Regional transit planners say resistance from state lawmakers is a growing reality in state’s future transit plans. (Source: Regional Transportation Authority)
Regional transit planners are searching for a third-party to study the transit needs of Clarksville, the fifth largest city in Tennessee. The document describing the future consultant’s task details a bit of a cautionary tale, lessons learned, perhaps, from the way planners approached the Amp. Chief among them: create a plan early-on to deal with opposition from state lawmakers.
As put by the document:
“…given recent efforts by some members of the state legislature to limit local planning authority and the mixed reaction by the public to recent local planning efforts, the [consultant] must describe how it plans to address growing concerns about the role of government in land use planning and growth management.”
In practice this could mean not counting on the state financially supporting a transit project, or devising a way to make mass transit palatable to state lawmakers, the majority of whom are averse to big-ticket, federally-backed initiatives.
Another tall task planners describe is involving stakeholders and the public early on, bringing critics to the table and allaying their concerns before it comes to a head.
Specifically, the consultant should describe how and when it plans to engage various audiences (e.g., media, public, businesses, government, etc.)
Michael Skipper, who leads the Metropolitan Transportation Organization and who inserted the cautionary language into the document, said he doesn’t expect the threat of state lawmakers to scare away consultants.
“Once thing is for sure: As we go through the planning on these corridors, that we’re including, in the analysis, scenarios of different levels of state participation,” Skipper said. “So that we understand what the realities might be as project implementation plays out.”
Car Commute Time Expected To Nearly Double
Though Amp planners say they conducted a slew of public meetings in the beginning of the process, they have taken heat for not fully vetting the worries of those along the corridor, like car dealership owner Lea Beaman, who has been bankrolling a backlash campaign.
Planners say in just eight years, the number of commuters traveling between Davidson County and Montgomery County jumped by nearly 70 percent. Traffic is often snarled, they say, and it’ll only get worse.
There are no major highway projects in the works to deal with the growing volume of cars along the Interstate-24 corridor. Planners say public transit is the smartest way to unclog the congestion.
In the coming decades, the one-way commute time to Clarksville is expected to add another 45 minutes.
A 2008 study found that running a commuter rail — basically an extension of the Music City Star — between Nashville and Clarksville would cost around $144 million. This next study is expected to build on that finding and determine whether commuter rail, or another public transit option, is best for the area, which includes the Fort Campbell army base.
Once a consultant is chosen, the study is expected to be finished by the end of next year.
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