The Metro Transit Authority has officially pulled the plug on the Amp.
The bus rapid transit line had been in a holding pattern since October, when Nashville Mayor Karl Dean announced he wouldn’t pursue further funding before
leaving office this year. The MTA voted today to end all work on the project.
The Amp was one of Dean’s pet projects. He raised the idea of bus rapid transit during his run for the mayor’s office eight years ago, and brought it as far as securing federal funding.
But the proposal to create a dedicated lane for the bus line down the center of West End Avenue drew strong criticism, both from key business owners along the proposed corridor and state legislators. Last year, the general assembly passed a bill essentially outlawing the Amp’s initial design, and state funding for the project was unlikely.
However, transportation officials say they will move forward with regional strategic planning. So if the next mayor wants to launch some kind of high-capacity transit, MTA intends to be ready.
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