Smart signals, a new transit center and security upgrades: First projects out of Nashville’s transit referendum take shape

The first 11 transit and infrastructure projects to come out of the city’s transit overhaul have been announced.

While the projects are in different stages and of varying sizes, they will all be funded by the sales tax surcharge approved in Nashville’s transit referendum. The half-cent increase went into effect last month.

The revenues from the new tax were not predicted in the original budget for this fiscal year, so Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell has submitted a supplemental budget for review. The budget, which requires Metro Council approval, outlines how those funds will be used to support the specific projects. Metro’s finance department estimates the tax will generate more than $59 million by the end of June.

“This is just the beginning of work we’ll do over the next 15 years,” O’Connell told reporters Friday. “We’re very excited to get these foundational projects started and mark the beginning of this long-awaited progress.”

The eleven projects include:

• A low-income fare subsidy program to be implemented in the fall. This program will increase the number of residents who qualify for free or reduced fares based on nutrition or housing assistance.
• Expanded WeGo service that will begin this summer. WeGo plans to increase frequency on seven different routes, and add weekend service to the “Access on Demand” program, which provides vans for people with disabilities. WeGo will purchase 12 new buses to support the increase in service.
• A new transit lane, and a queue jump signal, which will be added for a Murfreesboro Pike Queue Jump. The queue jump, which is already implemented in some places along Murfreesboro Pike, allows buses to bypass 1,400 feet of queued traffic.
• The West End Curbside Bus Lane Pilot, which will improve travel time for the dense corridor between 25th and 31st Avenue.
• 592 traffic signals that will be upgraded to smart signals.
• Planning to support systemwide fiber installations. These are a “critical” component for signal upgrades and transportation system technologies.
• Planning for a new transit center south of Broadway downtown. This is one of the dozen new or updated transit centers proposed in O’Connell’s transit referendum proposal. Transit centers are part of the effort to establish more accessible crosstown routes for riders.
• Designing the Gallatin Pike All-Access Corridor. The design process will look at the section of Gallatin between Interstate Drive to Eastland Avenue, and will involve new sidewalks, crosswalks and bike facilities, plus a new median, median and curbside bus lanes and queue jumps at certain intersections.
• Planning and design for street infrastructure projects across 39 miles of roads. These projects will include things like intersection, bikeway and sidewalk upgrades or additions.
• WeGo Security upgrades, which will involve more contracted hours with WeGo’s security staff, as well as a new transit liaison from the Metro Nashville Police Department.
• Planning for a new bus operations and maintenance facility which will support the service expansion, especially as capacity is currently exceeded at existing facilities.