Letters To Nashville's Mayoral Candidates (2019)

LETTERS TO NASHVILLE'S MAYORAL CANDIDATES AUG. 2019

 

Transit Now Nashville prepared a letter to Mayoral candidates, in an effort to receive a response we can share with voters, regarding the candidates position on the topic of multimodal transportation in Middle Tennessee. See the letter below:

Dear [candidate]

Multimodal transportation options are vital to sustaining economic growth Nashville. Incorporating active transportation options, walkability, bicycle lanes and transit into our community has proven benefits to human health and safety, environmental sustainability and inclusive economic development. There is a high cost to not addressing Nashville’s transportation challenges:

  • Only 2 of the 10 census tracts in Metro Nashville are affordable, when transportation costs are factored into living expenses.1

  • Between 2010 and 2017, there were 112 pedestrian deaths in Nashville.2

  • Nashville was ranked the 17th worst city for traffic in the US, which will cost drivers $8.4 billion by 2026 if nothing is to change.3

  • Davidson County’s air quality scored a ‘C’ from the American Lung Association’s 2019 report.4

  • Metro Nashville’s current population of 1.9 million is projected to increase to 3.1 million by 2040,5 compounding the strain to our infrastructure.

As we continue to grow, we have a great opportunity to be proactive in creating solutions. Building Transit Oriented Developments with the inclusion of affordable housing would directly address the high cost of living and transportation that burden so many Nashvillians.6 Increasing access to active transportation can help people meet a minimum healthy amount of physical activity.7 Public transportation is also great for economic development, as an average investment of $1 billion over a twenty year period yields a return of $3.7 billion in additional GDP.8 Nashville could be a national leader in demonstrating how growth can have remarkable outcomes.

Should you become elected mayor, would you support dedicated funding for transit? With WeGo facing an $8.7 million budget shortfall, what efforts will you make to address the multimodal transportation challenges facing our city? Please let us know your response by July 16th and if we may share the information with our members. Your response will help voters understand where their prospective leaders stand on these important issues.

Sincerely,

Transit Now Nashville

———

1 https://s3.amazonaws.com/thda.org/Documents/Research-Planning/Housing_Transportation_Brief.pdf

2. https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2018/06/28/pedestrian-fatalities-up-tennessee-largest-cities-nashville-memphis-knoxville/

692631002/

3 https://www.businessinsider.com/worst-traffic-spots-us-cities-2017-ranked-2017-9

4 https://www.lung.org/our-initiatives/healthy-air/sota/city-rankings/states/tennessee/

5. https://www.nashville.gov/Portals/0/SiteContent/Planning/docs/NashvilleNext/2003%2009%2019%20Nashville%20Trends%20Opp

ortunities%202025-2040.pdf

6 https://s3.amazonaws.com/thda.org/Documents/Research-Planning/Housing_Transportation_Brief.pdf

7 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214140516000219

8. https://www.apta.com/resources/reportsandpublications/Documents/Economic-Impact-Public-Transportation-Investment-APTA.pdf

Click on the photos to see responses from John Ray Clemmons, Bernie Cox, Jimmy Lawrence, and Jon Sewell (in photo order from left to right):

Transit Now Nashville