Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell released the details of his Choose How You Move transit referendum that is expected to go before voters in November, revealing his plans will cost $3.1 billion and be partially financed through a half-cent sales tax increase.
In a statement, O’Connell called his transit referendum “the best opportunity we’ve ever had to build out our priority sidewalks, to synchronize signals so you’re spending less time at red lights, and to connect neighborhoods via a better transit system that doesn’t have to come downtown just to go somewhere else.”
The mayor additionally claimed his transit plan will bolster the “sustainability of our workforce” and “bring the cost of living down” for residents.
O’Connell also cited the Imagine Nashville polling which admitted to oversampling black and Hispanic citizens for “greater insight” into public opinion.
“Ninety percent of Nashvillians told us through Imagine Nashville that they support investing in public transit and the Choose How You Move Program will get us where we want to go faster and safer, no matter how you’re moving,” claimed O’Connell.
Full details of O’Connell’s plan reveal the cost is $3.096 billion over a period of years, with some costs both recurring and ongoing.
The largest share of the money will be used to create 54 miles of new bus routes for a cost of roughly $1.352 billion.
An additional 86 miles of new sidewalks, 592 new traffic signals, 54 miles of new streets and 39 miles of “complete streets” will cost a combined $1.022 billion.
O’Connell’s plan also creates “WeGo Essentials” buses designed to transport drivers from parking to events for an investment of $653 million. Additional “service enhancers,” designed to ramp up the transit program during special events, is estimated to be a recurring $111 million.
The mayor also plans to spend $33.6 million to acquire 10 new plots of land, spend $5 million on safety and security upgrades and $30 million on other technology.
O’Connell’s presentation asserts that 42 percent of the funding will come from tourists and commuters who pay the half-cent sales tax, 30 percent will come from new federal and state funding sources plus fare revenue, and the final 28 percent will come from Nashville citizens paying the half-cent sales tax.
In a video posted to the social media platform X, O’Connell claimed his plan would make Nashville more affordable.
“Being able to get around where you need to go safely, easily and affordably is critical,” argued O’Connell. “It shows how we value people and impacts whether or not they’re going to be able to stay here in the future.”
The announcement by O’Connell comes as Nashville Tea Party founder Ben Cunningham warns the plans to build new infrastructure may be illegal under Tennessee law.
Cunningham has also warned voters that relying on federal funding may be unwise, as Nashville citizens could later be forced to either gut the program or pay for transit with a property tax hike should the funding expire.
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Georgia Star News, The Virginia Star, and the Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Mayor Freddie O’Connell” by Mayor Freddie O’Connell.
