Choose How You Move (Nashville)

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Choose How You Move is a local referendum in Nashville, Tennessee that will be held on November 5, 2024. The referendum will ask Davidson County residents to approve a 0.5% increase in the sales tax to fund Mayor Freddie O'Connell's signature $3.1 billion transportation improvement program.^[1]

The plan would invest in new sidewalks, a network of smart traffic signals, street safety improvements, bus stop upgrades, express bus routes, and additional park and ride lots. The plan would also establish 10 "All-Access Corridors" across the city, featuring higher frequency transit, increased road safety, and the option to expand bus rapid transit.^[2] The plan does not include funding for light rail.^[3]

Nashville's 19th-century electric streetcar system was replaced by motor buses, and in the 1970s the Metro government took over transit operations, forming the Metropolitan Transit Authority. Despite launching initiatives like the Music City Star commuter rail in 2006 and multiple bus lines, modern efforts to overhaul the system, including Mayor Karl Dean's 2011 rapid bus plan and Mayor Megan Barry's 2017 light rail proposal, have failed, with state politics, budget shortfalls, and local opposition contributing to the collapse of these projects^[4]

A 2023 Forbes report listed Nashville as the U.S. city with the hardest commute, citing the city's poor walkability, lack of safety for bicycles, and low access to public transportation.^[5] Another 2023 report listed Nashville as the second-most dangerous city in the nation for pedestrians.^[6]

In 2023, Freddie O'Connell was elected mayor of Nashville after promising increased investment in public transportation, road safety, and investments in sidewalks. After public input, foundational plans, and feedback from the Metro Council, Mayor O'Connell released his transportation improvement plan in 2024.^[7]

In April 2024, the O'Connell administration released its Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). Afterwards, the Davidson County Election Commission approved a referendum on a 0.5% increase in the sales tax to fund the plan.

The TIP calls for creating 86 miles of new or upgraded sidewalks, targeting high-traffic areas and underserved communities. Additionally, the plan includes plans to modernize 592 traffic signals with real-time traffic management. The TIP also seeks to address pedestrian and cyclist safety by implementing upgrades at 35 high-injury intersections and creating 39 miles of complete streets.^[2]

The plan calls for expanding bus service along busiest corridors, which serve 80% of the city’s transit ridership. This high-frequency bus service would run at least every 15 minutes. In the plan, these 54 miles of "All-Access Corridors" would feature dedicated transit lanes, new sidewalks, and signal priority systems that allow buses to move through intersections faster. Key corridors include Murfreesboro Pike, Gallatin Pike, and Nolensville Pike.^[2]

The plan also includes funding for WeGo, Nashville's public transit service. The TIP would upgrade 285 bus stops, build 12 new transit centers, and add 17 park-and-ride facilities, along with creating a larger, more modernized bus fleet.^[2]

The program would increase the frequency of local buses, crosstown routes, and introduce four new express routes. These include 24/7 routes with shorter wait times Regional service would be expanded with improvements to the WeGo STAR commuter rail system.^[2]

The "For" Campaign, titled Vote FOR Nashville, is organized by Green Lights for Nashville.^[8]

The "Against" campaign is led by the Committee to Stop an UnFair Tax and is focusing on handing out free yard signs.^[9]

Americans for Prosperity, the conservative advocacy group which campaigned heavily against the 2017 light rail proposal, opted against participating in the 2024 referendum. Similarly, The People’s Alliance for Transit, Housing and Employment, a lead anti-referendum group from 2017, chose not to organize in 2024.^[10]