The Transportation and Mass Transit Megathread

[PruneTracy]

The I-840 substitute on the east side of town is intended to be State Route 109 from I-40 to I-65 at the Kentucky line.

https://www.tn.gov/tdot/projects/region-3/state-route-109-widening.html

I'm not sure why TDOT expects truckers on I-65 to want to use a non-access-controlled highway to bypass Nashville but whatever. I will say, it's only 17 miles longer and about 30-45 minutes extra time even without the Portland bypass in place. (I-840 is an 18-mile detour from I-40 for reference.)

[Dale]

Subscription only article, in Tennessean, about candidates lining up to challenge Briley. Is he vulnerable on transit ?

[smeagolsfree]

I don't know how vulnerable he is on transit, but in a manner of speaking he is vulnerable in a lot of other ways. He is not a very strong leader, really soft spoken, and IMO a place holder personality for the next mayor ever who that will be. There are a lot of other candidates that are better suited for the job that are contemplating a run.

I don't think transit is a make or break for anyone running mayor. I don't think there will be a republican mayor as that is not the make up of Nashville and any republican that thinks they would win as mayor is just spitting in the wind.

Transit will be a key issue, but I think the plan will be a much more scaled back plan and not the big ambitious plans that have emerged before. For some reason it seems there is always discourse with the School Board and the Schools director here and that may end up being a big issue as far as how money is spent along with COL raises for Metro employees, and taxes. There will have to be an increase in taxes of some sort in order to get some of these things done. That will be the big election issue.

 

[Dale]

I’d like to see a Briley vs Kid Rock matchup.

[smeagolsfree]

We don't need the distractions here. 

[markhollin]

Federal officials have rejected Metro's application for a $1.5 million BUILD Transportation Grant to help finance a two-year corridor study fo Dickerson Pike.  The city plans to re-apply for BUILD on this project again next year. 

More at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2018/12/12/nashville-loses-out-on-transit-grant.html

[Mr_Bond]

7 hours ago, markhollin said:

Federal officials have rejected Metro's application for a $1.5 million BUILD Transportation Grant to help finance a two-year corridor study fo Dickerson Pike.  The city plans to re-apply for BUILD on this project again next year. 

I didn't read the article but I assume this delays any expansion of transit on Dickerson Pike by a year.  This is why the city needs to be working several alternatives for different parts of the city simultaneously.

[grilled_cheese]

7 hours ago, markhollin said:

Federal officials have rejected Metro's application for a $1.5 million BUILD Transportation Grant to help finance a two-year corridor study fo Dickerson Pike.  The city plans to re-apply for BUILD on this project again next year. 

More at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2018/12/12/nashville-loses-out-on-transit-grant.html

That doesn't really sound like winning to me.  Can anyone confirm?

[Dale]

15 minutes ago, grilled_cheese said:

That doesn't really sound like winning to me.  Can anyone confirm?

I wonder if this is the gubmint saying, “Well, you folks don’t vote like you want transit, so ... “ ?

[Dale]

Subscription-only in Tennessean: “Nashville Transit System Goes Through Major Transformation Even After ...”

[markhollin]

Metro Council to consider capping number of electric scooters and companies:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/12/13/nashville-consider-capping-electric-scooter-companies-bird-lime-lyft/2303360002/

[smeagolsfree]

How about the cap being 0 and 0.

[Dale]

What’s the “Major Transformation” that the Tennessean is reporting ?

[e-dub]

14 minutes ago, Dale said:

What’s the “Major Transformation” that the Tennessean is reporting ?

They're talking about the branding change from MTA to WeGo.

[Dale]

26 minutes ago, e-dub said:

They're talking about the branding change from MTA to WeGo.

Ah, gotcha. I guess that’s a major transformation.

 

[PaulChinetti]

“But the city has struggled to keep unused scooters from interfering with public rights-of-way such as sidewalks. They've also presented safety concerns and produced multiple injury collisions with vehicles.“

Why not punish the companies that can’t control their users. The companies make you take pictures when you park but I’ve yet to read/see anyone get punished for parking poorly. 

