Nashville Mayor John Cooper is proposing a sprawling transit plan that creates a strong bus network while using old transit plans around sidewalks and other infrastructure.
Now he wants city council to get on board with his strategy for the coming decade, but some Nashville councilmembers are questioning if the city has the money and ability to get it done.
“At the end of the day, when I’ve seen sidewalk numbers implementation of all this, it’s taken five years to get one sidewalk done in my district,” Councilmember Kathleen Murphy said during a meeting this week. “I don’t see any of this happening in the estimated time or with the estimated money.”
Murphy says she’s leery about the revolving door of transit plans — a comment that echoed what Cooper’s team heard during over 30 stakeholder meetings.
“We have a lot of transportation plans, but not a lot to show for it,” Cooper’s plan states. “Based on that history, it surprised no one that communities we engaged in 2020 did not ask for more planning. They asked for results that change their lives for the better.”
Cooper’s proposal would rely on private dollars as well as state and federal grants. It’s different than a failed proposal from former Mayor Megan Barry, which would have had Nashville taxpayers pick up the tab.
Murphy says Nashville would need to have a consistently designated budget for transit if it wants a shot at federal money. In response, an official from the Mayor’s office said securing federal grants is her specialty.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM