25-Year Regional Transit Plan Revealed for Nashville

The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Regional Transportation Authority of Middle Tennessee announced the details of a new 25-year strategic plan.

1 minute read

August 18, 2016, 10:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Nashville

Adam Jones / Flickr

"A proposed regional transit plan for Nashville is finally on the table, and — as expected — it includes the full spectrum of options, bringing with it a $5.97 billion price tag over the next 25 years," reports Joey Garrison.

The framework plan, called nMotion [pdf], would spend $6 billion to "[c]onnect Nashville and Clarksville with commuter rail. Build light rail on four busy Nashville corridors. Install bus rapid transit on three other major roadways." Also included are "recommendations for “freeway BRT” and bus-on-shoulder service on Middle Tennessee interstates, a transit network serving the airport, new regional transit hubs and improvements to the city’s existing buses for more frequent, efficient and easier service."

According to Garrison, Nashville MTA launched the planning process 15 months ago, gathering 15,569 survey responses and 3,291 public comments along the way. The MTA reports a clear preference from those engagements for a comprehensive regional transit system. The Nashville MTA board must still approve the plan—then comes the hard part of funding and building the plan's components.

A map of the proposed nMotion regional transit plan. (Nashville MTA)

Thursday, August 18, 2016 in The Tennessean

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Wastewater pouring out from a pipe.

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage

Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

April 13, 2025 - Inside Climate News

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 16, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Bird's eye view of large apartment complex under construction next to four-lane road near Atlanta, Georgia.

How Atlanta Built 7,000 Housing Units in 3 Years

The city’s comprehensive, neighborhood-focused housing strategy focuses on identifying properties and land that can be repurposed for housing and encouraging development in underserved neighborhoods.

April 9, 2025 - Governing

People walking up and down stairs in New York City subway station.

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving

Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

4 hours ago - Scientific American

White public transit bus with bike on front bike rack in Nashville, Tennessee.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan

Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

5 hours ago - Bloomberg CityLab

An engineer controlling a quality of water ,aerated activated sludge tank at a waste water treatment plant.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding

The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.

6 hours ago - Smart Cities Dive