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While I really want to discuss the mass transportation needs, wants, and woes in Chattanooga, I would also like to see some life brought to this board, and this includes discussions away from residential development and pictures.

TRANSPORTATION CENTER
The Multi-modal Transportation Center Study wrapped up its public input this Thursday at the Choo Choo. I was unable to go, but from published photos, you can see one of the sites over at Broad & Main:

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Other potential site locations, according to WTVC U.S. Pipe and the Choo Choo. U.S. Pipe certainly has opportunity, but through talking to some I know, not only are the residential plans moving forward off the S. Broad spot, but the Lookouts are unofficially eyeing the area. I like the idea of the center being downtown, but I am privy to it being in midtown, off central somewhere between Bailey and McCallie.

U.S. Pipe plans from the past, now getting renewed attention from Southside rebuild, Cameron Harbor, economy picking up, & Riverwalk extension. Past plans:

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COMPLETE STREETS
Efforts have been underway to increase complete streets in the city. We already have a pretty successful bike share system downtown, but recently bike lanes have been added or improved. Veterans Bridge had the lane solidified to meet up to Barton Ave, N Market was just narrowed to two lanes with bike lanes each direction painted, Broad Street currently is having curbs put up to protect the new lanes, and Cherokee may potentially be getting protected lanes. These efforts are to follow into the city. Hwy 158 has been undergoing sidewalk additions, and East Ridge is currently working on their own street improvements. 

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LIGHT RAIL
Hold onto your seats, ladies and gentlemen, because Chattanooga may have a LR coming soon. Compared to other cities, the cost for the LR - using preexisting rails and creating a few new miles of track - will just be pennies in the bucket. From my understanding, support is being sought before they formally begin the process. The LR could change many things for the city. Most notably, class mobility as transportation has been a huge problem for the inner city community. Though with the cheap land and convenient transportation, we could see a lot more gentri Central -> Missionary Ridge, which would confound the problem. 

ChattanoogaLRTMap.png

Side note: Proponents for national rail travel have highlighted Chattanooga as one of the key pieces to the puzzle. The ATL-CHA high-speed rail conversation has gone on for years, most recently being determined not 'feasible,' but the CHA hub is still important. With Chattanooga getting rail, there's a possible extension outside of the city. Cleveland, Collegedale are two locations, but Nashville would be a consideration. Here is the overall map to see how CHA would play a part. MIA -> CHI route

US-High-Speed-Rail-System-by-FirstCultur

 

AIR
We cannot forget the record growth the CHA airport has been having. Parking is currently under expansion, new routes (direct -> LGA and IAH), cheap fares, and new aviation company planting roots. Great to see the airport better serving the community (and poaching N ATL customers). We would all love parking decks at Lovell Field, but we also all know there isn't near enough a demand for that. Down the road, for sure. Maybe when another terminal opens after we eclipse 400-550k enplanements.

 

UNRELATED INFRASTRUCTURE
TN legislators are still upset about the FCC knocking down state line restrictions for municipal broadband, but these battles could be over pretty soon. EPB is being a nice service and not expanding out of their 600 sq mile area, even if they lawfully are able to now. Interesting to note, if only economically. Infrastructure is infrastructure, and currently Chattanooga has one of the smartest grids in the world.

Chattanooga_SiemensChart_800_565_80.jpg

 

I think this just about covers it? Outside of course our electric shuttles downtown, which I hope they eventually expand further as the density increases outside the core of Riverfront-City Center districts. I love Nashville, and though Chattanooga has a long way to go to reach its congestion (though the city is a major US thoroughfare, especially with freight traffic), I am glad to see the city playing the long game by working to deal with traffic issues through multi-modal & complete street initiatives until we have to, like with Nashville. Urban (& smart) planning are always draws to tourists - look to Philadelphia, Boston - so this type of proactive growth can further have impacts on our growing hospitality industry. It already has (think Vanguard) in many different ways, but density and transportation has a way of strengthening a city's growth all its own. What do you think about where the city is going?

 

Edited by cssullivan
Forgot the airport!
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Good stuff. Thanks for posting. I think if CHA plays its cards right (so far, so good), it will be a major regional player in a few years. The economy here is quite robust, especially for a city this size. Probably will come it just shy of 200,000 at the time of the next census if no annexations are done. 

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Agreed. It's been diversifying fast coming out of recession. This multimodal push and well-rounded transportation is going to continue to draw a crowd. I believe the 2014 est was at 173k (not much beyond 2013 est), but since there has been more housing construction completed + the annexation (6500 I believe?) off Hwy 58 towards Harrison. By 2015 est, we should be right until Knoxville's thumb. Maybe 180-183k. I'm sure we'll hemorrhage Knoxville some because, if for anything, we have much better urban planning, including transportation. When I was in school there, I remember how much more painful it was to travel in the city.

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Great post, I'm glad they are still discussing the light rail options, it would be a huge boost for a city of Chattanooga's size to have a mass transit system like that. With the growth that seems to be continuing the interstate system is already lacking, and with the ridges around town construction on the interstate system is very expensive and would only cause more traffic headaches. 

As a cyclist I'm loving all of the bike lanes and talks of the river walk extensions happening on both sides of the river

 

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I may have posted this in the other thread a while back, but here is the mater plan for the Moccasin Bend area and North Chattanooga. It's very detailed, lots of road and sidewalk improvement, parks, visitor center, river walk extension

 

http://www.chcrpa.org/Projects/Land_Use_Plans/Moccasin_Bend_Gateway/Gateway_to_Moccasin_Bend_and_Stringer's_Ridge/Moc_Bend_Gateway_Plan_Study_2012-Final_2-page_spread_format.pdf

Edited by Titans10
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  • 1 year later...
  • 2 years later...
  • 2 years later...
On 9/27/2021 at 8:49 PM, MLBrumby said:

That’s right. I think LRT in Chattanooga is not yet practical. However there’s not a better suited city in the south to use existing rails for mass transit. Still not a critical mass of residents downtown. 

Definitely getting there though!  Between all the residential being built in North Shore and Southside, Chatty is developing quite a vibrant core!

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