Nashville Leaves Room to Maneuver on Transit Planning Future

Nashville residents are being asked to choose their preference among a menu of transit planning options. The most expensive version of the plan would cost $5.4 billion, the least $800 million.

1 minute read

January 29, 2016, 11:00 AM PST

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"A question of scale is at the heart of a new Metro Transit Authority report released Thursday that zeroes in on three possible scenarios to guide the city's future transit investments," reports Joey Garrison.

"After months of community meetings as part of the agency’s nMotion transit planning process, MTA officials and consultants unveiled transit visions at a lengthy MTA board meeting. Proposals cover the full gamut of options, headlined by light rail on major Nashville corridors and commuter rail to connect Nashville with Clarksville," adds Garrison.

Mayor Megan Barry will seek public input on the options before releasing a final version of the plan in late spring or summer, according to the article. The article also includes more detail about what is included at each end of the scale. The "top-tier" proposal, as the article calls it, would cost $5.4 billion. A middle-tier comes with a $2.4 billion price tag, and the "less ambitious plan" would total $800 million.

Thursday, January 21, 2016 in The Tennessean

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green vintage Chicago streetcar from the 1940s parked at the Illinois Railroad Museum in 1988.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails

Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

July 13, 2025 - WTTV

Blue and silver Amtrak train with vibrant green and yellow foliage in background.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail

The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

July 14, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Worker in yellow safety vest and hard hat looks up at servers in data center.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power

Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

July 18 - Inside Climate News

Former MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood standing in front of MARTA HQ with blurred MARTA sign visible in background.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns

MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

July 18 - WABE

Rendering of proposed protected bikeway in Santa Clara, California.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant

A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.

July 17 - San José Spotlight