Nashville East-West Connector Update

Transit Alliance of Middle Tennessee January 23rd, 2012

Transit Alliance Executive Director, Ed Cole provides an update on the East-West Connector project which proposes high-capacity rapid transit connecting Belle Mead to East Nashville.

The Project:

The East-West Connector project is a proposed high-capacity rapid transit project that will connect the heart of Nashville and Middle Tennessee. The “corridor” stretches from the Five Points area of East Nashville, crosses the Cumberland River, connects with Music City Central, moves to Lower Broadway, passes near the new Convention Center, by the Bridgestone Arena, and then extends out Broadway and West End past Vanderbilt University and Centennial Park, crosses I-440 and ends at the intersection with White Bridge Road in the St. Thomas hospital and Belle Meade Plaza area.

Current Project Status:

Last year, the MTA commissioned an “alternatives analysis” study of the East-West (also called Broadway/West End) corridor to determine the best “alignment” for some form of rapid transit and to determine the best “type” of transit vehicle. Undertaken by the international consulting firm, Parsons-Brinkerhoff. the study is nearly complete. In December, 2011, preliminary findings were shared with the project Steering Committee, Mayor Dean and others at a presentation widely reported in the media. Mayor Dean endorsed the findings that suggested a “bus rapid transit (BRT)” system using dedicated transit lanes along the corridor would meet the same performance criteria as a street-car solution while costing half as much to construct. These study results were then presented as information to the full MTA Board at its December meeting and at public meetings in early January.

On Thursday, January 19th, the Planning and Marketing Committee of the MTA Board voted to formally present the study recommendations to the full MTA Board at its regular meeting on Thursday, January 26. Assuming the Board adopts the committee recommendation, the MTA will then have adopted a “Locally Preferred Alternative” that will become the core component of the application to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) for some level of federal funding support. The actual language adopted by the committee for submission to the MTA Board is:

“As a result of the technical analysis, public comments, and recommendation from the Parsons-Brinkerhoff consulting team, the committee recommends that the Board adopt Bus Rapid Transit service operated in exclusive lanes as the Locally Preferred Alternative for the Broadway/West End: East-West Connector. Staff will work to further refine the project, undertake necessary environmental assessments, and advance the project for potential federal funding.”

Next Steps:

Assuming the MTA Board adopts the recommended action at its meeting this week, several critical steps will occur simultaneously. First, the MTA will undertake procurement of a consulting/engineering firm to begin the “preliminary engineering” and “environmental analysis” phases of the project. A contract for this work will hopefully be in place sometime in April. In subsequent Updates, we will describe the details of this important work. Let it simply be said that this phase of technical work will define in fairly precise terms what the East-West Connector will actually become. Such things as station locations, lane configuration, traffic impacts, travel times, frequency of travel, access to businesses along the corridor, detailed cost estimates, environmental impacts (and benefits), and marketing strategies will all be a part of this work.

Second, at the same time as this technical work is undertaken, a major initiative to inform and involve the community will take place. This will include not only those who live and work along the corridor itself, but those who will experience positive impacts across Nashville and Middle Tennessee. While we certainly have a strong MTA bus network together with growing regional commuting services (the Music City Star and express bus services), the East-West Connector will set a new benchmark for us in the development of true rapid transit capacity in our region. The connection of this core corridor is significant to our city and to our region. The depth of this significance can only be understood and supported if more and more people, neighborhoods, organizations, institutions and businesses are aware of the potential we are bringing into our transportation network. The Transit Alliance was created to assist with such communication and will be an active part of the region-wide communication process as the East-West Connector evolves.

A third initiative that will be undertaken will be the establishment of a solid funding base for the construction and ongoing operation of the East=West Connector. The application for federal funding assistance will be a cornerstone of this initiative. Assuming the application for funding assistance is submitted early this summer, we will hopefully have some indication of the federal response by early fall. The critical element will be inclusion of this project on the list of such projects across the nation that would be funded during the federal funding cycle that would begin in October, 2013. This would coincide with the move of the project from preliminary engineering (the phase we are now moving into) to final design and construction. Obviously, the level of federal funding will be a critical factor that will determine the level of funding that will need to occur through local dedicated revenues. Development of those options will occur during this critical phase of the project and are obviously dependent as well on the refined cost estimates that will come out of the preliminary engineering phase.

As you can see, moving the East-West Connector from “idea” to “ribbon cutting at the first station” is a complex process! Your interest, along with many others like you, will be essential as we move forward. These Updates, together with other communications in the months ahead, will hopefully keep you informed and involved. If you have any questions or suggestions, please pass them along. The Transit Alliance will work closely with the MTA, the project Steering Committee and the Mayor’s Office as we move forward through each phase of this major investment in our future.

Source: Ed Cole- Middle Tennessee Transit Alliance