Nashville Residents Get Their Turn To Weigh In On Transit Proposal

There’s been a steady stream of Nashville transportation announcements lately, along with studies and op-ed articles. Now the public gets the chance to comment on the city’s multi-billion-dollar mass transit proposal.

The Metro Council will be listening at 6 p.m. Tuesday and then voting next week on whether a funding referendum is warranted.

This special hearing isn’t part of a full-blown council meeting, so the only topic is transit. The comment period will be slightly different than normal. Each speaker will get 2 minutes, instead of 3 — no sign-up necessary. And they’ll step to the podium in no particular order, whether they’re for the transit funding or against it.

The proposal seeks to improve the bus system and build five light rail lines in the coming decades.

But first, the council would need to agree to a referendum, in which residents would vote on four tax increases to fund a large share of the $5.4 billion construction cost.

Also this week, officials will hear recommendations from
a task force assigned by Mayor Megan Barry. That group will share its ideas for how to protect small businesses and housing affordability along future transit lines on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in the Jury Assembly Room of the Historic Metro Courthouse.