The Transportation and Mass Transit Megathread

[Tim29tn]

30 minutes ago, nashvillwill said:

Haven’t you guys heard? Just like vinyl records the landline phone is making a comeback. Popular among millennials for its superior sound quality, it’s retro look and the lack of a contract. There is even a new coffee shop opening in town that will be an “airwave free zone”, complete with phone booths to make calls. The phones will however accept Venmo and bitcoin. These hipsters are know as “core connectors”.  I’ve even heard that there will be a new “WiFi free” housing development opening downtown next door to the bachelorette party hotel. Get that old rotary phone out of the attic because they are hot on eBay right now. 

 

Let’s not stop there. Page me and I’ll call you from the nearest pay phone. 

[henburg]

1 hour ago, PaulChinetti said:

I hope those same pundits hold the No Transit’s people’s feet to the fire and make them come up with a plan...

But they won’t.  

The quality of the reporting at the Tennessean has declined really steeply recently. From the start of the Berry scandal, they have been far more focused on crafting dramatic narratives than reporting unbiased news. It's unfortunate really that what is supposed to be our city's best news source has contributed so heavily to the misinformation campaign.

[LA_TN]

12 hours ago, Nathan_in_DC said:

Something has to be done done about oversized loads transiting urban areas... There's no reason this should ever have been downtown in the first place. I hope the driver, escorts, and owners are prosecuted and billed for damages. Seems like every week I get stuck behind an oversized load on the Beltway here in DC in rush hour, going 40mph and positioned so that no one can pass it, causing huge traffic backups.

I understand that semi traffic can't just be banned, but I wish it could be sometimes... Perhaps a toll system would force through trucks to use 840?

Well, since we killed the northern half of 840, there is no other option for trucks

This accident would have never happened if the northern half of 840 existed

[Buildtall]

This would have never happened if they had gotten a proper permit which gives them a fixed route ( turn by turn ) to follow.  If the northern half of 840 had been finished we’d see a lot less truck traffic going through town. I just wonder if the northern half will ever happen.

[LA_TN]

2 minutes ago, Buildtall said:

This would have never happened if they had gotten a proper permit which gives them a fixed route ( turn by turn ) to follow.  If the northern half of 840 had been finished we’d see a lot less truck traffic going through town. I just wonder if the northern half will ever happen.

Correct regarding the permit

The northern half of 840 is dead. The environmental impact (thanks Williamson Co) and cost were its demise. Upgrades to 109 past Gallatin to Portland is underway as the alternative

I always wanted the Lebanon to Portland leg of 840 completed to reduce the I-65 truck traffic through downtown. Oh well (I also dream of winning the lottery) 

[PaulChinetti]

Where was it gonna go through up there? It’s so hilly. 

[MLBrumby]

1 hour ago, henburg said:

The quality of the reporting at the Tennessean has declined really steeply recently. From the start of the Berry scandal, they have been far more focused on crafting dramatic narratives than reporting unbiased news. It's unfortunate really that what is supposed to be our city's best news source has contributed so heavily to the misinformation campaign.

That's the case for "journalism" across the board. Not just your fish-wrap up there. Agenda driven... not fact driven. 

[LA_TN]

7 minutes ago, PaulChinetti said:

Where was it gonna go through up there? It’s so hilly. 

I-840 Wikipedia

As you can see, another of the debates about 840 was about the disconnected route at Lebanon 

[MagicPotato]

2 minutes ago, LA_TN said:

I-840 Wikipedia

As you can see, another of the debates about 840 was about the disconnected route at Lebanon 

840N would have mostly befitted Clarksville commuters  and people bypassing Nashville.  It might have worked if the angle  was built closer towards Nashville.

[PaulChinetti]

Goodness, I forget how big 840 is. 

 

[MagicPotato]

1 hour ago, PaulChinetti said:

Goodness, I forget how big 840 is. 

 

Yeah, the south west portion of 840 is kind of empty. Instead of making 840 a bit south of Franklin, they should have connected it directly to Franklin. and upwards to Bellevue or something. It's a little awkward between 440 and 840... 840 is a bit too far out there, and then 440  feels a little too congested. Maybe something in between 440 and 840 could help? 

Edited May 1, 2018 by MagicPotato

[Pdt2f]

7 minutes ago, MagicPotato said:

Yeah, the south west portion of 840 is kind of empty. Instead of making 840 a bit south of Franklin, they should have connected it directly to Franklin. and upwards to Bellevue or something. It's a little awkward between 440 and 840... 840 is a bit too far out there, and then 440  feels a little too congested. Maybe something in between 440 and 840 could help? 

We could build 540 through 740 in successive rings. I’m pretty sure some of the anti-transit groups would take that as a serious suggestion...  

[MagicPotato]

27 minutes ago, Pdt2f said:

We could build 540 through 740 in successive rings. I’m pretty sure some of the anti-transit groups would take that as a serious suggestion...  

I'm pretty sure they'll build something in between 440 and 840 eventually. It makes sense after all. It'll be nice if they build it along side the light rail system if they decide to pass it. Heck I'm already asking for too much

Edited May 1, 2018 by MagicPotato

[Nash_12South]

If Woodmont was 5 lanes from White Bridge to where it becomes Thompson lane - it would help. If Old Hickory was 5 lanes from Highway 100 (near Bellevue) to Brentwood it would help. 840 is too far out to really work in saving time.

Edited May 1, 2018 by Nash_12South

[PaulChinetti]

5 minutes ago, Nash_12South said:

If Woodmont was 5 lanes from White Bridge to where it becomes Thompson lane - it would help. If Old Hickory was 5 lanes from Highway 100 (near Bellevue) to Brentwood it would help. 840 is too far out to really work in saving time.

Oh yeah, Green Hills people would totally go for that on Woodmont. I can't even imagine the griping, complaining and hand wringing that would produce haha. It would be of epic proportions!

 

We definitely don't need to make any roads wider that doesn't help. I hope the new administration (whoever that is) realizes that!

[Nash_12South]

I've lived here all my life and the widening of Woodmont was, at least years ago, on the table. I do agree that the odds are remote. I do think that widening, especially where it makes some sense - like connecting stretches like White Bridge/Woodmont/Thompson Lane/Briley, should be an option.  

Edited May 1, 2018 by Nash_12South

[smeagolsfree]

I think we can rule out new major roads in the core. Talk about transit being expensive, I would not want to calculate the cost of land acquisition and that would piss the voters off even more than rail.

Metros hands are tied by the state legislature as far as dedicated lanes for BRT routes on state roads thanks to Lee Beaman and his ilk. Again, all he wants to do is sell more cars. 

I have said this before and will say it again, Briley was not out in front of this. He is like a cowing 6 week old kitten in the midst of angry wolves. He does not have a voice and some of the blame will fall on him and of coarse Megan Barry if this does not happen. 

Pro Transit has outspent the anti transit group almost 2 to 1, but where did the money go. Their campaign was lack luster and not how I would have run it. If it does not pass then part of the blame should go to ever who was the decision maker. A six year old could have done a better job at commercials and yard signs.  Just looking at this from an outsiders point of view. Anti transit got their message out more effectively even though 90% of it was lies.

If this does not pass then according to Freddie O'Connell we will have to wait another 3 years for another plan to come out to voters.

I was not sold on this plan 100%, just because I thought it was too ambitious and the tunnel was going to be too controversial. But it was better than nothing. 

My guess is it will fail as I have talked to people who are left leaning in Metro and know of a lot of developers who are against it as well as fair minded people who got hooked by the anti transit lies.

This will be Austin all over. Voters there voted down a similar plan a number of years ago and traffic went from horrible to a blasted nightmare all day long. 

Car services like Uber and Lyft are not a solution as the cars are still on the road and I would not take a taxi in this city if my life depended on it. Nothing like getting into a taxi after some drunk has pissed in the back seat or trying to explain where you need to go to a taxi driver that does not speak English at all or very well or they take the slowest and longest route to up the fair.

Flying cars, self driving cars are something that are decades off. Until everyone has a self driving car, then it will be dangerous because of the fools that will not go that route and want to be in control . Many people will not be able to afford a vehicle of that type, so how do they get from point A to point B affordably. Hmmm Maybe Mass Transit.

 

I can go  on all day but I will leave it at that. Trying not to ruffle the feathers of the flock.

[Dale]

The reason Austin traffic is going from bad to worse is that the whole world wants to move to Austin regardless the traffic.

[grilled_cheese]

If this fails I'm putting a for sale sign in Barry's front yard. 

[tokiorose]

Voting yes today. God I hope this passes.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[volsfanwill]

What we are dealing with. 

A sad they include a 30% contingency for cost over runs. A friend told me I was wrong, it is 15% 

I replied with a screen shot of the page of the plan that says 30. The replied "Oh sorry, my math was off, it's 20%."

Btw, he lives and works in cool Springs so I have no idea why he is even fighting me on this. 

[PillowTalk4]

Wishing I could vote... Maybe I should temporarily change my address to my mother's in Nashville just to vote then afterwards go back to my Maryland address.... 

This is the furthest the city has ever gone towards a rail transit system.  It's been discussed for far too many decades.   There's no perfect solution.  That's not what anyone should be basing their vote on.  That's unrealistic.  Nashville will need a multi-option solution to improve transportation issues.  This is one of those options to go hand-in-hand with other options and current solutions.   

Get this done Nashville!!!  Doing nothing should not be an option.

[MagicPotato]

Just now, PillowTalk4 said:

Wishing I could vote... Maybe I should temporarily change my address to my mother's in Nashville just to vote then afterwards go back to my Maryland address.... 

This is the furthest the city has ever gone towards a rail transit system.  It's been discussed for far too many decades.   There's no perfect solution.  That's not what anyone should be basing their vote on.  That's unrealistic.  Nashville will need a multi-option solution to improve transportation issues.  This is one of those options to go hand-in-hand with other options and current solutions.   

Get this done Nashville!!!  Doing nothing should not be an option.

Exactly, to fix traffic we have to build a base for something to start off. 

[Binbin98]

I wish i could vote for yes but now I live in England lmao

 

Fingers Crossed

[samsonh]

2 hours ago, Dale said:

The reason Austin traffic is going from bad to worse is that the whole world wants to move to Austin regardless the traffic.

Well that is a reason. Also they have one major road and they keep expanding further and further out. It is a disaster and literally worse every time I go there, which is about once a month.