Nashville selects Gallatin Pike corridor for light-rail project

Written by Mischa Wanek-Libman, editor
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Nashville Mayor Megan Barry speaks to the crowd during her second State of Metro address where she announced the city’s light-rail plan would proceed with the Gallatin Pike corridor.
City of Nashville

Nashville, Tenn., Mayor Megan Barry said the city would pursue its first light-rail project along the Gallatin Pike corridor during her "State of Metro" address on April 26.

 

“We cannot wait another year to start the process of building our first light rail,” said Mayor Barry. “I’m very happy to announce that today the work begins to create light-rail service on the Gallatin Pike corridor. I’m excited to have the city start the process of making light rail available to our citizens. I’d drive across the river and put a shovel in the ground this afternoon if I could – and I might just do it anyway!”

In August 2016, Nashville leaders released a 25-year transit plan for the region that included light rail along four corridors, expanded commuter rail and several other bus and rapid transit options at a projected price tag of $6 billion.

According to her office, Mayor Barry has committed herself to working with the Metro Council and community partners to develop and present a transit plan to Nashville voters that will include dedicated sources of revenue to build high-capacity transit along the Gallatin, Nolensville, Murfreesboro and Charlotte Pikes, along with a Northwest Corridor from North Nashville to Clarksville.

Mayor Barry noted that the Gallatin Pike corridor is an obvious choice to start that process as it currently carries the most transit riders in the region, development along the corridor has demonstrated a market for transit-oriented development and planning processes have shown that the neighborhoods along Gallatin support comprehensive mass transit.

“Nashville cannot wait any longer to embrace our future,” Mayor Barry said in announcing her intention to move forward with community partners to develop a transit referendum for the voters of Nashville. “We will be a 21st-century, transit-oriented city, and we are not going to look back 10 years from now and say we failed when we had to succeed.”

Nashville voters are expected to take action the regions transit plan through a 2018 transit referendum.

For more on information on rail projects around the world, visit IRJ Pro.

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