click to edit master title style 1 nelson/nygaard consulting associates public meeting 4.7.15

Click to edit Master title style

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Nelson/Nygaard Consulting Associates

Public Meeting4.7.15


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Why Undertake the Effort?

Nashville is growing rapidly – from a small city to a large city

As the city and county have grown, so have transit demands

Transit improvements have greatly lagged overall growth

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Why Undertake nMotion?

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Nashville Vital Signs Report:– “The ability of our residents to move

around the region in their cars is quickly deteriorating and will continue to do so unless we provide better transit options.”

NashvilleNext:– Improving transit was second highest priority

for stakeholders– Preferred future includes much stronger transit

system The AMP Controversy:– Disagreement on project and approach, but

agreement that Nashville needs better transit


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System Assessment: Challenges

Difficult operating environment – Nashville is one

of the most sprawling metro areas in the country

– Densities are not sufficiently high in many areas for high levels of transit service

– Wide arterials are difficult for passengers to cross


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System Assessment: Strengths

Strong core network of routes to and from downtown Nashville

Started development of higher-quality services (BRT Lite)

Other improvements based on available resources:– Music City Central– Music City Circuit– More frequent service

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System Assessment: Weaknesses

Service isn’t attractive or convenient enough for most– Infrequent service– Limited hours– Much service is slow– Nearly all service to/from downtown; makes

travel to other locations inconvenient

ClassificationFrequency(minutes)

Number of Routes

Most Frequent

Up to 30 17

Frequent 30-90 14

Limited Limited or Express

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Circuit 15-40 3

MTA Route Types


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System & Market Assessment

Peer comparison:– 14 current peers: Metro

areas that are similar to what Nashville is today

– 6 “aspirational” peers: Metro areas that are similar to what Nashville is growing to become

Current Peers

Aspirational Peers

Akron Atlanta

Albuquerque Austin

Cincinnati Charlotte

Dayton Denver

El Paso Raleigh

Fort Worth Kansas City

Hartford

Indianapolis

Jacksonville

Louisville

Memphis

RichmondSpringfield, MASyracuse

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System & Market Assessment

Compared to aspirational peers, Nashville MTA:– Spends much less than all but one– Provides much less service– Carries are fewer riders

Green = highest peerGrey = 2nd highest peerRed = lowest peer

$80Raleigh

$261Atlanta

$87Nashvill

e

Operating Spendingper Capita

$180Austin

1.9Atlanta

0.8Nashville

1.1Kansas

City

Service per Capita (VSH)

1.6Austin

15Nashville

86Atlanta

20Raleigh

Ridershipper Capita

39Austin

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Potential Improvements

Frequent Transit Network/High-Capacity Transit Network– Robust transit systems

are built around a network of fast and frequent services.

– Depending upon size andarea:– Regional rail– Rapid transit– Light rail– BRT– Bus

– How should Nashville develop a High-Capacity Transit Network? 9


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High-Quality/High-Capacity Services– A High-Capacity Network will

need to provide high-quality service

– What types of high-quality service should be developed, for example?– Light rail– Streetcar– Full BRT

BRT Lite– Other

– Where?10


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Transit Emphasis Corridors– Some high-volume

corridors are served by multiple routes

– Priority can be provided to transit to make service faster and more comfortable

– Should Transit Emphasis Corridors be developed?

– Where?

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Much More Frequent Service for Longer Hours– Convenient service takes you where

you want to go when you want to go in a reasonable amount of time.

– How frequently would service have to run for you to consider it convenient?

– How late should it run?– In what areas should this be done?

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Service to More Places– To and in newly

developing areas– Better connections

outside of downtown– New crosstown routes– New regional routes– New express routes– Which places have the

greatestneed for new service?

– How important is it to expandto new places versus improvingexisting services?

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Faster Service– Except for the BRT Lite lines, much service is

slow with frequent stops and indirect routings– Service can be made faster by making

alignments more direct, consolidating stops, and implementing transit priority

– How important is speed?– Is it more important than short walk distances to

stops?– Which speed improvements would you prefer

most?

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Transit Priority– Transit can be made faster

through the use of:– Exclusive bus lanes– Peak period only bus

lanes– Queue jump lanes– Transit signal priority– The use of freeway

shoulders by express buses

– Do you support transit priority?

– Where and which types?– Under what conditions?

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Queue Jump Lane

Signal Priority


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Simpler Service– Some service is very complicated– Long indirect and circuitous routings– Different variants– Complicated schedules– Is service too complicated?– Would you use it more if it were simpler?

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More Comfortable Facilities With Better Amenities– Waiting for the bus is a major

part of the transit experience– Most MTA stops have relatively

limited facilities– How important is providing

more comfortable facilities?– What amenities are most important

to you? Benches, real-time passenger information, etc.?

– Where?

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Real-Time Information– Real-time information allows

riders to better time their arrival at stops and reduces wait times

– It eliminates the uncertainty often associated with transit use – did I miss the bus, is it still coming, etc.

– How important is real-time information?

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Other– Many other improvements are also possible, for

example:– Improving public information– Rebranding services (and maybe the MTA) to

improve legibility and image– Improving schedules– Better coordinating routes– Developing outlying transit centers– Increasing park and ride opportunities– Access and pedestrian improvements on

major arterials with bus service– Are there specific improvements that you would

like us to examine? 19


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Summary

All reasonable options are on the table Project will include extensive civic

engagement Plan intended to determine what will be

needed to develop a great transit system

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Project Overview & Work to Date

1. Extensive stakeholder involvementThroughout

2. System and market assessment April

3. Develop transit vision June

4. Identify opportunitiesSeptember

5. Develop system improvement scenariosOctober

6. Evaluate and vet scenariosDecember

7. Conduct financial analysisOctober

8. Develop Recommendations March

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Stakeholder Involvement

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DISCUSS YOUR IDEASAT PUBLIC MEETINGS

VISIT THE PROJECT WEBSITEwww.nmotion2015.com

DISCUSS YOUR IDEASON OUR MINDMIXER TOWN HALL ON THE PROJECT WEBSITE

COME ONBOARDOUR nMOTION BUS

BOOK A PLANNERFOR YOUR OWN EVENT

DESIGN YOUR OWN TRANSIT SYSTEMON THE PROJECT WEBSITEAND MORE…

click to edit master title style 1 nelson/nygaard consulting associates public meeting 4.7.15

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