Nashville Mayor Seeks Regional Transit

"Cities like Charlotte, Austin and Denver have something Nashville doesn't: regional mass transit. And I want it," Mayor Karl Dean told community leaders and transportation planners gathered Wednesday to talk about creating such a system in the 10-county Nashville area.

The afternoon conference looked at how transit has been developed in other places and how those experiences might translate to Nashville. It was put on by Cumberland Region Tomorrow, a nonprofit growth and planning group, and other organizations.

But Dean did have one action item. He called for leaders in Cheatham, Davidson, Dickson, Maury, Montgomery, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner, Williamson and Wilson counties to create a work group — successful in other cities — that will formulate concrete plans for mass transit that people actually want and would use.

'This is where we find the money, design the plan and implement the plan," Dean said. "We need to be bold, not afraid and push forward fast.'"