I bet if you start fining companies for illegally parked scooters, illegal riders, the companies will hire a “compliance officer” to take care of problems real fast. 

3 strikes and you lose 100 scooters off your cap total. 

3 more stikes, your total cap is 100. 

The last 3 and your out of the city for 6 months. 

Stop punshing everyone for the bad apples  /wishful thinking 

 

[smeagolsfree]

They can do rebranding all day long and for me I hate the color purple. Rebranding does not do much to get you around the city. Sorry does not do anything. The rebranding, IMO is a flop and a huge amount of of money down the drain.

[FromParkAveToTN]

1 hour ago, markhollin said:

Metro Council to consider capping number of electric scooters and companies:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/12/13/nashville-consider-capping-electric-scooter-companies-bird-lime-lyft/2303360002/

I hope so. I think it's ridiculous. One of the dumbest ideas in years. Why would any sane person get on a scooter in a contested high-traffic area? They'll stop it after a few fatalities. 

[titanhog]

What I don't understand is why cities don't dictate to these scooter companies that they must have designated "parking" areas...and that these companies have to negotiate with the city and pay a certain price per parking space (as rent).  I'm talking actual scooter pick-up and drop-off areas.    I realize that makes the ease of just dropping it anywhere "null and void"...but why should these companies be allowed to flood the city with scooters that can be left anywhere and everywhere without penalty?

[PaulChinetti]

41 minutes ago, FromParkAveToTN said:

I hope so. I think it's ridiculous. One of the dumbest ideas in years. Why would any sane person get on a scooter in a contested high-traffic area? They'll stop it after a few fatalities. 

Because they are fun as hell. Riding around  isn’t as dangerous as everyone makes it out to be. Follow the rules of the road and don’t be an idiot and you are good to go. 

They haven’t stopped the use of cars and people get killed in them all the time. It’s just another mode of transportation that a lot of people find useful. 

[Dale]

What I don’t get is that with Millennials prizing health and conviviality above independence and masculinity, why don’t they just walk ?

[bnacincy]

2 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

They can do rebranding all day long and for me I hate the color purple. Rebranding does not do much to get you around the city. Sorry does not do anything. The rebranding, IMO is a flop and a huge amount of of money down the drain.

WeGo could be any city anywhere-Nashville is not any city anywhere.

Embarassing..

[Mr_Bond]

2 hours ago, FromParkAveToTN said:

I hope so. I think it's ridiculous. One of the dumbest ideas in years. Why would any sane person get on a scooter in a contested high-traffic area? They'll stop it after a few fatalities. 

If we're going to move past the status quo in transportation problems, we must allow new ideas to get to the market so that sovereign consumer can decide if the new idea will work.  "Experts" haven't fixed this yet.  Neither have bureaucrats.  Get them out of the way and let creative companies discover the "adjacent possible" for us to try out.

The adjacent possible is a kind of shadow future, hovering on the edges of the present state of things, a map of all the ways in which the present can reinvent itself.  The adjacent possible captures both the limits and the creative potential of change and innovation.  An example of the adjacent possible can be seen in the movie Apollo 13:

 

 

Edited December 14, 2018 by Mr_Bond

[Tennessine]

2 hours ago, Dale said:

What I don’t get is that with Millennials prizing health and conviviality above independence and masculinity, why don’t they just walk ?

[BnaBreaker]

5 hours ago, Dale said:

What I don’t get is that with Millennials prizing health and conviviality above independence and masculinity, why don’t they just walk ?

They do walk in cities that are actually built for it.  In most parts of Nashville you'd be taking your life in your hands to walk anywhere, and it'd take you half the day to get wherever it is you're going.  In other words, Nashville is very spread out, and it's infrastructure is very poorly funded.  I also wasn't aware that walking was a feminine thing.  I do it all the time!  Hmm... @nativetenn maybe I am a woman afterall!  lol