Mayor Dean Leaves The Amp To His Successor

Image via the Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee

Mayor Karl Dean announced today that he would not seek local or state financial support for his administration’s controversial seven-mile bus rapid transit project.

As a result, Anti-Amp activists are claiming victory and calling the project dead. “At least until the next mayor takes office,” Stop Amp spokesman Rick Williams says.

Amp supporters, meanwhile, have a more optimistic view. They say federal transportation officials are in close contact with the Amp team and are willing to be flexible in order to see that the project happens. But the next mayor has the authority to halt the project — that’s despite the millions of dollars in federal support that has already been arranged.

In other words, the next mayor holds all the power over whether to continue the project, or scrap it completely. And already, some candidates have expressed reservations about it.

Dean’s comments were made during the last Citiziens Advisory Committee held today.

It was the seventh time the project’s ‘team of rivals’ has met since April to “provide regular feedback and recommendations” to MTA, as project designs are developed and finalized. The group included several vocal opponents to The Amp, including Lee Beaman and Richard Fulton. Here’s a complete list of committee members.

During many of the discussions, however, Amp critics questioned whether the project is right for Nashville, instead of working out kinks under the assumption that it would happen.

Dean has been steadily granting skeptics of the Amp concessions since the backlash movement started gaining momentum. Today’s announcement marks the most meaningful retreat since the project’s inception.