice. If successful, more may follow.

If done correctly, transit oriented developments will surround each stop, effectively securing a customer base. If it is successful and gives Nashville metro citizens a renewed hope in transit and rail particularly, it may lead to an intra-city light rail line in Nashville. At the very least I would expect to see a trolley system linking downtown and West End, much like what Charlotte has done for uptown and South End.

If any of you there in the Nashville metro area lives along this commuter rail line and you work in the downtown area, I highly recommend you show your support by riding it whenever you can, and encourage others to do so.

[BrandonTO416]

Yes, its true, the east corridor STAR line will have 4 trains in during the morning (approximately 1 hour apart) and 4 trains out during the evening. Nothing more, nothing less.

This line does nothing for urban development and revitalization in central Davidson county and its going to end up being a big flop because of the local suburban anti-transit zealots who will use this failure as an example to stop any future transit projects in metropolitan Nashville.

Why would such of a pro-rail and pro-urban person such as me say this? Because I want something that works and will change the urban fabric, and revitalize. You can't afford to gamble too much with a population like we have here in Nashville.

I would rather have them spend $40 million on road improvements with bus lanes and landscaping in the central city's main corridors and start frequent bus service with modern rail-like bus cars that come every 10 minutes all day then this.

[TopTenn]

I think the rail is a great idea and I am with Mr. Norff Carolina, I will show my support by riding the rail and hopefully we will get a light rail in the innercity, buses suck go RAIL..

[BrandonTO416]

When you travel to cities like Chicago, Toronto, Boston you see that their rail systems require good bus services in order to be usable.

Bus and rail go together as a public transportation network.

[rocket9561]

We can build this commuter rail system on such a cheap budget that I don't see why we should have turned it down. Even if it doesn't work initially it will be here for the future. Hendersonville and Mt. Juliet are already planning major developments around their stations. That is something.

[TopTenn]

GO ROCKET, BLAST OFF I agree with u about the commuter rail its not that bad and we should just give it a try. Heckles, I was born and raised in Chicago, I agree with u about having a good bus system to go along with the rails. I just don't think nashville streets are made for a good system. For ex) we have about 5 good streets and the rest are just dead ends pretty much----Murfreesboro Rd, Nolensville Rd. Gallatin Rd.

Charlotte Pk and West Ends so I don't now how we would change are system ok I forgot Dickerson Rd.