Nashville transit plan includes upgrades in busy Antioch area
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Mayor Freddie O’Connell recently unveiled a massive transit plan and the details of it also highlight significant changes to the way people drive on Murfreesboro Pike.
WeGo Public Transit officials told News 2 Bus Route 55 in Antioch is one of the city’s most popular, with nearly 5,000 thousand riders every day. That’s part of the reason it is a prioritized area in the mayor’s transit plan.
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One idea is a dedicated bus lane on Murfreesboro Pike, but city officials are still trying to figure out where there’s enough space. The mayor also proposed more than a dozen sidewalk upgrades along Murfreesboro Pike.
Some of the larger ones are at intersections with Vultee Boulevard, Nashboro Road and Spence Lane. The plan includes 600 traffic signal upgrades across the city; more than 40 of those upgrades will happen on this stretch of roadway. City officials said this will allow drivers and riders to travel 12 minutes faster along this busy stretch than they can today.
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“I would say that the signalization is the one thing that I’m really excited about, because most of our traffic jams can be contributed to the fact that one light is red, and the next light is green, and all it does is switch. If we can get traffic flowing because all the lights are green at the same time or they’re all red at the same time, it will make an impact,” Metro Councilmember Joy Styles said.
According to the proposed plan, within 10 years of approval, 60 miles of new and upgraded sidewalks will be built above the current program.
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In a statement from the mayor’s office, city officials told News 2:
“All-Access Corridors mean that all modes of transportation will see improvements. Whether you walk, bike, ride transit, or drive your car, you’ll see benefits to your commute. Murfreesboro Pk. is one of our busiest streets with transit ridership that exceeds pre-pandemic levels. It will see upgraded sidewalks that keep pedestrians safer, upgrades to smart signal which means less time at red lights. That will replace a signals system — parts of which are so old they still operate on dial-up modems. And in places, dedicated transit lanes would allow you to travel from downtown to the county line 12 minutes faster than you can today.”
The mayor’s transportation plan still has to go before Metro Council. If it’s approved, voters will have the final say in the November election.
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