WSMV: ‘Choose how you move’: Nashville mayor unveils transportation upgrade plan

Caleb Wethington and Michael Warrick, WSMV

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell has unveiled his “Choose How You Move” plan for upgrades to the city’s transportation.

Nashvillians will vote on whether to increase the sales tax by half a penny to fund the project in November.

The sales tax increase would cost the average family about $70 more per year, according to the mayor’s office.

“Choose How You Move” would add 86 miles of sidewalk, upgrade or add 592 traffic signals, build 12 modern transit centers, and increase the frequency of WeGo buses, among other upgrades.

“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,” O’Connell said. “This is 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. This is about the sustainability of our workforce and this community, and how we bring the cost of living down so that our residents can afford to live here.”

If approved, the project would take 15 years to complete.

“These are not shiny objects, this is our potential future. These are sensible steps that will make a difference in our commutes and in our pocketbook,” O’Connell said. “This is how we stop kicking the can down the road on a problem and start moving forward on a solution.”

Below is a look at what Nashvillians can expect to vote on:

The program will seek to improve traffic sidewalks, traffic signals, service and safety.

Read the original article here.