I have a car in a city built for people with cars. It takes me 6-7 minutes to drive from my house to my office on Music Row. It's easy for me to take for granted the effort required to get around Nashville without one. I've never ridden on the MTA and I have a feeling it would take me a lot longer than a few minutes to get to work if I had to. Perspective - we all could use more of it.
That is why I'm so glad that NashTransit blogger (and Tweeter!) Drew has provided some insight into the effect a slight change in bus schedule can have on a rider, and how those interested can provide input.
When you are done over here, please go read WeHo resident and Women's Health News blogger Rachel's post about Living Car-Free in a Food Desert. So much good information there.
Now Drew:
Thanks, Drew!
If you aren't familiar with it, MTAs #1 100 Oaks bus route runs through South Nashville, from 100 Oaks Mall, and past the Metro Board of Education, Fairgrounds, Vine Hill Towers, the SNAP Center, Greer Stadium, Fort Negley Park, Adventure Science Center, and on into downtown. You can see a map of the full route here.The #1 doesn't have great ridership - in fact in 2008 it was dead last out of MTA's routes, and it was eliminated when fuel prices peaked that summer. Since then it has returned, but even with the new activity around Vanderbilt 100 Oaks Medical Center, it's still not a very busy bus.MTA wants to make it more popular, so the solution they've recently proposed is to make one leg of the trip an express route. In the morning, from downtown, the #1 would travel along I-65 to 100 Oaks Mall, bypassing all the local stops. In the evening, the bus takes the express route from the mall back downtown. The reverse routes (to downtown in the morning, from downtown in the evening) would remain unchanged.The express route is meant to be faster, more attractive to workers in the mall area (including future Wal-Mart employees), and also more fuel efficient.I am torn about this because I want the route to do well - if it doesn't improve I could invision it being cut again someday. But having taken this route every day for the past ten years, I know there are a lot of people who need this route for the local stops it makes - in both directions.MTA has already hosted a few (very poorly attended) public hearings, but there is still time to comment. You can view their PowerPoint presentation here and send your comments to mta.publichearings@nashville.gov. Please be courteous, and share ideas if you have them!
By the way, SNAP's Night Out Against Crime and building grand re-opening was last night and was a success! Head over to SNAP's Facebook page to see pictures.
3 comments:
Thanks for the link and Drew for the info. I know one problem I had with route 1 before it stopped previously is that there was no way I could get from work to downtown on the incoming bus before the last one headed out. I always felt like ridership was low in part because the schedule was not workable for commuters who had to get downtown from somewhere else. I don't think I like the express option plan - seems to cut out the neighborhood folks - but I'll need to learn more about it.
Also check out www.transitnownashville.org
I'll echo the thanks for the info on the bus route--i've been looking for an accessible/efficient way to get to Vanderbilt's campus (sans my car) since i moved here last Aug., and somehow missed that this was even a route.
I just submitted some comments asking if they would consider having the 2:30 from 100 Oaks stay local, as that's the one i would take part of the way to campus--will have to see what happens...thanks again for posting this though, really appreciate it
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